Jo-Ann Downs Email & Phone Number

South Africa

•Policy development and management, policy initiatives and manifesto drafting•International liaison: DUP (Ireland), Conservative Party (UK) and CDU (Germany)•Networked at three Conservative Party conferences (UK) as an invited observer •Ran 3 major donor projects (Konrad Adenauer Siftung, Kristdemokraterna and Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy) that involved financial, monitoring/evaluation and key performance indicator reporting: setting up programmes, budgeting and management. Projects were on anti-racism and reconciliation (early transition period in South African democracy), gender-based violence, child rights and restorative justice. These required sensitivity, media and political management training programs. Many programs undertaken in rural or township areas with diverse vernacular languages and culture•Worked with the Westminster Foundation, Konrad Adenaur Stiftung and sister parties in Africa such as Chadema in Tanzania. Here, I was the liaison with the International Democratic Union and participated in reviving the Democratic Union of Africa•Served as the chief negotiator and spokesperson (and assisted other diverse small parties) in successful coalition arrangements to govern three major cities in South Africa•Working successfully with people from all sectors of society, particularly in KZN, in deep rural areas, urban areas, with traditional leaders and in academic circles•Assisted organisations in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda and Tanzania in developing democratic principles•Implemented and managed a regional political office, setting up local processes and procedures, managing a support team and finances•Travelled extensively (regions: Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe and Western Pacific) representing both country and party, for knowledge exchange and to learn about different political opinions/policies•Project managed elections•Media and public speaking: writing articles, interview, participating in debates

Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa

•Attended 3 Commonwealth Parliamentary Association conferences (Nigeria, Namibia and Malaysia).•Constituency work including advocacy, facilitating the development of a child rights NGO, training on women’s empowerment, HIV/AIDS and economic empowerment.•Negotiation with the governing party to further party objectives.•Public Accounts Committee Chairperson (KZN), sat on the Association of Public Accounts Committee South Africa board, and assisted with the inauguration of the multi-national Southern African Development Community (SADC) Association of Public Accounts Committees. •Monitoring of related policy, legislation and regulation documents as a full member of the Health, Education, Finance and Safety/Security Committees.•Specialised in legislation, lobbying and advocacy related to women and children’s rights and health, gender based violence, victim support protocols and issues affecting millennium development goals. •Board Chairperson of Operation Bobbi Bear – a non-profit acting as a point of rescue for abused children, emergency assessment of HIV infection risk to guide administration of post-exposure prophylaxis, advocating for children’s wellbeing, and support through judicial processes. Extensive work in combatting sexual abuse of children, improving communication and training of police at station level. Advocating for better child orientated systems for medico-legal procedures.•Submitted the first ever Private Members Bill (1998) in South Africa, unanimously accepted by KZN Legislature, sent to National Parliament through the National Council of Provinces. The purpose was to set up a Children’s Commissioner and Sex Offenders Register. It was defeated at a National level but the Minister of Social Welfare later set up the same system.•First Member of Parliament to raise access to ARVs for victims of sexual abuse in the legislature, between 1996-1997.•Board member of KwaZulu-Natal Parliament

Master'S Degree, Public Policy And Management

Diploma, Economics

A Plus Levels