Mette Bakken is International IDEA's Consultant for Management of the International IDEA Nepal office.

Bakken, previously served as International IDEA Programme Officer and her focus was elections in Africa with a special emphasis on electoral management body capacity building, electoral systems and electoral reform, as well as gender and youth participation in democratic processes. In addition to managing specific projects and activities in this field, she carried out research and provides technical assistance to national stakeholders.

Prior to her engagement with International IDEA, Bakken has worked on democracy, elections and parliamentary strengthening with organizations like United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the European Centre for Electoral Support (ECES), as well as managed research studies on civil crisis management with the Swedish Institute for International Affairs. She is an election observer through the Norwegian Resource Bank for Democracy and Human Rights. 

Elections: systems and processes, book chapter in Government and politics in Malawi, 2007 (co-authored), The Electoral Cycle Approach: Effectiveness and Sustainability of Electoral Assistance , ISPI Working Paper, 2011 (co-authored), Electoral law reform in Africa: Insights into EMB roles and approaches of engagement, International IDEA Policy Paper, 2014 (lead author). Youth Participation in Electoral Processes: New Roles for African Electoral Management Bodies, International IDEA Policy Brief, 2015.