USAID Judicial Reform and
Government Accountability Project
USAID-SEIO Consultative Monitoring under
USAID Assistance Agreement: 169-AA-10-DG/001
Rob Force, USAID/Serbia Senior Rule of Law Advisor
February 28, 2012
USAID Judicial Reform and Government
Accountability Project
SEIO Aid coordination sector: Justice Sector
Budget and
Duration
Total Life of Project funding: $21.8 million
May 2011 – May 2016
Implementing
Partner
National Center for State Courts
Objective
Government Operations Improved
Agreement
169-AA-10-DG/001
Components
Judicial Reform
Government Accountability
USAID Judicial Reform and Government Accountability Project
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CONSULATIVE PROCESS TO DATE
• During project design and current implementation
phases, USAID consulted widely with senior GoS
officials to:
– ensure responsiveness
– optimize partnership opportunities
– identify potential areas of need, cooperation and assistance.
• Date of USAID-GoS work plan reviews:
Last review: August 2011
Next review: May 2012
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STATE OF IMPLEMENTATION
• Commencement of assistance to courts
• Inaugural meeting of Misdemeanor Judges after integration into
court network
• Establishment of working groups:
– transparency and access to courts
– service of process and enforcement of court orders and judgments
– case management.
• Technical assistance to Independent Agencies
– Anti-Corruption Agency
– State Audit Institution
– Ombudsperson’s Office.
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INDICATORS
Indicator
Baseline 2011
2012
Number of Justice Sector Personnel
that Received USG Training
0
400
800
Number of USG Assisted Courts with
Improved Case Management
0
NA
(commencing in
2012)
6
Number of government officials
receiving USG supported anticorruption training
0
155
300
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KEY CONTRIBUTIONS FROM GOS PARTNERS FOR
YEAR ONE
• Active and close involvement by senior GoS and court officials
in developing court assistance strategy
• Court participation in working groups
– Misdemeanor Courts – three groups
– Ministry of Justice – two groups
• Independent agencies begin implementing workplans/outreach:
– ACA develops and begins implementation of training for political finance
monitors
– Increasing public awareness
– Developing inter-agency communication and cooperation
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IMPLEMENTATION CHALLENGES
• Judicial Reform/Re-appointment Process
– HCC, MOJ, others under scrutiny by press, NGOs, EU
– USAID continues to assist judicial reform efforts; results may
be affected if re-appointment process is protracted.
• The Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) is still building its
institutional capacity.
– ACA’s workload and growing capacities may limit utilization
of USAID support.
– Possibly adjust USAID expectations and focus of assistance
efforts.
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OUTLOOK
• USAID and its GoS counterparts have developed a strong
partnership for future cooperation.
• Key program milestones in the year ahead:
–
–
–
–
Successful renovations of selected partner courts
Implementation of court improvement plans
Implementation of policies and procedures developed by working groups
Building upon the current work with the Independent Agencies.
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