To implement one (1) project with the objective of supporting local labor courts in mexico

This $19.89 million cooperative agreement from the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of International Labor Affairs will support implementation of the International Labor Programs' objective to strengthen labor courts in Mexico. Awarded to Ergo Group Inc. from January 2023 through July 2027, key products and services include developing comprehensive professionalization plans, case management and business intelligence systems, and ongoing technical assistance for labor courts in 10 Mexican states and Mexico City. Activities aim to increase the courts' adjudication abilities per Mexico's 2019 labor law reforms. Subrecipient ITAM will contribute labor specialists and help with institution building, professionalization and training components to develop technological requirements, a case management database and electronic services connecting labor authorities. If successful, outcomes include fairer and more efficient labor court adjudication through strengthened networks and increased motivation across institutions.

This project will contribute to the reasoned, independent, and efficient adjudication of labor cases by local labor courts by addressing the need for comprehensive professionalization to implement mexico's 2019 labor law reform, increasing technical capacity among court operators in new courtroom procedures, and creating strong networks across states, other labor institutions, and the public to share information, best practices, and lessons learned. Activities performed develop the value chain and capability model for courts; develop the as is and to be process maps; develop operational manuals; develop operating protocols; develop a process-based organizational structure model; develop an integrated indicator system; provide ongoing technical assistance; develop a comprehensive professionalization model plan for state-level labor courts; develop a standard, comprehensive training course; develop a training course for cases described in article 685 TER of the labor law; adapt the professionalization plan to each of the 10 states; develop an interactive training course on how to manage oral proceedings; train and consolidate a group of at least 5 trainer trainers at each institution; develop strategies to strengthen mechanisms that enforce judicial rulings; provide ongoing technical assistance to implement strategies to enforce judicial rulings in 10 states; develop a case management and tracking system for courts; develop a business intelligence and analytics system based on data science principles for courts (jurimetrics); implement a pilot in two states and rollout in all 10 of both management and business intelligence systems; support the success of courts in adopting the new systems; design and execute a methodological survey of phase 1 and phase 2 states to identify good practices; develop a knowledge management portal for good practices, lessons learned and strategies to be shared; develop a good practice exchange program and engage at least 5 officials of each state in the program; develop a national and international exchange program (study trips) and engage at least two officials per state; develop a comprehensive communications strategy for courts regarding workers, employers, and the public; develop communications materials for each state; support the communications strategy through ongoing technical assistance in each state; develop a data portal; provide ongoing technical assistance to courts to encourage use of the open data portal; perform a change readiness assessment; design a change management strategy and detailed program; design and execute change management plans for each state; develop detailed training plans for each state; coordinate training delivery for each state and evaluate training outcomes; evaluate training outcomes; communicate outcomes and coordinate with communication strategy; develop GAP measurement plans; evaluate performance gaps, adjust training and evaluation strategies; adjust organizational and operational model (developed under outcome 1) and IT systems; assist courts in adjusting their organizational and operational models and to IT systems. Deliverables outcome 1: increased ability of local labor courts to adjudicate labor law cases fairly and efficiently. Outcome 2: strengthened networks between local labor courts, other labor institutions and citizens lead to a fair and efficient local labor court system. Outcome 3: increased motivation of individuals and institutions to ensure efficient and effective administration of labor justice. Intended beneficiary state-level labor courts focused on 10 states: mexico city, state of mexico, nuevo leon, jalisco, sonora, chihuahua, puebla, tamaulipas, querétaro, SAN luis potosí and all technology and capacity building products will be available to the 32 states of mexico. Subrecipient activities process mapping; definition of technological requirements and solutions; development of a case management system for local labor tribunals, including design of database, systems flows, user interface, electronic mailboxes, web services connecting labor tribunals and connecting the labor courts with other labor authorities such as state conciliation centers, state secretariats of labor, the federal secretariat of labor, and public lawyer offices at the state and federal level. The case management system will also contain a web and mobile device-based APP for notifications, which historically have been a major bottleneck of labor justice. Itam will also contribute with labor specialists, innovation and academic advisors, gender and instructional design specialists, to the institution building, professionalization and training components of the project.