ATTACHMENT_J_9_Palestinian_Justice_Enhancement_Project_Year_One_Annual_Report.pdf

This publication was produced for the United States Agency for International Development. It was prepared by

Chemonics International.

PALESTINIAN JUSTICE ENHANCEMENT

PROGRAM

YEAR ONE ANNUAL REPORT

1 OCTOBER, 2010 TO 30 SEPTEMBER, 2011

Table of Contents

Acronyms

Executive Summary

Project Administration

Activities and Results (by component)

Component 1 – Enhance accessibility and efficiency of targeted justice sector institutions

Subcomponent 1A - Upgrade the capacities of the High Judicial Council Key Result Area: Improve HJC services to the public Key Result Area: Provide training and technical assistance to HJC Departments

Subcomponent 1B - Strengthen targeted functions within the Ministry of Justice Key Result Area: Improve MOJ public services Key Result Area: Assist in activation and development of the Israeli-Palestinian Joint Legal

Committee (JLC)

Component 2 – Strengthen the capacity and credibility of justice sector professionals Key Result Area: Strengthen the capacity of the Palestinian Judicial Institute (PJI) Key Result Area: Strengthen core and specialized legal skills for judges and court staff Key Result Area: Strengthen practical legal education

Component 3 – Broaden public awareness of Rule of Law and engagement with the justice sector Key Result Area: Enhance HJC and MOJ public outreach capacities Key Result Area: Improve practical civic education in Palestinian communities and schools Key Result Area: Increase engagement and public awareness of key justice sector stakeholders ... 15

Component 4 – Use windows of opportunity to facilitate the development of legal, institutional, and policy frameworks that enhance judicial independence and justice sector coordination

Key Result Area: Increase justice sector strategic planning and coordination

Administrative Issues .............................................................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.

Summary of Planned Activities for Next Year

Component 1 Enhance accessibility and efficiency of targeted justice sector institutions

Component 2 Strengthen capacity and credibility of justice sector professionals

Component 3 Broaden public awareness of Rule of Law and engagement with justice sector

Monitoring and Evaluation

PMP Indicator Results

Acronyms

COP Chief of Party

COTR Contract Officer Technical Representative

CSO Civil Society Organization

DCOP Deputy Chief of Party

DP Diploma Program

DQA Data Quality Assessment

HJC High Judicial Council

JLC Palestinian-Israeli Joint Legal Committee

JRO Justice Records Offices

KRA Key Results Area

MOJ Ministry of Justice

PA Palestinian Authority

PIR Project Intermediate Results

PJEP Palestinian Justice Enhancement Program

PIRS Project Indicator Reference Sheets

PMP Performance Monitoring Plan

PJI Palestinian Judicial Institute

RFA Request for Application

TOT Training of Trainers

USAID United States Agency for International Development

WB/G West Bank/Gaza

Executive Summary

The Palestinian Justice Enhancement Program (PJEP) seeks to support the Palestinian Authority in developing the capacity of the justice sector in the West Bank and Gaza. The project is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented by

Chemonics International. The project’s start up was delayed by four months because of a protest of the award filed immediately after project award; the protest was found to be without merit.

The goal of this program is to strengthen public confidence in and respect for justice sector institutions and the rule of law in the West Bank and Gaza (WB/G). All of the activities will contribute to building capacity among targeted justice sector actors and institutions and will be directed to supporting the priorities and objectives of those actors and institutions. Assistance under this program will be closely coordinated with activities supported by other donors and U.S.

government actors that aim to strengthen justice sector institutions and enhance the performance of the justice system. The project will achieve its goal through the four components which include:

Component 1: Enhance accessibility and efficiency of targeted justice sector institutions

Component 2: Strengthen capacity and credibility of justice sector professionals

Component 3: Broaden public awareness of rule of law and engagement with justice sector institutions

Component 4: Use windows of opportunity to facilitate the development of legal, institutional, and policy frameworks that enhance judicial independence and justice sector coordination.

Multiple coordination meetings were conducted both initially and during the year with counterparts including the Ministry of Justice (MOJ), the High Judicial Council (HJC), and the

Palestinian Judicial Institute (PJI). The meetings with counterparts focused on examining the needs of the justice institutions and the assistance PJEP could provide. PJEP staff participated regularly in donor coordination meetings, to ensure that critical counterpart needs were met and to avoid any duplication of efforts. PJEP staff also met with civil society organizations (CSOs) and other implementing partners to collaborate on planned activities.

One major event this year was a justice system review. PJEP organized a series of high level meetings between Palestinian justice sector leaders, facilitated by Salaheddin Bashir, ex-Minister of Justice and of Economy of Jordan, to continue a conversation about clarification of justice institution roles, responsibilities, and authorities. Several workshops took place with justice sector leaders, legal advisors, and civil society organizations.

The HJC hosted the 4 th

Annual Judicial Conference in Bethlehem on July 14-16, 2011 with

PJEP’s support. The conference gave the participants the opportunity to discuss the achievements of the judiciary, address the challenges facing courts and judges, and produce recommendations to improve the performance of the judiciary. Attendees included the Chief

Justice, the Minister of Justice, the President’s representative, West Bank and Gaza judges, and

USAID’s Mission Director and Deputy Director, along with PJEP’s Contracting Officer

Technical Representative (COTR) and over 200 invited guests, including heads of ministries and civil society organization representatives.

Another achievement this year was the assistance PJEP provided to the HJC to refurbish the

Court of Appeals when it moved to its new space. PJEP’s assistance included furnishings for the courtroom and public areas, the registration office, and judges’ offices.

The following five universities were identified as candidates for PJEP assistance: Al Najah

University in Jenin; Al Quds University, Hebron University; Palestine Ahliya University in

Bethlehem; and Modern College in Ramallah. Given only one law school’s participation in the previous USAID project, this is a significant increase that will allow project to reach substantially greater numbers of law students. PJEP is working with law schools to create moot court programs and conduct local, regional, national and international competitions. PJEP will work with students from the selected law schools to take part in these competitions, as well as their professors, coaches, and competition judges.

PJEP conducted a number of needs assessments for the MOJ which helped to develop activities for implementation. One such activity was training for MOJ media staff on short film editing, an area of need for the HJC media department as well, since PJEP had supported an outside company to edit an HJC film for the judicial conference. The training included staff from both organizations, and has bolstered the capacity of the media departments to wholly produce their own films. Other needs for immediate trainings included instruction on use of computers, translation, and English language courses; one of these courses began in September, with the remaining slated to begin in October, 2011.

PJEP assisted the MOJ in the rejuvenation of the Israeli-Palestinian Joint Legal Committee (JLC) by supporting an embedded legal specialist. The specialist works with the JLC, which has been revitalized to provide a venue for consideration of practical legal issues concerning both Israel and the Palestinian Authority. The JLC gives both sides a mechanism for discussing troublesome technical issues in a technically-oriented, non-political setting.

Toward the end of the year, PJEP released its first request for applications (RFAs) for the first round of grants and expects to award grants by November, 2011. PJEP conducted a workshop for

25 pre-vetted CSOs to allow them the opportunity to pose questions about the grant process and goals. The workshop was held on September 27, 2011 in Ramallah and PJEP presented the objectives of the project as well as the procedures for grant application. The deadline for submission of concept notes, from which grant applicants will be selected, is October 10, 2011.

PROJECT ADMINISTRATION

Chemonics International was awarded the PJEP contract on September 10, 2010; a protest of the award was filed, and on September 24, 2010, implementation of PJEP was halted pending resolution of the protest. The protest was found to be without merit and the suspension was lifted on December 29, 2010 and project implementation resumed in January, 2011. Thus, this report reflects the project’s first year, but only an eight-month implementation period. The project submitted all initial deliverables on time, including its work plan, performance management plan (PMP), gender strategy and grants manual, as well as a branding manual. The delay due to the protest resulted in a loss of counterpart ability to plan and respond, as counterparts turned to other donors or rearranged their strategic plans during the protest period.

The project focused its efforts on starting up in January, including recruitment and hiring, securing office space, meeting with counterparts, and work plan development. Because of the delay due to the protest, some proposed staff had accepted other employment and thus recruitment became a major focus during the project’s first year. By the end of year one, the project had in place its chief of party (COP), deputy chief of party (DCOP), component leaders and all but one component staff member, and most of the operations staff. By the end of Year 1, PJEP was almost fully staffed and had identified candidates for the remaining open positions.

In May, 2011, PJEP moved into its permanent home in the Castle building located in the

Maysoun area in Ramallah. PJEP shares an office building with another Chemonics project, including sharing one floor and several staff members.

ACTIVITIES AND RESULTS (BY COMPONENT)

The goal of this program is to strengthen public confidence in and respect for justice sector institutions and the rule of law in the West Bank and Gaza. All of the activities contribute to building capacity among targeted justice sector actors and institutions and are directed to supporting the priorities and objectives of those actors and institutions. This section describes progress, challenges, and results of the project activities implemented in Year 1.

Component 1 – Enhance accessibility and efficiency of targeted justice sector institutions

The goal of these activities is to enable the judiciary to become more responsive to the public and to improve court user satisfaction with the fairness, accessibility, and efficiency of court processes and services. Rapid and visible improvements in court processes and services are a priority. They are accomplished through strengthening the management of the judiciary, streamlining judicial process and procedures, improving the ability to resolve disputes within reasonable time limits, collecting and analyzing data that assists in formulating and implementing reforms. This component contains two subcomponents: upgrading the capacities of the HJC, and strengthening targeted functions within the MOJ.

Subcomponent 1A - Upgrade the capacities of the High Judicial Council

Key Result Area: Improve HJC services to the public

Procurement of furniture and equipment. The HJC had arranged for the renovation and reconstruction of the Court of Appeals space which was shared with the Attorney General’s

Office and was inefficiently organized. The HJC requested PJEP’s assistance in furnishing the new space, to include procurement of furniture for judge’s offices, public waiting rooms, and the

Court of Appeals courtroom, as the Attorney General’s Office kept the furniture in the previous space. PJEP’s support for the courtroom included a platform and judicial bench, witness and advocates’ tables, audience benches, and a custom-made seal. Furnishings for the public area and judges’ offices included a counter for reception/registration area, benches for the waiting room, judges’ desks and chairs, drawer units, filing cabinets, computer desks, staff desks, meeting room chairs, and fax/printer tables. The result of this activity allowed for more efficient and user-friendly use of space and better access to both the Court of Appeals and the Attorney

General’s Office.

PJEP staff and consultants conducted site visits to courts in Ramallah, Jenin, and Tulkram, including the Conciliation Court, First Instance Court, Appellate Court, and High Court to determine their needs and discuss assistance that PJEP could provide. Information technology

(IT) equipment was identified, and PJEP submitted a request to USAID/Washington for approval to purchase IT equipment. Approval was received in September, 2011 and PJEP is currently in the process of procuring IT equipment including scanners, computers, printers, and photocopiers. The IT equipment will be used to convert paper case files to electronic case files for processing and archiving purposes. This will help improve the courts’ case management system and will allow judges and lawyers to follow cases from outside the courts’ premises.

This activity will increase the efficiency of the justice system and is one of the building blocks for improved efficiency, leading to increased public confidence and general justice sector capability. The HJC has also emphasized the primary need for upgrading the Notary Public offices in the West Bank. This includes the development of Mizan II modules, scanning of documents, and data entry. The project will supply clerks to assist with the work after IT equipment is delivered.

Key Result Area: Provide training and technical assistance to HJC Departments

Essential skills training. The HJC requested training for administrative staff, including English language training and translation skills training. Contracts were finalized to conduct the trainings in October, 2011. Court staff began computer keyboard training.

Assist the HJC with strategic planning meetings and conferences. Preparation for the 4 th

Annual

Judicial Conference began early with a coordination meeting held with USAID’s COTR, PJEP’s

Chief of Party and Court Strengthening Specialist, the Deputy Chief Justice, and other HJC staff to plan the details of the conference. The conference, titled “The Judicial Authority is the

Cornerstone of the State Governed by the Rule of Law,” was hosted by the HJC and supported by PJEP and was held on 14-16 July 2011, in Bethlehem. The three-day conference included 165

West Bank judges (25 females) ,10 judges from Gaza, the Chief Justice, the Minister of Justice, the President’s representative, West Bank and Gaza judges, and USAID’s Mission Director and

Deputy Director, and over 200 invited guests, including heads of ministries and civil society organization representatives.

The conference began with the screening of the

HJC 2011 Achievements documentary and opening speeches were given by the

President’s Representative and the Chief

Justice. In his opening speech, the President’s

Representative praised the judiciary for all the progress and achievements made in 2011, saying “law and human rights is the cornerstone of building a Palestinian state.”

During his opening speech, the Chief Justice welcomed all the participants and said

“safeguarding the independence of the judiciary will lay the ground work for justice.” He thanked USAID, Canada, the EU, and Japan for all the support provided in building the Palestinian judiciary.

The ceremony ended with the President’s Representative, the

Chief Justice, and the Minister of Justice honoring all the judges who retired in 2011, including former Chief Justice

Issa Abu Sharar and Judge Sa’adi Al Dajani the first female judge from Gaza, who had served on the bench since 1973.

All the retired judges received plaques of appreciation to honor their public service. Several local, national, and international news agencies covered the conference events.

All logistics including venue, transportation, hotel arrangements, and printing materials were fully supported and managed by PJEP. PJEP assisted in preparing the 2011 HJC annual report, including analysis of court data and comparison with prior years’ data, design of the report, translation, printing, and distribution. The documentary of the HJC’s 2011 achievements was produced by the HJC with PJEP supporting editing of the final product. The documentary will be used as a public outreach tool and is posted on the HJC’s website.

PJEP began preparations for supporting the HJC’s Second Court Administration Conference which will be held on October 20-22, 2011. The three-day conference titled “Empowering the

Administrative Staff in Supporting Judicial Work” will bring together 170 court employees from all the West Bank to discuss new administrative policies and procedures. The conference will also be a forum for open dialogue on receiving feedback from the employees and will also be an opportunity to discuss needed improvements and challenges facing the court employees.

Subcomponent 1B - Strengthen targeted functions within the Ministry of Justice

Key Result Area: Improve MOJ public services

Procurement of furniture. As well as providing legal services to the Palestinian Authority, the

MOJ provides a number of services directly to the public. These include: certificates of no criminal record; certification of professional experts (e.g. translators and arbitrators); ratification and authentication of documents such as powers of attorney, certificates, and any other legal documents that were ratified by PA representational offices abroad; and alternative dispute resolution. PJEP assisted in improving the services in these departments.

During this year, the MOJ rented additional office space in Ramallah, nearly doubling its current workspace. The MOJ requested PJEP’s assistance in a number of areas and it was agreed that

PJEP would supply furniture and IT equipment to those offices identified at project inception as targeted areas for USAID assistance in the newly rented space including:

Legal Affairs o Legal Research Department o Professional Certification Department o NGO Registration Department o Ratification and Authentication Department o Justice Record Office

The Justice Information Center.

PJEP provided furniture for the JLC office in year one, and released a request for quotations

(RFQ) for the procurement of furniture on a larger scale. PJEP will supply the furniture to the departments mentioned above by the end of October. PJEP applied for and received approval from USAID/Washington to purchase IT equipment for MOJ, PJI and HJC. Following the approval, PJEP prepared a draft RFQ for IT equipment, which will be released in October, 2011.

The assistance provided to these departments will help improve public services and will increase public satisfaction with the Ministry of Justice.

Assist the MOJ in the improvement and establishment of District Justice Records Offices. In assisting the MOJ to improve and establish District Justice Records Offices (JRO), PJEP conducted site visits to the Tubas and Nablus offices. PJEP has a list of procurement needs for the proposed Tubas JRO and is awaiting MOJ confirmation of the site before moving forward.

For the Nablus JRO, PJEP has identified furniture and computer needs which will be provided upon the completion of office renovations.

Upgrade the administrative, financial, and other selected capabilities of the MOJ. In Year 1, PJEP’s team and the MOJ head of the Planning Department developed a plan for project assistance. At the request of the Deputy Minister of Justice, PJEP begin the search for a consultant to assist in reorganization of the Deputy Minister’s office structure and procedures.

The consultant will conduct a needs assessment, review current structures and procedures and will develop recommendations for assisting the Deputy Minister’s Office.

Key Result Area: Assist in activation and development of the Israeli-Palestinian Joint Legal Committee (JLC).

During Year 1, PJEP hired and embedded a Senior Specialist in the Joint Legal Committee at the

MOJ. The Senior Specialist is working with the JLC, which has recently been revitalized to provide a venue for consideration of practical legal issues concerning both Israel and the

Palestinian Authority. The JLC gives both sides a mechanism for discussing troublesome technical issues in a technically-oriented, non-political setting. Throughout the year the JLC

Senior Specialist conducted a number of coordination meetings including:

A meeting with the Deputy Minister of Justice and Quartet Representative for the Rule of

Law. The purpose of the meeting was to finalize a study that will be funded by UNDP called “The Impact of Israeli Relations on the Operation of the Palestinian Justice

System.” The Deputy Minister of Justice has given approval for developing this study.

The terms of reference were developed and a contact person was identified by UNDP.

A meeting with the Representative of the Quartet for the Rule of Law and the Head of the

Legal Assistance Unit of the Israeli MOJ. In the meeting the Deputy Minister of Justice and the Representative of the Quartet for the Rule of Law discussed the importance of activating the JLC meetings between the Palestinians and Israelis and the role that the

Quartet can play.

A meeting with the Palestinian Head of the Legal Assistant Unit, the Israeli Ministry of

Justice, and the Israeli Representative of the International Agreements Unit of the MOJ.

There was an agreement to begin preparation for a JLC meeting that will take part in the near future in West Jerusalem or Tel Aviv that will focus on fugitive files and the coordination between the two sides in area C.

The Senior Legal Committee Specialist held a meeting with representatives of the

European Union Coordinating Office for Palestinian Police Support (EUPOLCOPPS) to discuss steps to support the evidence subcommittee. EUPOLCOPPS will prepare a brief study on standard regulations for delivering any criminal evidence file from the

Palestinians to the Israelis. There was a discussion on the importance of using an official bag to preserve criminal evidence related to any investigations.

With the Deputy Minister of Justice, PJEP interviewed and identified a Junior JLC Specialist to assist the JLC. The junior specialist will develop needed legal drafts, prepare MOUs and agreements, coordinate meetings, correspondence, and events for PA institutions, as well as carry out needed coordination and provide support to the Senior JLC Specialist. The junior specialist will begin working in Year 2.

To ensure that activities are being implemented PJEP has begun development of a long-term work plan for the project’s support to the JLC. PJEP also procured furniture for the JLC office.

Component 2 – Strengthen the capacity and credibility of justice sector professionals

Key Result Area: Strengthen the capacity of the Palestinian Judicial Institute (PJI)

Quick needs assessment. A Senior Legal Education Specialist consultant worked with the

Director of the PJI to determine the needs of the PJI that were not met by other donors. The consultant compiled a prioritized list of recommendations including developing a TOT program for PJI staff and faculty, developing the PJI two-year Diploma Program (DP), procurement of IT and audio-visual equipment, implementation of standardized procedures identified in strategic planning sessions and implementation of IT solutions for an improved website.

Supporting the enabling environment. The PJI plans to move to new premises, and is in need of furnishings for the space. Moreover, the IT equipment is outdated. PJEP issued a procurement for assistance with the furniture, and is determining what IT assistance is needed. The new space will increase PJI capacity to host additional trainings, and secure necessary space for possible expansion of staff.

Update Training Database. PJEP concluded the evaluation of PJI’s training database, and ascertained it has considerable limitations. PJEP initiated preparations for designing a new training database which will be used as a tool to monitor the type of trainings being conducted at the PJI as well as track those who have attended specific trainings. PJEP is considering an additional PJI request for a Diploma Program (DP) student registration portal.

Develop Diploma Program Courses. At the request of the Director of the PJI, PJEP is assisting in strengthening and developing a number of judicial education courses that are part of PJI’s new

DP. Other DP courses were developed by other donor funded projects, and PJEP has carefully coordinated its planned support for 10 DP courses on topics which will not be covered by any other donor support. PJEP drew up a plan for developing these courses and identified a legal researcher who will support the DP developers. Identification of experts to be used for various courses is underway.

Contribute to building of PJI faculty. PJEP has begun the process to assist the PJI with a

Training of Trainers (TOT) program for judges that will build the capacity of the trainer judges to design and deliver trainings for other judges. An identified consultant will develop a trainer’s manual for the PJI that includes international best practices in adult education. The consultant will train Palestinian judges to be professional trainers, using interested and qualified judges from the Court of Appeals, Conciliation, First Instance and High Courts.

Key Result Area: Strengthen core and specialized legal skills for judges and court staff

Training on land settlement. With the PA processing land registration, the HJC identified a need for judges to receive training on land settlement issues, as land ownership issues are both common and complex. PJEP agreed to assist with providing training, and has engaged a

Jordanian expert who will co-train with a Palestinian land settlement judge. Preparations have begun, including development of the teaching methodology and substantive content. The land settlement training will take place in October, 2011 for 12 land settlement judges. The training will help build the capacity of land settlement judges in resolving land disputes in accordance with local legislation.

Assess training and professional development needs for judges. In coordination with the HJC

Training Department, PJEP developed a questionnaire on judicial training needs, and distributed it to judges attending the 4 th

Annual Judicial Conference. The survey results were analyzed by

PJEP and discussed with the PJI and HJC, and PJEP has helped in developing a mid/long term training curriculum for judges.

Training Evaluation Manual. PJEP concluded a first draft of a training evaluation manual that will be used as a reference for the PJI to evaluate training programs it conducts. PJI approved the manual outline, and will be engaged in its review and approval. PJEP will conduct a training on evaluation of trainings to PJI staff based on this manual.

Court Staff Training. In addition to other trainings for HJC administrators, PJEP initiated a training course for new court staff on keyboarding and basic computer skills. Keyboarding training for 83 court administrative staff and 15 MOJ staff began in September, 2011 in

Ramallah, Tulkram, Nablus, and Hebron. The training’s objective is to increase accuracy and efficiency of court staff, which will improve case management because the automated case management system requires staff to have at least basic computer skills.

Key Result Area: Strengthen practical legal education

Determine Eligible Law Schools and needed assistance. Early in the year, PJEP began the process of meeting with potential universities to receive assistance, and to determine whether the schools were willing to sign the Anti-Terrorism Certification (ATC). PJEP selected five universities as candidates for assistance: Al Najah University, Al Quds University, Hebron

University; Palestine Ahliya University in Bethlehem; and Modern College in Ramallah. PJEP then conducted a workshop on legal education for key personnel from the selected universities.

During the workshop an assessment of the needs were discussed as well as a discussion on potential activities to be implemented in the future. To date, all selected universities have submitted signed ATC’s and all vetting information has been gathered and submitted to USAID.

PJEP is awaiting USAID vetting approval for the universities before implementing activities.

Moot Court Competitions. PJEP is supporting the development of local, national, regional and international moot court competitions. PJEP will assist law schools in building the skills of students from partner law schools by supporting moot court competitions on a local, national and regional level. Winners of these competitions may be able to take part in the next International

JESSUP Moot Court Competition in Washington D.C.

Youth Day Activities. PJEP concluded preparations to participate in USAID-organized Youth

Day activities, scheduled for October 14, 2011. PJEP will support two activities during the youth day fair, an exhibition of a legal clinic and mock trial organized by law school students.

Component 3 – Broaden public awareness of Rule of Law and engagement with the justice sector

Key Result Area: Enhance HJC and MOJ public outreach capacities

Training on Film Editing. PJEP engaged a local company to conduct “short film editing” for staff of the HJC and MOJ Media Units. The training developed the media capacities of the MOJ and the

HJC in the field of short film editing and production.

The media staff have been active in the making short films, but relied on outside assistance to edit the final production. This training will enable the media staff not only to produce the films but also edit the final product. The 10-session training began in project year

1 and will end in the beginning of year 2.

HJC Newsletter. PJEP assisted the HJC in producing and distributing its quarterly newsletter titled “Qada’una” (Our Justice System). Three thousand copies of the Qada’una newsletter were published and distributed to court staff, stakeholders, and in Al Awyam’s local newspaper.

Support MOJ Outreach. During the year, PJEP, the Deputy Minister of Justice, and the head of the MOJ Outreach Department developed a public outreach plan for initiatives that will increase the public confidence and respect for the rule of law, beginning with assistance to the MOJ in developing a Justice Records Office public awareness campaign. The campaign would increase awareness of the services available from JROs and will be launched in October 2011.

Specifications for the campaign procurement have been identified and the MOJ is developing the written material that will air on local radio stations as well as materials that will be posted in newspapers ads, posters, and flyers.

Key Result Area: Improve practical civic education in Palestinian communities and schools

Provide small grants to raise awareness of the Rule of Law and human rights and promote civic education. PJEP identified civil society organizations (CSOs) whose focus is on the justice system and rule of law who are potential project grantees. A request for applications (RFA) for a first round of grants was released to these vetted CSOs with awards anticipated in November, 2011. A pre-award workshop was held for all potential applicants to ensure that project and grant objectives were clear, and to explain the rules and regulations as well as the application submission procedures. The deadline for concept note submission is October 10, 2011.

Key Result Area: Increase engagement and public awareness of key justice sector stakeholders

Media and Justice Conference. PJEP collaborated with justice sector counterparts about the role of journalists in covering stories involving the justice sector, and the development of justice system training for journalists. With the justice sector institutions, PJEP began to plan for a

Media and Justice Conference that will enable discussion about the relationship between the media and justice sector actors. The conference’s main objective is to foster a dialogue between the media and justice sector institutions as well as the generation of possible activities that would increase public awareness of the justice sector.

The conference will contribute to building the foundation of a journalists’ guide and code of conduct to be used as a guide in covering justice sector news. Based on the outcomes of the conference, PJEP will collaborate with USAID’s InterNews project to train media professionals on ways to develop stories from the justice sector. The conference is scheduled to take place on

November 3-5, 2011.

Court Files Radio Series. PJEP continues to discuss with HJC the development of a radio series of 30 episodes for broadcast on several stations. Each episode would deal with a scenario drawn from real court cases but will ensure the anonymity of the parties. The series is intended to serve as a creative communication tool that would contribute to public understanding of legal issues and awareness of the court system. The goal is for a successful series to be picked up by radio stations. PJEP is working with the HJC Media Unit to develop a sample show to present to the

Chief Justice for final approval.

Component 4 – Use windows of opportunity to facilitate the development of legal, institutional, and policy frameworks that enhance judicial independence and justice sector coordination.

Key Result Area: Increase justice sector strategic planning and coordination

Justice Sector Review. A significant event this year was a justice system review. PJEP organized a series of high level meetings between Palestinian justice sector leaders, facilitated by

Salaheddin Bashir, ex-Minister of Justice and of Economy of

Jordan. Part of an ongoing dialog about how to resolve conflicts and confusion among the justice sector institutions, the meetings began with small group discussions that included the Chief and

Deputy of the HJC, the Attorney General, the Minister and

Deputy Minister of Justice, the Legal Advisor to the President, and the Head of the Palestinian Bar Association. Dr. Bashir also held two larger meetings, with representatives of other government bodies (such as the Palestinian Judicial Institute), and with civil society organizations. Representatives from over 15 organizations working in the justice sector attended the meeting.

Summary of Planned Activities for Year 2

Planned activities for Year 2 include:

Component 1 Enhance accessibility and efficiency of targeted justice sector institutions

Improve the efficiency of targeted Notary Public Departments, Notification.

Departments, Civil Judgment Departments and Registration Departments.

Upgrade public/waiting areas in targeted courts.

Support IT upgrades in targeted courts.

Support improved court case-flow management and processes.

Assist the HJC to update Unified Procedure Manuals.

Assist the HJC to develop new case flow measurement and other statistical tools.

Provide training and technical assistance to HJC staff.

Support targeted training for court staff.

Support HJC conferences.

Support HJC in the printing of key reports and related materials.

Improve MOJ public services.

Assist the MOJ in the establishment of new district JROs.

Assist in strengthening the Ratification and Authentication Department.

Upgrade the administrative, financial, and other selected capabilities of the MOJ.

Continued support of the Israeli-Palestinian Joint Legal Committee.

Component 2 Strengthen capacity and credibility of justice sector professionals

Develop Diploma Program courses for the PJI.

Continue developing a long term continuing education plan for the PJI.

Develop academic system for tracking curricula and students at both the PJI and HJC

Training Department.

Review and modify the current manuals for the Notary Public, Enforcement and

Notification Departments.

Train appointed judges in specialized areas of the law and core judicial skills.

Design curricula and provision of training for the court staff in core management skills and specialized functions.

Conduct trainings for PJI and HJC staff to help build capacity.

Assist in the design and development of practical skills courses including legal drafting, legal writing, oral advocacy, and legal research.

Create/upgrade legal clinics and moot court programs for selected law schools.

Conduct local, national, regional and international moot court competitions.

Upgrade computer labs for selected law schools.

Strengthen legal libraries.

Enhance faculty teaching skills through TOT programs.

Component 3 Broaden public awareness of Rule of Law and engagement with justice sector

Provide grants to CSOs to raise public awareness of the rule of law.

Provide grants to support justice system outreach activities in communities and schools.

Provide grants to professional and local community organizations to enable cooperative engagement among stakeholders on rule of law issues.

Work with journalists and media outlets to support their ability to accurately cover news about rule of law issues.

Increase engagement with and public awareness activities about justice sector institutions.

Monitoring and Evaluation

PJEP developed a Project Performance Plan which aims to measure progress in program’s key result areas. The following matrix presents the indicators, baselines, targets set and actual results for Year 1.

PMP Indicator Results

Result Indicator Target FY 2011 Actual FY

Program Goal: Support Palestinian efforts to improve performance and strengthen democratic practices of public sector institutions and non-state actors

1.Public confidence in justice system improved

Percent of public expressing confidence in the justice system

3.18% 3.18%

Outcome: Baseline number taken from UNDP 2011 survey of public opinion on the justice sector, Table 44.

PIR 1: Credibility and efficiency of targeted justice sector institutions enhanced

1.1 Courts operate more

efficiently

No. of USG-assisted courts with improved case management*

3 5

Outcome: PJEP conducted training in year one that targeted staff from five courts throughout the West Bank to improve the participants’ computer skills, which are needed to use the automated case management system. Improved staff proficiency with the automated system will result in improved case management in courts. The training included staff from the Court of

Appeals Ramallah, Court of Appeals Jerusalem, Conciliation Court Ramallah, Anti-Corruption Court Ramallah, and First

Instance Court Ramallah.

1.2 Legal institutions and

associations operate more effectively

Number of legal institutions and associations supported by USG assistance*

Outcome: PJEP provided assistance to the following institutions and associations: the High Judicial Council, Ministry of

Justice, Joint Legal Committee office, and Court of Appeals.

1.3 Justice institution divisions

provide more satisfactory public services

Percent change of justice institution users expressing confidence in the particular institution or division used

0%

1.4 Justice sector institutions

have necessary resources for

Number of divisions that receive improvements of equipment, furniture, or

2 2

The project’s PMP includes indicators for the life of the project, but not all activities will be conducted in all years. Those with a target of “0” in FY2011 had no planned activity for that particular indicator in the first year.

operations refurbishment.

Outcome: During Project Year 1, PJEP procured and delivered furniture to the Court of Appeals in Ramallah as well as to the

MOJ Joint Legal Committee office.

1.5 Improved services builds

trust and respect for the MOJ

Percent change in number of transactions completed per day in a particular institution or division

0% 0

PIR 2: Capacity and Credibility of justice sector professionals strengthened

2.1 Law students capacity

increased

Percent of students from law schools receiving USG assistance participating in practical skills training

0 0

2.2 Trainings conducted to

provide sustainability

Percent of trainees who report 6 months later that the training improved their ability to do their job better

2.3 Courses developed to

increase the knowledge and skills of justice sector actors

Number of new legal courses or curricula developed with USG assistance*

0 0

2.4 Capacity of justice sector

professionals increased

Number of justice sector personnel that received USG training, disaggregated by gender*

30 34

(2.4a) Capacity of justice sector professionals increased

Number of men justice sector personnel that received USG training*

20 23

(2.4b) Capacity of justice sector professionals increased

Number of women justice sector personnel that received USG training*

10 11

Outcome: PJEP conducted training for 24 HJC and MOJ staff and training for 10 justice sector personnel in media units.

PIR 3: Public awareness of Rule of Law and engagement with justice sector institutions broadened

3.1 Capacity of justice sector Number of justice sector related public 1 1

Follow up on training will occur in year two, and thus this indicator has no relevance in year one.

institutions’ public awareness divisions increased outreach activities conducted with USG assistance

Outcome: PJEP supported the development of the HJC’s 2011 achievements documentary, which will be used as a public outreach tool and is posted on the HJC website.

3.2 Increased capacity of civil

society to work with the public

Number of grants awarded 0 0

3.3 Public outreach capacities

of the MOJ and HJC improved

Number of justice sector materials/publication produced with PJEP support

3 3

Outcome: PJEP supported the HJC to develop the HJC 2011 Annual Report, the HJC quarter newsletter title “Qada’una “Our

Justice System” and the HJC 2011 achievements documentary.

3.3 Increased public awareness

of the role of the MOJ and judges

Percent of public expressing awareness of the role of the justice system in serving citizens

23.15% 23.15%

Outcome: Baseline number taken from UNDP 2011 public opinion survey on the justice sector, Table 6, average of questions

2 and 6.

* = USAID Standard Indicator