Justice Sector Strengthening Program for South Africa (JSSP) Quarterly Progress Report No. 6 January – March 2012

The program aims to provide operational and technical support to South African institutions implementing reform. The JSSP is committed to providing support to the Office of the Chief Justice (OCJ), the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development (DoJCD), and the Sexual Offences and Community Affairs (SOCA) Unit of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA). The JSSP project consists of three programmatic tasks. Task 1 focuses on engaging justice sector leadership on a policy level and providing operational and technical support to the OCJ and DoJCD in their efforts to streamline and enable greater efficiency and effectiveness in court management and administration. Task 2 provides assistance in the implementation of a case flow management system (ICMF), which was a key component of previous court administration reform. Task 3 focuses on strengthening the Prosecution and Adjudication of Sexual Offences by providing technical assistance and support to strengthen the collective skills of prosecutors, judicial officers, intermediaries, and civil society organizations in fulfilling their role in addressing gender-based crimes. During the reporting period, January 1 to March 31, 2012, the JSSP made significant progress in various areas. The program submitted a revised modification to USAID that reflects final amendments in the work plan for further review and approval. The COP participated as a speaker at the Regional Court Magistrates Conference on the role of court managers in advancing the rights of vulnerable court users. Onsite technical support was provided to pilot courts implementing court improvement measures, and the finalization of Court Services strategic plans and conclusion of the functional process mapping of all court services rendered from National Office were completed. Task-specific accomplishments during the reporting period include the rollout of the Court Management Program to create model courts of good practice. The Justice Sector Leadership Group (JSLG) was unable to schedule a meeting during this quarter due to competing demands on various members of the group. However, the COP and the DDG Court Services have been in close contact with the Chairperson of the JSLG on project issues, and it is envisaged that the next JSLG meeting will be convened in May 2012. The JSSP also provided onsite technical support to the Johannesburg and Thohoyandou Lower courts on the implementation of court improvement plans. A two-day workshop was held with the pilot court's management committee to review progress, deliberate on challenges, and engage in a strategic dialogue that culminated in a revised version of the plan for 2012. The appointment of the Court Director at the Johannesburg Magistrates Court heralds a new beginning for the potential turnaround of the operations and performance of the court. The Thohoyandou Magistrates Court follow-up process revealed infrastructure and network challenges to the implementation of the court improvement plans, including separate court buildings, IT network difficulties, ailing plumbing, and general limitations of core management and administration capacity. The Court Services branch has pledged support for an infrastructure revamp project and for dedicated IT network interventions. The Integrated Case Flow Management System (ICFMS) and Court Automation are key components of the JSSP. The rollout of the Court Management Program to create model courts of good practice is ongoing, and the Justice Sector Leadership Group (JSLG) is expected to convene in May 2012. The JSSP is committed to providing technical assistance and support to strengthen the collective skills of prosecutors, judicial officers, intermediaries, and civil society organizations in fulfilling their role in addressing gender-based crimes. The JSSP has made significant progress in various areas, including the submission of a revised modification to USAID, onsite technical support to pilot courts, and the finalization of Court Services strategic plans. The program continues to provide technical assistance and support to strengthen the justice sector in South Africa.