Laos Legal Aid Support Activity MEL Plan

The Activity aims to strengthen the capacity of the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) and the Lao Bar Association (LBA) to provide legal aid services to vulnerable populations. The Activity has three objectives: increased capacity of MOJ and LBA legal aid services, increased sensitivity to women's rights and empowerment in law-related professions, and improved public awareness of legal services and information. The Activity Theory of Change is based on the premise that strengthening the capacity of formal and quasi-formal justice systems will lead to an increase in the quality and quantity of legal aid services. This, in turn, will improve citizens' legal literacy and awareness of the law, generating public demand for quality legal services in targeted areas. The Activity Goal is to achieve a more fair, consistent, and transparent delivery of justice according to the law, inclusive of women, the poor, and traditionally underserved populations. The Activity will use a Results Framework to measure progress towards its objectives. The framework includes indicators such as the percentage increase in the number of criminal cases where defense is appointed to provide representation during the trial, the percentage reduction in complaints about wrongful adjudication or enforcement of court cases submitted to the National Assembly, and the proportion of positions in public institutions held by women compared to national distributions. The Activity will also track indicators related to public demand for quality legal services, including the number of individuals from low-income or marginalized communities who received legal aid or victim's assistance with USG support, and the number of community members who seek to resolve disputes through formal and/or quasi-formal resolution mechanisms. Additionally, the Activity will measure public awareness of legal services and information, including the number of law dissemination materials produced and distributed with USG assistance, and the percentage of community members in targeted communities seeking dispute resolution or legal aid who report that they learned about the service from law dissemination materials or activities. The Activity will also focus on increasing the sensitivity to women's rights and empowerment in law-related professions, including the number of women who are supported to pursue careers in law-related professions, and the percentage of participants in training programs who are women. The Activity will use a variety of methods to collect and analyze data, including surveys, focus group discussions, and data collection from existing sources. The Activity will be implemented over a period of four years, from August 14, 2018, to August 14, 2022. The Activity will be managed by The Asia Foundation, with the support of the Ministry of Justice and the Lao Bar Association. The Activity will be monitored and evaluated using a variety of indicators and metrics, and will be subject to regular reporting and review. The Activity will also apply innovative approaches to project design, learning, and management, including Thinking and Working Politically and Doing Development Differently. These approaches will enable the Activity to adapt to changes in the political and social context, and to learn from its experiences and adjust its approach as needed. The Activity will be funded by USAID, with a commitment of $3.9 million in funds. The Activity will be implemented in Laos, with a focus on strengthening the capacity of the Ministry of Justice and the Lao Bar Association to provide legal aid services to vulnerable populations. The Activity will also aim to improve public awareness of legal services and information, and to increase sensitivity to women's rights and empowerment in law-related professions.