Mid-term evaluation of the judicial reform and government accountability (JRGA) program

The JRGA project was designed to improve Serbia's rule of law, judicial efficiency, independence and integrity and the openness and accountability of government operations overall, both for the sake of the people of Serbia, and to help Serbia move closer to European Union (EU) accession and participation in other Euro-Atlantic institutions. The JRGA contractor's charge was to ensure that progress in these areas is promoted to the general public. The purpose of this mid-term performance evaluation is to conduct a full, evidence-based and independent review of the JRGA project implemented by the National Center for State Courts (NCSC), and to produce a report that provides a qualitative and quantitative evaluation of project activities. The evaluation utilized key informant interviews, mini-surveys/questionnaires and document review. The evaluation team spent three weeks collecting data in Serbia conducting interviews with all direct beneficiaries, indirect beneficiaries, selected grantees, and external interlocutors. To mitigate bias, as many interviewees were identified by JRGA, the team conducted in-depth interviews and used multiple data sources to triangulate on each evaluation issue. (Excerpt, modified)