Programa para el Fortalecimiento de Instituciones de Justicia Penal Estatal (ConJusticia) Quarterly Progress Report FY 2021, Quarter 3

The program seeks to strengthen the prosecution of high-priority crimes, reduce impunity, and increase citizen confidence in the justice sector. In close coordination with consortium subcontractors, ConJusticia works towards three objectives: 1) individual state justice institutions are stronger and more effective, particularly in prosecuting high-priority cases; 2) coordination and collaboration is improved between institutions and local actors across criminal justice systems; and 3) sustainable partnerships with diverse actors are built that contribute to citizen co-responsibility. Implementation of the program's activities has been ongoing since July 24, 2020, and is expected to continue until July 23, 2025. The program's quarterly progress report for the period from April 1 to June 30, 2021, highlights significant advances made during this quarter. ConJusticia entered all eight target states, launched two 100-Day Challenges, and established two task forces. The program also laid important groundwork towards the participatory development of state-level criminal prosecution policies. The program's focus has been on the three priority states of Sonora, Nayarit, and Coahuila, as well as on establishing institutional buy-in for program initiatives from target Attorneys General Offices and State Courts in Zacatecas, Hidalgo, Chihuahua, and San Luis Potosí. ConJusticia also solidified collaborative working relationships with its two resource states of Queretaro and Guanajuato, with a focus on best practices in court management systems that can respond to areas of opportunity identified in target states. The program's progress was made despite the challenges posed by a politically turbulent election cycle, during which multiple state-level administrations lost their bids for reelection. ConJusticia implemented an applied Political Economy Analysis to analyze and adapt to these uncertain political landscapes, and identified potential allies from both traditional and non-traditional actors in the public and private sectors, as well as academia and civil society. The program also made progress on a technical analysis of counterpart institutions in Sonora, Coahuila, Nayarit, Zacatecas, and San Luis Potosí through its Institutional Maturity Model. Additionally, ConJusticia worked to mainstream three cross-cutting themes throughout programming and technical activities, including gender equality and social inclusion, strategic communication, and the use of data for evidence-based decision making. The target states for the program include Chihuahua, Coahuila, Hidalgo, Nayarit, Nuevo León, San Luis Potosí, Sonora, and Zacatecas, with implementation prioritizing three states (Sonora, Coahuila, and Nayarit) as part of a phased implementation approach for year 1. ConJusticia also collaborates with two resource states, Guanajuato and Queretaro. The Mexican midterm elections held on June 6, 2021, had a significant impact on the availability of local leaders to commit to medium and long-term initiatives with the program. Incoming administrations in San Luis Potosi and Sonora have started their intent to make profound changes in their respective Attorneys General Offices, and reports from local actors indicate the current Attorneys General may be pressured to resign. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has also had an impact on the program's activities, with all target justice sector institutions having staff working in-person while following sanitary measures recommended by health authorities. However, in the event of an increase in COVID-19 infections, target institutions may once again reduce in-person justice service delivery, and while many State Courts already have in place the necessary protocols and mechanisms to transition to reduced staff, AGOs will likely resist shutting down in-person activities completely. ConJusticia's performance monitoring framework is designed to track progress towards the program's objectives and outcomes. The framework includes a set of indicators that measure the program's impact on the effectiveness and accountability of state-level criminal justice institutions, as well as the program's ability to build sustainable partnerships with diverse actors. The program's monitoring and evaluation plan is designed to provide regular updates on the program's progress and to identify areas for improvement. The plan includes a set of performance indicators that measure the program's impact on the effectiveness and accountability of state-level criminal justice institutions, as well as the program's ability to build sustainable partnerships with diverse actors. The program's quarterly progress report for the period from April 1 to June 30, 2021, highlights significant advances made during this quarter. ConJusticia entered all eight target states, launched two 100-Day Challenges, and established two task forces. The program also laid important groundwork towards the participatory development of state-level criminal prosecution policies. The program's focus has been on the three priority states of Sonora, Nayarit, and Coahuila, as well as on establishing institutional buy-in for program initiatives from target Attorneys General Offices and State Courts in Zacatecas, Hidalgo, Chihuahua, and San Luis Potosí.