Second Quarterly Report, April – June, 2012

The project focuses on five key results: strengthened advocacy and citizen participation in judicial sector reform, more independent, efficient, and consistent application of judicial policies and practices, increased fairness and efficiency of the administration of justice through more effective legal personnel and efficient processes, crisis-modifier and material support, and serving as rapporteur with justice sector. The JSP supports the USAID/Macedonia Assistance Objective 1: Greater Checks and Balances in Democratic Processes. Specifically, the project works toward Sub-Intermediate Result 1.2.2: Greater Judicial Independence and Sub-Intermediate Result 1.2.3: Increased Confidence in the Judicial System. The project's conceptual linkages with the USAID/Macedonia Framework illustrate its contribution to the overall reform of the justice system. Macedonia has taken significant steps to integrate an independent judiciary and the rule of law into its constitution and statutes since gaining independence in 1991. Key milestones include the signing of the Stabilization and Association Agreement with the European Union in 2001, the adoption of the National Strategy for Reform of the Justice System in 2004, and the enactment of amendments to the Constitution in 2005. The judiciary has also implemented various reforms, such as the establishment of the Judiciary Training Academy and the deployment of an automated case-management system. Several institutions critical to the seamless operations and administration of the courts have been established within the judiciary, including the Court Budget Council, the Court Services Council, and the Judicial Council of the Republic of Macedonia. Additionally, several civil society organizations have the potential to support and provide a voice for an independent judiciary. However, these organizations require capacity building to enable them to serve their members and constituencies better and to become more-effective advocates for a truly independent judiciary. The JSP was conceived against this backdrop, with the goal of furthering judicial-branch reforms by strengthening the capacities of institutions and judicial actors. A contract was signed between Tetra Tech DPK and USAID on November 23, 2011, to implement the project. The project's start-up and preliminary activities involved establishing a project team, conducting a baseline survey, and developing a project results framework. The project's results framework outlines five key results areas, including strengthened advocacy and citizen participation in judicial sector reform, more independent, efficient, and consistent application of judicial policies and practices, increased fairness and efficiency of the administration of justice through more effective legal personnel and efficient processes, crisis-modifier and material support, and serving as rapporteur with justice sector. The project's results areas contribute to the USAID Foreign Assistance Framework for Macedonia and support the USAID/Macedonia Assistance Objective 1: Greater Checks and Balances in Democratic Processes. The project's implementation involves various activities, including the development and implementation of targeted specialized trainings for judges, court administrative executives, and court staff, the improvement of caseload processing and reduced backlog cases, and the coordination with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and other donors. The project also involves the establishment of effective governance and operational systems for managing court resources and the improvement of the financial independence of the judiciary. The project's results demonstrate its contribution to the overall reform of the justice system and its support for an independent, efficient, and sustainable judiciary.