KAMPALA -- Following complaints from the public about the delays in the administration of cases, the Chief Justice Alfonse Owiny Dollo has launched an Electronic Court Case Management Information System (ECCMIS) which will help to fight case backlog and improve the delivery of justice.

Speaking during the launch of ECCMIS at High Court Kampala, Owiny-Dollo urged all the judicial officers to embrace the system for better service delivery.

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Published: 20th October 2021

ABOUT JUSTICE AND ACCOUNTABILITY REFORM (JAR)

In December 2017, the European Union signed an agreement with the Ministry of Finance, Planning, and Economic Development (MoFPED) to provide 66 million Euros for three years to strengthen performance and reforms in the Justice Law and Order Sector and Accountability Sector.

The Justice Law and Order Sector (JLOS) is a sector-wide approach (SWAP) adopted by the Uganda Government since 2000 to bring together institutions with closely linked mandates of administering justice and maintaining law and order and human rights. This was undertaken to develop a common vision, policy framework, unified objectives, and plan over the medium term. JLOS focuses on a holistic approach to improving access to and administration of justice through the SWAP, including planning, budgeting, program implementations, monitoring, and evaluation. JLOS brings increased coordination and cooperation among key institutions involved in the administration of justice. The framework has enhanced coherence in policy discussion and decision-making and resource allocation with the institutions involved.

Conceived as a reform initiative, the sector's mission is to improve the safety of the person, security of property, observance of human rights, and access to justice to promote growth, employment, and prosperity. Currently, the mandates of the JLOS institutions cover justice administration, maintenance of law and order, and access to justice mechanisms. The current fourth JLOS Sector Investment Plan (SDP IV, 2017-2020) is organized around 3 strategic high-level outcomes: (1) Infrastructure and access to JLOS services enhanced, (2) Observance of Human Rights and fight against corruption promoted, and (3) Commercial justice and the environment for competitiveness strengthened.

NDP III notes challenges faced by JLOS institutions relating to low levels of service delivery, corruption, limited infrastructure and slow implementation and fulfillment of international and regional human rights commitments. Given the high rates of vulnerability in the country, access to justice for vulnerable groups and poor persons is heavily reliant on legal aid, most of which is provided by Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) but on a limited geographical scale and using narrow legal aid models. Weak case management builds up to various constraints across the JLOS institutions. The spill-over effect is felt also in Accountability Sector, which has the mandate to fight corruption through sanctions, investigations, and prosecutions. The current case management systems in frontline JLOS institutions (Police, Government Analytical Laboratory (GAL), Directorate of Public Prosecutions, Judiciary, Prisons) among others are overburdened, slow, and primarily completed manually for the most part. This leads to high lead times, increased cost of access, opportunistic corruption and slow decision making.

The current Technical Assistance is part of the 11th EDF Justice and Accountability Reform (JAR) Sector Reform Performance Contract (SRPC). The overall objective of the SRPC is "to contribute to the sustainable development and inclusive economic growth of Uganda". 

This activity is organized under Result 5 of the JAR project, on "Support to case management in JLOS".  Result 5 addresses the following: 

I. The institutional case management and rules and procedures that delay the disposal of cases have been reviewed.

II. The analysis and re-design of case management business processes have been completed. 

III. The proportion of records managed and stored through automated systems has been increased

IV. The design- and development phases of Integrated Information Management Systems have been completed for several JLOS institutions based on an interoperability framework

V. The supervision functions and M&E systems of JLOS institutions have been strengthened.

VI. Innovative actions for the automation of Uganda's case-management system (CMS) have been developed and implemented.

This activity falls under (VI) above. 

PROBLEM STATEMENT

The Access to Justice Sub-Programme (formerly referred to as the Justice, Law and Order Sector) was set into motion twenty (20) years ago as an innovative reform program whose goal was to resolve bottlenecks in access to justice in Uganda. To achieve this mandate, JLOS has always championed innovation through its various intervention areas documented in the following Sector development/investment plans (SIPs): SIP 1 ; SIP 2 ; SIP 3 ; and currently via the Access to Justice Sub-programme strategic plan (2020 – 2025).

With the evolving work environment and emerging challenges in the access to justice delivery arena (augmented by the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020), JLOS needs to continuously re-invent itself to provide solutions to problems, add value to its member institutions but perhaps most importantly create new realities and experiences for people through digital service delivery models. This specifically calls for the need to mainstream innovation as part of JLOS’ digital transformation agenda described in the e-Justice Strategy (2021- 2026). 

The Access to Justice sub-programme seeks innovative digital solutions to address the JLOS' most pressing challenges in access to justice using technology-driven mechanisms, processes, platforms, and applications. These solutions shall not only meet the current (and future) demands and challenges of justice delivery in Uganda but harness opportunities presented by new ideas, sustainable “home-grown” solutions, and emerging technologies. 

The successful innovators / vendors shall while working with front-line JLOS institutions such as the Uganda Police, Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), Courts of Judicature, Uganda Prisons Services, Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration Control (DCIC), Judicial Service Commission (JSC);Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC); National identification and Registration Authority (NIRA), Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs and the Uganda Registration Service Bureau (URSB) design and develop innovative justice products and services around case management in JLOS through cutting-edge technologies using the human-centered design approach that takes into account the unique needs of justice actors and the general public. 

This is in line with the overall objective of SDG 16.1 – ensuring equal justice for all – by putting people and their legal needs at the center of justice systems; and JLOS’ theme of “advancing an integrated people-centered access to justice delivery system”.

SOLUTION

The digital innovative solution in access to justice should demonstrate the ability to contribute to any of the following key JLOS focus areas:

● Strengthening access to legal aid services;

● Strengthening measures to effectively and efficiently prevent and respond to crime;

● Stakeholder empowerment and enhanced access to information;

● Promoting gender equality and equitable access to justice;

● Empowering citizens on human rights and obligations;

DELIVERABLES

The expected deliverables from innovators/vendors will include.

● Concept Note, Functional Requirements Specifications and Systems Design Document & financial proposal

● Implemented innovation through a Pilot.

● Innovation completion report, highlighting lessons learned and plan/proposal for a National rollout.

FUNDING

This innovation fund is available to legally registered local entities based in Uganda with proven experience and pedigree working on access to justice interventions and innovative solutions in the digital space.

Euro €80,000 is available from the Justice and Accountability Reform (JAR) project to support digital innovative solution(s) that shall be selected for piloting in the JLOS (access to justice) operational environment between  August 2020 and May 2022. 

The project shall support two innovations. Each project will have a maximum budget of Euros € 40,000.

SELECTION CRITERIA

The Successful innovation(s) will be selected based on (but not limited to) the following parameters:

a) Impact: The ability of the innovation to address key JLOS focus/problem areas  described in Section 1.0 (the ability of the solution in improving access to justice, especially for the ordinary citizens in the public domain)

b) Technical ability: Ability of the applicant(s) to demonstrate technical skill, knowledge and capability to implement the proposed solution(s)  - preferably via a functional prototype

c) Scalability: the ability to scale up, evolve, and grow the innovative solution in other JLOS institutions beyond a pilot rollout

d) Cross-cutting nature of the innovation: Ability of the digital innovative solution to add value to multiple JLOS institutions and associated entities

e) Ownership: Willingness of the entity to transfer ownership of the proposed solution to the access to justice sub-program (JLOS) for further growth (upgrade), implementation, and operationalization.

f) Proven experience and pedigree working on access to justice interventions and innovative solutions in the digital space

APPLICATION & EVALUATION 

Proposals for innovation shall be submitted in PDF format to Chiara Minelli via email (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) with a copy to Johnson Mwebaze  (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)  by October 15th, 2021 – 4:00 PM (EAT).

The duration of this activity shall be Five (5) months from the date of the award. Successful innovators shall be notified within two (02)weeks after the submission closing date.

DOWNLOAD THIS CALL (pdf)

Published: 27th September 2021