Abstract
The USAID program for Educating and Equipping Tomorrow's Justice Reformers (E2J) is built around 4 main goals: (1) provide a new generation with the knowledge, skills, opportunities and incentives to pursue a career in public service and contribute to justice sector reform efforts; (2) strengthen the capacity of higher education institutions to provide legal education, research, and service that contributes to justice sector reform efforts; (3) strengthen the capacity of civil society organizations (CSOs) to support, advocate and monitor justice sector reform; and (4) increase collaboration among law schools, CSOs, and key justice sector institutions to advance justice sector reform and develop the next generation of justice sector practitioners and reformers. In conducting this evaluation at the beginning of the 4th and final year of E2J activities, the evaluation team aimed to assess: (1) progress that has been made towards attaining these goals; (2) factors that have to contributed to successes and the obstacles and challenges that have emerged; (3) the reorientation of the final year of the program as reflected in the challenges identified in year 3 and addressed in the year 4 workplan; and (4) what measures and initiatives might contribute to the future success and sustainability of the legal clinics supported through E2J. This assessment was organized around the three questions below which USAID asked the evaluation team to address. Analysis of responses to these questions forms the basis of this report: (1) how effectively has the E2J project been able to increase the capacity of law faculties to channel well trained/educated graduates into public services; (2) how effectively has the E2J project enhanced the capacity of law schools, professors, students, CSOs and the formal justice sectors to improve practice-oriented teaching of law; and (3) how effectively has the E2J project been in improving the capacity of CSOs and Universities to support, advocate, and/or monitor justice sector reform? Specific evaluation findings, conclusions and recommendations are provided with detailed analysis for each evaluation question and inter-related questions. (Excerpt, modified)