Introduction

The USAID Rule of Law Program is a five-year activity funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented by the East-West Management Institute, Inc. (EWMI). The goal of the USAID Rule of Law Program is to strengthen the rule of law in Georgia by building the independence and effectiveness of justice sector institutions, enhancing access to justice for all segments of society, and increasing citizen and institutional oversight of justice sector institutions.

One of the main focuses of the Rule of Law Program is improving quality of legal education in Georgia by supporting academic institutions strengthen teaching and curricula at university level as well as supporting different groups, including academia, engage with justice institutions and help increase the quality of legal services, ensure better treatment of disadvantaged groups and implement people-centered justice approaches.

Background

The 21st century is a technological era, with rapid development of artificial intelligence, automation, and other technological advances in all spheres of human life, including the justice sector. Technological innovations opened new avenues for legal education, empowering students and faculty with tools that enhance the learning experience and facilitate experiential learning and assist in improving access to justice.

The USAID Rule of Law Program seeks to provide a grant to establish Justice Innovation Lab at educational institution in Georgia. The applicants are expected to engage students and work towards developing creative Information Technology (IT) solutions to policy and management challenges through hackathons, designing and testing prototypes of solutions to different justice problems, generate data-driven recommendations to make the IT tools easier to use for public while applying user experience and design to evaluate, reimagine and improve justice sector technologies.

The aim of the Lab should be to come up with innovative IT approaches to improve the public’s access to legal help and the justice system, through improved human-centered designs, services, and technology, while engaging students and implementing innovative, forward-looking educational approaches in the curriculum.

The above list of activities is illustrative[1]. Applicants are encouraged to propose innovative activities they think will equip students with needed knowledge and skills, provide solution to justice problems and improve public’s access to justice by e.g., interagency collaborations and strategic initiatives to build resources to amplify the impact of legal help as well as partnerships with private companies to bring them into justice innovation work.

Eligibility 

Any public or private Georgian university having a law faculty, as well as educational institutions legally registered as non-commercial legal entities may apply. The applicant should have an interdisciplinary group of project staff, including specialists in the IT/technology direction. The applicant can partner with any local and/or international public/private entities in the direction of legal design, technology, and innovations.

Grant Funds

The USAID Rule of Law Program will consider grant funding requests of up to a $60,000 for no more than 18-month project.

The following program activities cannot be supported by the USAID Rule of Law Program:

1. Support for or lobbying on behalf of a particular political party;

2. Religious activities;

3. Capital construction projects;

4. Translation of textbooks or any legal materials;

5.Theoretical research;

6. Individual or group travel grants.

Selection criteria

The following general criteria will be used to assess the projects:

1. Degree of compliance with the Program objectives (15%)

2. Scope and relevance of the project’s impact (20%)

3. Effectiveness of project methodology, use of innovative approaches (30%)

4. Cost-effectiveness of the project (10%) 

5. Sustainability of the project (please note that sustainability can refer to activities, structures, knowledge, and outcomes that result from the project implementation) (10%) and

6. Capacity to implement the project (15%)

Selection Process

Interested applicants should download, fill out and submit a completed USAID Rule of Law Program: a) Grant Concept Form, and b) Budget form, itemizing the costs to be covered by the grant and cost share provided by the applicant, as well as letter of partnership (if applicable) outlining the scope and details of collaboration.

All documents must be submitted in English language. The Rule of Law Program may require additional information from applicants. Shortlisted applications will be contacted to submit the full application for the next stage of the selection process.

The Rule of Law Program reserves the right to fund any or none of the applications submitted.

Competition Timeline

Competition Announcement: January 10, 2024

Submission of Questions regarding the above RFA: January 17, 2024

Answers to submitted questions: January 22, 2024 (answers will be provided on the USAID Rule of Law Program Facebook page)

Deadline for Proposal Submission: February 29, 2024

Proposals and written questions should be submitted to the following email address: info.rolp@ewmi.org   

Subject line should indicate: RFA: Justice Innovation Lab

[1] For references please see following links https://www.hackathon.com/;  https://www.hiil.org/programmes/the-justice-accelerator/;  https://law.stanford.edu/organizations/pages/legal-design-lab/;  https://www.brooklaw.edu/academics/clinics%20and%20externships/in-house%20clinics/blip;  https://legalhackers.org/;  https://www.reinventlawchannel.com/