Overview and Background

The Judicial System Strengthening Activity (JSSA) in Uzbekistan is a four-year project implemented by the East-West Management Institute, Inc. (EWMI) and funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The project aims to strengthen the administration of justice by improving court and case management, strengthen the professionalism of the judiciary through enhanced training initiatives, and strengthen public trust in the judiciary. The project will be implemented in Uzbekistan beginning in October 2021, with the staff working from Tashkent, Uzbekistan.This position is open only to persons eligible to work in Uzbekistan.

Reporting

The Gender and Social Inclusion (GESI) Expert reports to the Chief of Party (COP).

Schedule and Level of Effort

Full-time, five days per week for the duration of the agreement.

Overall Responsibilities

The GESI Expert will collaborate with all stakeholders to identify gaps and opportunities for supporting a justice system that is both reflective of and responsive to women, as well as the poor, marginalized populations, disabled, and other key population groups. This expert will work with all objective leaders to develop tailored interventions that support a more inclusive and equitable justice system and ensure the gender and social inclusion considerations are in all programming and MEL plans and reports.

Main Tasks

• Deliver project-wide technical expertise, including relevant training, to strengthen social inclusion and gender-responsive approaches to JSSA programming across all objectives and partnerships; foresee potential challenges and propose strategies and actions to address them;
• Provide policy and programming advice on gender equality, women’s empowerment, and social inclusion to ensure all activities effectively mainstream gender and social inclusion;
• Directly oversee activities primarily focused on gender equality and women’s empowerment, where applicable, in addition to engaging across all program objectives;
• Provide and continually update project-relevant resources on gender, social inclusion, and rule of law programming for JSSA purposes;
• Contribute to project strategies, work plans, and task lists as they relate to gender and social inclusion in cooperation with JSSA COP, DCOP, and Objective Leaders;
• Ensure that JSSA MEL planning, data collection, and reporting effectively mainstream GESI priorities, including gender-disaggregated data and other social inclusion considerations;
• Collaborate effectively with the MEL Manager in designing and deploying data collection tools for all gender- and social inclusion-related activities.
• Collaborate effectively with the MEL Manager to track progress against gender-related AMELP indicators.
• Oversee data collection for all gender and social inclusion related activities
• Assist the COP and DCOP in drafting JSSA quarterly, annual, and final technical reports as well as other reports on as-needed basis;
• Provide timely, accurate inputs for financial management of the project as needed, such as assistance in budget planning, cost clarification, and activity budgeting;
• Respond to requests from EWMI HO regarding gender and social inclusion;
• Participate in analysis, creative strategy development, and problem-solving;
• Adhere to all relevant EWMI and USAID policies and procedures in the execution of these duties, ensure compliance with such by other JSSA staff;
• Travel outside of Tashkent to implement activities as needed;
• Perform other tasks assigned by the COP on an ad hoc basis that are consistent with this Scope of Work and JSSA’s general requirements.

Qualifications

Education:

• University degree in Law, Political Sciences, International Development, Sociology, Social Work, or related field.
• Specialization in gender equality, women’s/gender studies, social development, or social inclusion is an asset. Additional years of experience may be considered in lieu of advanced degree)

Experience and Skills:

• Six years of experience in a relevant field.
• Demonstrated experience and technical knowledge in GESI required.
• Cultural awareness and knowledge of the Central Asian context.
• Professional experience in the legal/judicial sector is preferred.
• Experience conducting GESI trainings.
• Experience with USAID or other donor programming.
• Demonstrated ability to establish and sustain professional relationships with host country government counterparts, NGOs, community groups, and key stakeholders.
• Strong interpersonal and team skills, with the ability to work with individuals from diverse backgrounds and cultures.
• Excellent problem-solving skills, with the ability to work independently.
• Fluent in written and spoken English, Russian and Uzbek.

To apply: Please send (i) a curriculum vitae, (ii) cover letter, and (iii) contact information for three references to:  employment@ewmi-uz.org. Please include “Gender and Social Inclusion Specialist” in the subject line of your email. No phone calls, please. Applicants are encouraged to apply immediately, as applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. EWMI will contact applicants for interviews or to request additional information. EWMI is an equal-opportunity employer. Women, minorities, individuals with disabilities, and people from diverse groups are encouraged to apply

Overview and Background

The Judicial System Strengthening Activity (JSSA) in Uzbekistan is a four-year project implemented by the East-West Management Institute, Inc. (EWMI) and funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The project aims to strengthen the administration of justice by improving court and case management, strengthen the professionalism of the judiciary through enhanced training initiatives, and strengthen public trust in the judiciary. The project began implementation in Uzbekistan in October 2021, with the staff working from Tashkent, Uzbekistan. This position is open only to persons eligible to work in Uzbekistan.

Reporting

The Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) Manager reports to the JSSA Chief of Party, or their designee.

Schedule and Level of Effort

Full-time, five days per week for the duration of the agreement.

Overall Responsibilities

Assist the COP/DCOP to implement JSSA’s MEL objectives;

Collect and report on MEL data for the project in line with EWMI and USAID standards;

Oversee of the implementation of the JSSA Annual MEL Plan (AMELP):

• Manage indicator reporting;
• Design all MEL and data collection tools;
• Collaborate with JSSA staff on reporting.

Main Tasks

• Track the implementation of JSSA activities against AMELP and EWMI indicators, targets and objectives;
• Design and deploy follow-up assessments for JSSA trainings, workshops and other relevant activities to measure progress and improvement;
• Design and deploy surveys and data collection tools in collaboration with COP/DCOP, Legal Training Specialist, Public Outreach Specialist, and GESI Specialist;
• Analyze data for quarterly and annual reports, including reporting against the JSSA AMELP, and design ad hoc training reports, as well as other data-based reports;
• Prepare progress charts, diagrams, and other infographics based on JSSA’s performance data;
• Organize and deliver staff training related to indicator tracking, data collection, data management, and MEL;
• Perform frequent progress checks against JSSA targets and objectives
• Manage JSSA’s internal training database;
• Prepare and upload data and narrative to USAID’s DIS system;
• Participate in internal and external data quality assessments;
• Participate in EWMI MEL Group meetings;
• Participate in MEL meetings, workshops, etc., organized by USAID;
• Perform other related duties as requested.

Required Qualifications

Education:

• University Degree in Economics, Mathematics, Statistics, or a related field.

Experience & Skills:

• Minimum of 5 years of experience managing MEL systems ensuring data quality
• Experience providing ongoing coaching, mentorship, and technical guidance to team members
• Experience deploying technology to improve MEL, including mobile data collection and management platforms. 
• Experience designing and implementing evaluations and assessments to further program performance using both quantitative and qualitative research methods.
• Demonstrated analytical skills and ability to portray complex data sets in easy-to-understand formats, including through data visualization.
• Experience using various methods to analyze project progress, communicate findings to a range of external and internal stakeholders, and apply learning to work planning.
• Excellent written, presentation and communication skills in Russian and English; active knowledge of Uzbek language is an asset.

To apply: Please send (i) a curriculum vitae, (ii) cover letter, and (iii) contact information for three references to:  employment@ewmi-uz.org. Please include “Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Manager” in the subject line of your email. No phone calls, please. Applicants are encouraged to apply immediately, as applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. EWMI will contact applicants for interviews or to request additional information. EWMI is an equal-opportunity employer. Women, minorities, individuals with disabilities, and people from diverse groups are encouraged to apply

Apply immediately but no later than July 20, 2023

The East-West Management Institute, Inc. (EWMI) invites applications for an International Consultant with its Judicial System Strengthening Activity (JSSA) in Uzbekistan, to a) conduct a feasibility study for the Supreme Court on introducing AI in court processes in Uzbekistan and b) prepare a proposed roadmap for the Court. JSSA is a four-year project funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented until September 2025. JSSA is divided into three objectives: Objective 1 will strengthen the administration of justice by improving court and case management; Objective 2 will strengthen the professionalism of the judiciary through enhanced training initiatives, and Objective 3 will strengthen public trust in the judiciary.

Please see scope of work for this assignment below.

Qualifications:

• At least five (5) years of experience working with or in the courts, prosecutor's office, or in a related profession;
• Significant experience working on projects that implement AI in processes that involve courts, judicial actors, and court users;
• Understanding of the potential use of big data, artificial intelligence, and machine learning in the context of improvement of justice systems
• Strong skills in data collection and statistical analysis;
• Strong organization and planning skills, proven experience in working with government actors;
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills;
• Bachelor’s degree in law, human rights, or a related field; Master’s degree preferred;
• Positive attitude, attention to detail, flexibility to manage fast timelines and multiple work streams, and;
• Fluency in English required; knowledge of Russian is a plus.

To Apply:

Please send (i) a curriculum vitae, (ii) cover letter, and (iii) contact information for three references to:  employment@ewmi.org. Please include “AI and the Courts Consultant” in the subject line of your email. No phone calls, please. Applicants are encouraged to apply immediately, as applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. EWMI will contact applicants for interviews or to request additional information. EWMI is an equal opportunity employer. Women, minorities, individuals with disabilities and people from diverse groups are encouraged to apply.

Scope of Work

Assignment Overview: To assist the Supreme Court in developing a Roadmap of organizational and legal measures to be taken to introduce AI in judicial administration, JSSA plans to engage an international consultant to first conduct a feasibility study on introducing AI in court processes in Uzbekistan, with recommendations, and then prepare a proposed roadmap for the court.

The feasibility study should review the following:

• How the court system processes caseload data;
• How information is linked across different digital sources;
• To what extent do court decisions include anonymization and pseudonymization;
• Generating various templates for court decisions;
• Case law search optimization;
• Digital transcription of cases;
• What public services and information exist for court users;
• Administrative facilities;
• Data Management; and
• Data protection compliance.

Objective: Assisted by a national consultant, the international consultant will review the relevant legal framework and existing IT solutions and prepare a feasibility study that looks at the enabling environment in Uzbekistan with respect to the development of AI in Uzbekistan’s judiciary with special emphasis on 1. Provision of assistance to citizens to receive information about existing cases, 2. Creation of a customizable template for court decisions in cases where this is possible and acceptable so that judges can confirm proposed drafts or use them to ease the decision-making process, and 3. A public database that has an analysis of court decisions to improve search capacities, alignment of court practices, and a better understanding of decisions and training. The consultant can make proposals on other important challenges that are considered prerequisites for emphasized points. The international consultant will then prepare a proposed road map with next steps required in order to introduce AI to the court system.

Activities: The international consultant will:

1. Conduct a desk review of the Uzbek legal framework related to the judiciary, digitization and digitalization, and data protection,
2. Conduct a desk review of existing IT solutions at the Supreme Court and the quality of data,
3. Conduct a 10-day in-country visit to Tashkent, Uzbekistan, to perform an on-site analysis of the Supreme Court’s databases, technical conditions, and other internal capacities,
4. Estimate the implementation costs, including infrastructure, development, training, and maintenance of an AI system in the courts.
5. Estimate the benefits of implementation in money and/or time saved and other tangible or intangible assets,
6. Identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats and recommend appropriate actions for the introduction of a new system that incorporates AI,
7. Provide recommendations on how to overcome challenges,
8. Prepare a document under the name: “Feasibility study on introducing AI in court business processes, with recommendations and a proposed roadmap”,
9. Develop a proposed roadmap for the implementation of AI,
10. Prepare an online or onsite presentation of findings to relevant stakeholders.

The required first draft of the feasibility study and the roadmap should be delivered no later than October 31, 2023, the final version should be adopted no later than November 30, 2023. If required, the presentation should take place during December 2023.

Total Level of Effort: 40 days

Dates: The scope of work will begin o/a August 20 and conclude o/a December 31, 2023, upon successfully completing tasks and deliverables. Travel to Uzbekistan will be expected to occur o/a September 10, 2023.

The East-West Management Institute, Inc. (EWMI), a not-for-profit organization engaged in strengthening civil society and promoting the rule of law around the world, is hiring Rule of Law Experts for short-term (3-6 week) assignments in Eastern Europe, the former Soviet Union, and/or Asia. 

Position Description: EWMI is seeking a variety of rule of law experts, as follows:

• Judicial Reform Experts: With experience in reforming the work of judicial councils, judges associations, and judicial training institutes.  Experts needed in the areas of judicial appointment, promotion, and discipline; judicial ethics; assessing judicial performance; promoting judicial independence; promoting judicial transparency and accountability; improving access to justice; and the design and delivery of judicial training initiatives in a broad spectrum of topics, including ethics, legal reasoning and writing, and gender equality, among other issues.  Experts also sought in designing and administering judicial appointment examinations.
• Court Administration Experts: With experience in court management and budgeting; resource allocation; change management; case distribution, including the design and use of case weighting methodologies; caseload management and backlog reduction; use of information technology, including automated case assignment and case management systems; human resource management; public outreach and media affairs; audio and video recording of proceedings; improving access to courts; promoting improved coordination among various justice sector agencies and personnel (courts, prisons, process servers, experts, etc.); and the design and delivery of training programs for non-judicial court personnel, including on ethics, management, and backlog reduction.
• International Human Rights Lawyers: With knowledge of UN and regional human rights standards and/or experience in the use of strategic litigation and other methods to promote compliance with such standards; experience in training judges, prosecutors, lawyers and law students on international and comparative human rights; and experience in training and mentoring lawyers, bar associations, and civil society organizations on protecting fundamental human rights such as on right to counsel, freedom from torture, gender equality, non-discrimination, etc.
• Bar Reform Experts: With experience in strengthening the capacity of bar associations and similar groups to advocate for equality of arms, protect human rights, and promote the rule of law. Experts also sought in the design and delivery of continuing legal education programs, in particular (but not limited to) regarding ethics, legal writing and reasoning, advocacy skills, gender equality, etc.  Experts also sought in designing and administering bar examinations. 
• Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Experts: With experience in promoting the use of alternative dispute resolution methodologies, including mediation (court annexed or otherwise) and arbitration in civil, commercial, and criminal (plea bargaining) cases.  Experience needed in particular in the design of such systems; training judges, lawyers, and other court staff on the ethical usage of ADR; and public outreach and education concerning the benefits of ADR. Experts also needed in the use of traditional dispute resolution methods, and in conforming such to modern human rights requirements, and ensuring coordination with formal justice systems.
• Enforcement of Judgments Experts: With experience in designing efficient systems for enforcing civil and commercial judgments, including through privatized systems, improved public systems, or hybrid systems.  Experts needed for training bailiffs, lawyers, and judges on systems and methodologies for enforcing judgments.
• Access to Justice Experts: Legal experts needed to design approaches to improving access to justice for citizens, in particular for the indigent.  Specific expertise needed in the operations of legal aid agencies, such as hiring, promoting, and training legal aid lawyers; the role of civil society organizations in providing legal aid; the role of traditional dispute resolution in providing justice; overcoming physical barriers to courts; and public outreach and education concerning citizens’ rights.

Experts will be hired as consultants for short-term (3-6 week) assignments that require overseas travel. International development experience is preferred.

To Apply: Please submit a brief (one page only) cover letter summarizing how you meet the above requirements, together with a CV (two pages only), and the names and contact information for three professional references to: employment@ewmi.org. Please include the specific position for which you are applying in the subject of the email. Only those invited for interviews will be contacted; no calls please. EWMI is an equal opportunity employer.