The Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs of the U.S. Department of State announces an open competition for organizations to submit applications to carry out a project to advance criminal justice system reforms in Armenia by increasing access to justice.

These include increasing public confidence in case outcome, strengthening legal defense mechanisms and public advocacy, institutionalizing technical and legal skills training for criminal justice officers, and upholding the rights of the most vulnerable individuals in Armenia.

With this NOFO, INL seeks a partner to implement sustained institutional change in targeted areas of the justice sector identified by INL as well as the ability to rapidly respond to emerging needs and observations in the field crucial to INL’s overarching desired results, objectives, and success of this program. They seek a collaborative, creative, data-driven, and iterative approach that will deliver results and ensure implementation on the ground is effective. INL encourages applicants to maximize available expertise and supports proposals that include sub-grantees. Applications must explain how the proposed sub-grantee’s specific expertise is suited to meet project goals and how the sub-grantee will be integrated into the overall program.

The ideal program prioritizes cross-cutting storytelling and metrics to provide a range of stakeholders, including INL, with data, visuals, videos, reports, and other media to effectively explain program activities, findings, details, and results, and to support INL’s ability to iterate and refine project approaches to deliver desired results.

Project Purpose

The purpose of this project is to build Armenians’ confidence in the criminal justice sector through tangible reforms that are relevant to the public’s experience with the justice system. The theory of change is that these reforms will assist Armenia with its goal to increase transparency and accountability across justice systems and demonstrate to Armenians that human rights, democracy, and anti-corruption reforms remain a priority.

Project Goals and Objectives and Suggested Activities

Goal #1: Armenian law enforcement agencies – including the police, Investigative Committee, and Prosecutor General’s Office – create and implement processes and procedures for handling victims and witnesses in the Armenian criminal justice system based on laws and procedures from United Nations, United States, European Union, Council of Europe and other relevant international best practices.

Objective 1: National Assembly passes legislation to establish victim and witness protection system.

Activities: Conduct a needs assessment that reviews legislation and policies/procedures related to the treatment of witnesses and victims; draft a report with written recommendations on needs/gaps aimed at ensuring victims and witnesses are treated fairly within the criminal justice system through a review of Armenian legislation/practices regulating the rights of victims and witnesses (to include the forensic examination of sexual assaults and other violent crimes); assist Armenian partners in drafting follow-on legislation and SOPs/guidelines.

Objective 2: Armenian criminal justice sector professionals adopt a strategy and its action plan for advancing victim and witness protection standard reform.

Activities: Identify and convene at least 100 criminal justice sector professionals and civil society representatives for a series of in-person workshops to discuss the needs assessment and all written recommendations as well as identify a strategy and its action plan for advancing reforms.

• Goal #2: The Chamber of Advocates and Public Defenders Office provides access to legal services for legally entitled/qualified individuals so that all individuals – particularly the most vulnerable populations – have equitable access to justice.
• Objective 1: The Chamber of Advocates and Public Defenders Office conduct public outreach to citizens to inform them of their right to legal defense and available services.
• Activities: Establish public relations strategies and functional, user-friendly websites for the Chamber of Advocates and the Public Defender’s Office.
• Objective 2: The Public Defender’s Office manages their caseload using an efficient, transparent case management system.
• Activities: Within the first twelve months, conduct a needs assessment of existing case management system; facilitate working group to create action plan for creation/implementation of new system; develop specifications for recommended system.
• Objective 3: The Public Defender’s Office can communicate electronically with their clients in detention facilities.
• Activities: Establish electronic communication platforms between the Office of the Public Defender and penitentiary institutions in Armenia.
• Objective 4: Defense attorneys and public defenders apply existing Code of Ethics/Code of Conduct.
• Activities: Arrange in-person trainings, facilitate study visits, and develop written materials, including Commentary to the Code of Ethics, to support understanding and application of a Code of Ethics.
• Objective 5: The Public Defender’s Office uses merit-based SOPs to recruit, promote, and retain high-quality public defenders.
• Activities: Develop a merit-based selection, evaluation, and promotion platform and/or SOPs within the Public Defender’s Office.
• Objective 6: The Academy of Advocates faulty is skilled in training defense attorneys and public defenders on criminal justice and human rights topics.
• Activities: Prepare an assessment of the Academy of Advocates’ current curricula and provide written recommendations on strengthening the curricula including identification of new courses needed; develop training content and teaching guides for all new courses; identify and train qualified faculty to serve as trainers for the newly created courses.
• Goal #3: Judges understand and can apply alternative measures of incarceration and probation officers’ written advisory opinions in their legal decisions.
• Objective 1: Judges, prosecutors, investigators, probation officers, and defense attorneys are conversant with alternative pre-trial measures of restriction including bail, house arrest, electronic monitoring, and administrative detention.
• Activities: Arrange in-person trainings, facilitate study visits, and develop written materials to support understanding and application of pre-trial measures of restriction.
• Objective 2: Judges know how to review and use probation officers’ written advisory opinions to make decisions on early conditional release of prisoners.
• Activities: Arrange in-person trainings, facilitate study visits, and develop written materials to support understanding and application of probation officers’ written advisory opinions.
• Goal #4: Judges and other criminal justice officers have the technical and legal skills to use the case law of the European Court of Human Rights.
• Objective 1: Armenian judges have the legal English skills to comprehend and use English language case law including that of the European Court of Human Rights.
• Activities: Conduct English language instruction via on-line and/or in-person format.
• Objective 2: Armenian judges understand European Court of Human Rights case law, analysis and the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.
• Activities: Conduct in-person trainings for a select number of practicing Armenian judges.
• Objective 3: Judges, prosecutors and investigators understand legal topics such as early conditional release and human rights standards, anti-corruption investigations, prosecutions, adjudications, and legislation.
• Activities: Develop training content and teaching guides for a new in-person course on early conditional release; update previous INL-funded Justice Academy courses to meet current Armenian legislation; conduct a “train the trainer” program for a select number of judges, prosecutors, and investigators; and develop course materials for use online.
• Activity: Arrange in-person trainings, roundtables, study visits, provide subject matter expertise, deliver assessments or other short-term evaluations to fill critical information gaps in criminal justice and human rights protection related reforms in addition to above listed activities in coordination and approval by the GOR. Provide recommended specifications for technical equipment, hardware, or other specialized goods.

Funding Information

• Total available funding: $2,500,000
• Award amounts: awards may range from a minimum of $2,300,000 to a maximum of $2,500,000
• Length of performance period: 24 to 30 months
• Anticipated program start date: September 2024
• Number of awards anticipated: 1 award
• Priority Region/Country
• Armenia
  

Eligibility Criteria

• The following organizations are eligible to apply:
  
• U.S.-based non-profit/non-governmental organizations (NGOs);
• U.S.-based educational institutions subject to section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. tax code or section 26 US 115 of the U.S. tax code;
• Foreign-based non-profits/non-governmental organizations (NGOs);
• Foreign-based educational institutions

Source: https://www2.fundsforngos.org/latest-funds-for-ngos/call-for-applications-advancing-criminal-justice-system-reforms-in-armenia/