Final Report: Justice for a Sustainable Peace Activity

From April 2017 to September 2021, the Justice for a Sustainable Peace (JSP) Activity strengthened Colombia’s access to justice, increased citizen support for the rule of law, and improved the judicial response for victims affected by the armed conflict. Focusing on  54 prioritized municipalities in six departments, the Activity fostered a systemic, holistic, and comprehensive…

Improving Sri Lanka’s Justice System

Despite its rich legal and judicial traditions and highly experienced professionals in the justice sector, Sri Lanka faces delayed justice delivery, insufficient communication, lack of human resources, and limited training opportunities for professional development. These challenges have undermined public confidence in the justice system and fueled the government’s desire to improve it and align it…

Dr. Mette Bastholm Jensen

Mette Bastholm Jensen has spent more than a decade working on and in fragile and conflict-affected environments. Combining a research background with extensive field and government experience, she has spent much of her career conducting and translating analysis into actionable advice, particularly in stabilization contexts. Prior to joining Chemonics, Mette served most recently as an…

Bolstering Jordan’s Water Sector Governance

Jordan is one of the most water-scarce countries in the world. Experts predict the country will experience extreme water poverty by 2025 unless the water sector prioritizes governance strengthening, improved financial performance, and sustainable management of water supplies. USAID/Jordan’s Water Governance Activity (WGA) works with Jordan’s Ministry of Water and Irrigation to promote sustainable water…

Final Report: Duteze Imbere Ubutabera Activity

The activity’s period of performance focused on five districts — Gasabo, Nyaruguru, Musanze, Bugesera, and Nyamasheke — which connected local and national government representatives, non-governmental organizations, citizens, and community leaders through activities that enhanced access to justice and improved both the formal and the community justice systems. Duteze Imbere Ubutabera (DIU) aimed to increase access…

Final Report: Strengthening Public Accountability in Parliament (Damal)

Somalia has experienced decades of insecurity and the absence of a formal government since the collapse of the state in 1991. Since 2012, and the passing of the provisional constitution and establishment of the Federal Government of Somalia, the country has made slow but steady progress towards fostering good governance, establishing legal frameworks based in…

Final Report: Dominican Republic Criminal Justice System Strengthened Project

From 2015 to 2021, the Dominican Republic Criminal Justice System Strengthened Project (DR CJSSP) improved the quality and effectiveness of prosecutions and increased access to justice for underrepresented populations. To achieve this, the project improved intra-and inter-institutional criminal case management and coordination between the police, prosecutors, and judges. DR CJSSP also strengthened the local Community…

A New Approach to Energy Governance in Development

Recent work shows the importance of understanding the political economy of the energy sector when designing interventions and adapting our approach to managing energy sector projects. To tackle the climate crisis and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, we need new approaches for improving access to modern, affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy. During this webinar, co-hosted…

Next-Generation Urban WASH Requires Transparent, Innovative Governance

In the first blog entry in this series, More than Pipes and Pumps: Good Governance Drives Improved WASH, we describe how governance is central to meeting the challenges that rapid urbanization poses for provision of water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services. In this entry, we focus specifically on how improved WASH governance can enable technological innovations,…

Sarah Ahmed

Sarah Ahmed is a development professional with 17 years of experience in U.S. government-funded projects in democracy and governance, and peace, stability, and transition across the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia. As senior vice president of Talent, Learning, and Development, she is responsible for creating efficiencies through improved processes and guidance in the…

More than Pipes and Pumps: Good Governance Drives Improved WASH

We live in an increasingly urban world with infrastructure and essential services struggling to keep pace. From the current level of 56% in 2020, the United Nations (UN) projects that 68% of the world’s population will be urban by 2050. Many of the world’s fastest growing populations over this period are projected to be rapidly…