Chemonics - Development works here.

A Stronger Justice Sector in the West Bank.

Democracy and Governance | Civil Society, Civic Engagement, and Independent Media | Global Impact Collaboratory
Middle East and North Africa

Enhanced Palestinian Justice Program

Project Dates: September 2013 - September 2018
As the West Bank’s justice sector becomes more transparent, citizens are becoming more engaged, recognizing their government’s improved efficiency and accountability.

In the last few decades, those in the West Bank’s justice sector have striven to make it more transparent and communicative, hoping to improve public perception of, trust in, and engagement with the sector’s institutions. The USAID Enhanced Palestinian Justice Program built on these efforts to reform courts and further policies such as the country’s Rule of Law National Strategy. With a collaborative and gender-sensitive approach, the project provided training, equipment, and other support across justice sector institutions to help the sector become more fair and responsive to its citizens’ needs.

Project Goals

  • Provide training and equipment to justice sector institutions to make them more efficient and responsive, including automated case management and administrative service-delivery systems
  • Update the way family courts function and handle their financial processes to improve the experience of those seeking services, especially services relevant to gender-based violence issues
  • Develop family counseling units both to provide counseling and legal services to families, women, and children involved in family disputes and to address as many cases as possible with non-litigated solutions
  • Work with civil society organizations to teach citizens about their rights and available legal services

Our Impact The Path Toward Protected Rights in the West Bank

Thanks to structured training, the West Bank family courts now constitute a powerful platform through which victims of gender-based violence can access services that more effectively address their needs.

In the last few decades, those in the West Bank’s justice sector have striven to make it more transparent and communicative, hoping to improve public perception of, trust in, and engagement with the sector’s institutions. The USAID Enhanced Palestinian Justice Program built on these efforts to reform courts and further policies such as the country’s…

Read Impact Story

Our Impact Taking a Stand Onstage

An interactive drama technique called “forum theater” is teaching Palestinian citizens about gender-based violence and showing them how to address the social issue.

In the last few decades, those in the West Bank’s justice sector have striven to make it more transparent and communicative, hoping to improve public perception of, trust in, and engagement with the sector’s institutions. The USAID Enhanced Palestinian Justice Program built on these efforts to reform courts and further policies such as the country’s…

Read Impact Story
01 02
Icon of a report

Measuring Community Norms Around Women’s Empowerment in the West Bank: Opportunities and Challenges of a Novel Approach Using Cultural Consensus

Download File
Icon of a report

Final Report: Enhanced Palestinian Justice Program

Download File

Validating the Truth About Gender in the West Bank for Program Design

Download File
Vietnam map

Transforming Economic Governance in Vietnam

Local institutions in Vietnam must be equipped with the resources needed to maximize growth.
Somali flag

Stepping Up Public Accountability in Somalia

To secure debt relief, Somalia must strengthen financial oversight practices and embrace principles of accountability.

Increasing Access to Justice and Enhancing the Rule of Law in Rwanda

Access to justice is a crucial factor for Rwanda in combating poverty, promoting peaceful resolution of disputes, and enhancing the rule of law.

Promoting Unity in Ukraine

Divisive pressures undermine political unity in Ukraine, particularly in eastern regions. Connecting citizens with their government can help.

Supporting the Peruvian Government to Promote Alternatives to Coca

Peru is making significant strides in reducing coca production in rural communities. Yet, solidifying these gains and helping increase effective state presence and viable economic opportunities is still a major challenge.

Introducing the Rule of Law in Myanmar

Building a transparent and inclusive justice sector is a critical step to improving legal rights for Myanmar’s people in the wake of recent political transition.

Strengthening Somali Governance

Somalia is taking steps toward re-establishing governance with effective and accountable government institutions.

Strengthening Municipal Governance in Jordan

Jordanian communities need innovative, sustainable ways both to improve how municipalities deliver services and to develop closer relationships between citizens and the government.

Strengthening Civil Society in Tanzania

In Tanzania, civil society organizations are working to make the government more responsive and accountable.

Strengthening Civil Society Organizations in Azerbaijan

In Azerbaijan, civil society organizations (CSOs) needed significant support to achieve their goals of strengthening democratic and governance processes, improving health, and promoting economic growth.

Giving a Stronger Voice to Citizens in Indonesia’s Democracy

To strengthen its democracy, Indonesia needed to implement changes to offer effective representation to its citizens.

Strengthening Haiti’s Judicial System

An independent, credible, and effective judicial system will go a long way toward creating and preserving stability in Haiti.

Building a More Resilient Mozambique

Mozambique’s coastal cities, which are some of the areas most vulnerable to climate change in Africa, must adapt to extreme weather and become more resilient.

Preventing Conflict at its Roots in Lebanon

Tensions in Lebanon are mounting over resources and livelihoods. Service delivery and financial resources can prevent escalation.

Strengthening Education for Youth in Syria

The Syrian conflict has raised an unparalleled need for access to education so that young Syrians have a chance to learn and thrive.

Promoting a Moderate, Inclusive, and Stable Syria

Amid the conflict in Syria, local efforts to build a peaceful and inclusive future and resist extremism need support.

Restoring Essential Services in Syria

Electricity, schools, roads, and other essential services are out of reach for many of Syria’s conflict-affected communities, magnifying the instability of their recovery efforts.

Building Peace in Libya

It is important to build stability and resiliency through civic engagement and community dialogue in Libya.

Laying the Fiscal Foundation for Tunisia’s Growth

With greater simplicity, equity, and efficiency in its fiscal policies, the Tunisian government can foster sustainable and inclusive growth.
View All Projects
Hands holding a printout of a line graph

Three Questions on Financing Self-Reliance with Mario Kerby

How can development practitioners foster local commitment for financing self-reliance? Chief of Party Mario Kerby shares how his project has engaged a diverse array of stakeholders — from finance ministers to schoolchildren — to ensure commitment to crucial fiscal reforms remains strong.

The Work You May Not Know You’re Doing and How To Do It Better

Stacia George and Heather Seeley explore why security sector reform is key to every development project, how you may be enacting reform without knowing it, and how to do more to integrate best practices into your project for more effective and just security sector wherever you work.
Victoria Cooper

News: Chemonics Announces New Senior Vice President Victoria Cooper

In her new role, Ms. Cooper will oversee and develop the business strategy, management, and technical programming for the East and Southern Africa regional business unit.

Best of the Blog 2019

This was a big year for private sector engagement, with nearly half of our most popular posts exploring its importance to the future of development. Check out those posts and other key insights, profiles, and technical approaches from Chemonics in 2019.

Let’s Get Creative: Localized Data Collection for Stronger Project Outcomes

How can the development community become more creative with data collection to navigate complex operating environments and gather accurate, high-quality, consistent data?

An Argument for Inclusive Stabilization

How can organizations target the challenges specifically facing minority communities while ensuring efforts contribute to the cohesion and stability of the whole society? Catherine Kannam shares four best practices.

Coding ‘Thinking and Working Politically’ into a Project’s DNA

Promising results are unfolding as project staff begin to think and work politically on one USAID project in Timor-Leste.

Working the System: What We’ve Learned About Strengthening Accountability

What is the most effective way to strengthen accountability in our development work? Sarah Nugent shares a promising approach that enables civil society to circumvent political barriers and create power: clusters.

The Politics of Biodiversity: Two Experiences with Thinking and Working Politically

What does thinking and working politically on biodiversity projects look like? Carolyn Heaps shares experiences and lessons learned from projects in Guatemala and Indonesia.

Facilitating Gender Equitable Policy Reform: Four Principles

In Afghanistan, implementors embrace a stakeholder-centric approach to overcome policy challenges to gender equity. Technical specialists and local government officials agree that accountability and local ownership are crucial elements of this model.

Afghan women participate in the USAID’s Promote: Women in Government (WIG) project's one-year training program.

Empowering Women and Cultivating Equitable Governance in Afghanistan

Through a combination of training, policy reform, and positive communications, the USAID Promote: Women in Government (WIG) project supports Afghan women and government stakeholders to create civil service opportunities for women.
A landscape of a field and mountain

Civil Society: Not Just an Advocate, but an Agent for Change

From preserving natural resources to protecting citizens' rights, Justin Cagaoan shares three case studies of civil society organizations creating change.

Creativity and Innovation During a Global Crisis

Creativity and innovation are critical for the global community to fight the impacts of COVID-19. Chemonics' president and CEO Jamey Butcher explores lessons for navigating this unprecedented challenge.

Preventing Culture from Eating Your Strategy

Cultural norms can thwart the most technically sound development strategies. How can the cultural consensus model, developed by anthropologists, help to ensure that culture strengthens rather than weakens a strategy's effectiveness?

News: Chemonics to Speak Truth to Power at Evaluation 2018

Chemonics convenes its monitoring, evaluation, and learning experts for Evaluation 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio from October 29 through November 3.

Building a Future Above the Floodwaters

ASU anthropologists are tracking cultural shifts that could spell safety for Mozambique's coastal communities.

Incubators and Accelerators Aren’t Just for Silicon Valley Anymore

Gabriel Gonzalez-Kreisberg explores the role that incubators and accelerators will play in the future of development, and discusses four new "solutions labs" created by Chemonics and Arizona State University based on the incubator model.

3 Questions on Designing an Emergency Intervention in Lebanon During COVID-19 with Bilal Al Ayoubi

In the wake of the tragic explosion in Beirut, Lebanon, the USAID Community Support Program launched an emergency response community cleanup in a major blast zone — during COVID-19. Bilal Al Ayoubi shares how the project team is navigating this unfathomable challenge.
Children sitting in a circle shout happily

Psychosocial Support for Children Counters the Legacy of Violent Extremism in Syria

Exposure to violent and radical ISIS ideologies has damaged Syrian children’s mental health. In areas touched by violent extremism, transforming classrooms into mental health positive spaces that deliver psychosocial support can kickstart the healing process.

The Case for Practical Techniques for Inclusive Classrooms

Audrey Spencer explains why disability identification and policy reform alone can leave teachers and students waiting and calls for more immediate, practical techniques to create inclusive classrooms.

Three Models that Ensure Private Sector Engagement

If private sector engagement (PSE) is a journey — with some companies farther along than others — then what is the role of international development implementers to better enable and facilitate that engagement?
View All News and Blog