Our Expertise
A dedicated team of highly skilled justice sector professionals committed to improving the lives of citizens in developing countries by providing guidance to justice sector reforms.
DPI is a small woman owned business based in Falls Church, Virginia. Our principals and senior staff have over 40 years of collective experience in managing, designing and evaluating international democracy and governance programs globally.
DPI’s area of technical expertise is in rule of law and democracy and governance programming. We incorporate a holistic approach that emphasizes the link between rule of law and democratic development, with particular attention to empowering poor and vulnerable groups. Members of our team have held key positions within USAID and other large donors such as the World Banka and UNHCR. We have successfully managed portfolios in excess of 150 million dollars in government funding and overseen the simultaneous administration of several offices in diverse regions of the world. We have extensive experience in peace-building in South-East Asia, Central Africa, and West Africa, developing programs that include: new media and social networking, civil society capacity building, advocacy, access to justice, anti-corruption, anti-trafficking, combating gender based violence, mediation, and conflict mitigation.
DPI is currently operating in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where we are working to support court administration by training national court administrators to improve the delivery of justice on a national level. The project also provides guidance and technical assistance to the judiciary to reduce the incidence of pre-trial detention in 17 provinces. This project is funded by USAID and implemented by DPK Consulting.
In South Africa, DPI is implementing a USAID funded project which provides technical assistance to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) to increase the ability of prosecutors to secure convictions in sex based violence offenses. DPI is providing cutting edge training sex offenses training to the NPA, in cooperation with several of New York City’s finest Special Victims Unit (SUV) prosecutors.
In addition to our rich implementation practice, DPI provides monitoring and evaluation and ROL strategy development technical assistance to USAID Missions in Lebanon, Albania, and Bangladesh. In 2010, DPI provided USAID Albania with a Rule of Law Strategy and the development of a design for the ROL AJJSP project which is currently being implemented by Chemonics. In October of 2010 DPI completed a full PMP evaluation of the USAID Strengthening the Independence of the Judiciary and Citizen Access to Justice Project in Lebanon under a sub-contract to the National Center for State Courts. The Lebanon evaluation included a strategy section which provided USAID Lebanon with guidance on future programming. DPI is currently working with Millennium Partners in Bangladesh to conduct some of the first evaluations under the new USAID rigorous evaluation guidelines. The task order under BRIDGE was awarded to evaluate the PROGATI Anti-Corruption Project and the Asia Foundation’s Leaders of Influence program in Bangladesh and it includes the development of a USAID assessment of the ROL sector. DPI also provides evaluations services to the European Commission. In April of 2010, DPI’s Senior Prisons Advisor, Mr. Hans Jorstad, conducted an assessment of the prison system in Bosnia-Herzegovina for the European Commission. The report focused on compliance with the European Convention on Human Rights assessing the current situation related to inter-prisoner violence.
DPI's team has the following capabilities:
- Developing best practice technical guides and publications, delivering democracy and rule of law training modules to USAID, Department of State, and U.S. military personnel
- Understanding the interface between civilian programs and the military in conflict and post conflict environments
- Design and implementation of complex and highly technical multi-million dollar programs for USAID, the UN, and the Department of State
- Development of Justice Sector Strategy Reforms for donors
- Experience in conflict mitigation and alternative dispute resolution with a special focus and understanding of customary law
- Improving legal education, and strengthening legal professional associations, and oversight bodies
- Experience with security sector reform, community policing and community development
- Conducting assessments and evaluations of USAID, UN, and State Department programs
We work with local stakeholders to improve education, training, and oversight of legal and judicial professionals. Recognizing that judicial systems serve as means of preventing conflict and corruption.
DPI professionals have substantial global experience in programs focused on several key areas of rule of law reform:
Access to Justice- DPI works to increase the access of vulnerable populations to the formal and non formal judicial system. Our support works on recognition of the informal or customary and traditional legal systems, including religious law (Sharia).
Legitimacy- the promotion of laws and legislation that reflect both societal norms and international standards, DPI professionals provide a wide range of subject matter expertise in drafting and redrafting law, legislation, and procedure;
Checks and balances - the Rule of Law depends on effective separation of governmental powers, including a judicial sector that is provided the appropriate resources and organizational structure to ensure it serves as an independent and impartial arm of government and as a check on excessive power by any one branch of government; DPI professionals support national stakeholders to ensure effective resources and administrative support for every level of national judicial systems.
Predictability- the equal and fair application of the law and procedural fairness ensures that the judicial system is a reliable and predictable arbitrator and mediator of civil and criminal matters and serves as a protector and promoter of human rights. DPI professionals work with national stakeholders to ensure the effective and speedy admiration of justice and equal access to justice.
Professional Development- DPI provides training at various levels to enhance the capacity of stakeholders vital to a fully functioning judicial system. DPI works with the full range of judicial officials from court administrator to judge, through interactive training and mentoring to provide targeted assistance aimed at enhancing professional skills.
Fighting Corruption- DPI programs improve the host country government’s ability to serve their local and national constituencies. Our programs improve service delivery, provide access to information, and strengthen accountability mechanisms. We have integrated international standards into national law, while working with national decision makers to develop regulations, policies, and processes that ensure accountability and build independent oversight mechanisms.
Monitoring and Evaluation- DPI has extensive experience with monitoring and evaluation. In addition to developing mechanisms for monitoring and evaluation of justice sector programs, DPI has also conducted extensive rule of law assessments for USAID in Albania, Kosovo, Azerbaijan, and Bangladesh. Our staff has received formal recognition for their significant contributions to enhancing USAID's rule of law portfolio in the Europe and Eurasia region.