2003 - usaid/ofda

Adminirmcion riJustict Support Projcrc
Find Rrporl
1.2.1.1 Result Number C.l: Improved eficicncy of hvo ptlot court systems
Indicator: Reduction it1 cnse processitrg tirne I
I\lcthodolo~y: Each year, the Project's Coun Adminislnlion Tnm used statistical sampling md analysis of
cases in order to measure progress regarding this result. This methodology w u bmd on Case hlanagcmcnt
Consultant David Steelman's earlier wort with the Project. The sampling technique used \*as designed to
provide a cross-section of all carexories of cascs closed during a 12-month pmod from Octobcr to
September of every year. Data samples were obtained by court staff under suidelmcs wr fonh by the
Project; however. direct supervision or the data gathering process was limited. bch year. an averaxe of
500+ cases was sampled and analyzed.
Of panicular imponance are the finding of Year 7, sincc these constitute the basis for measuring overall
achievement vis-a-vis initial baselines. The case sample size in Year 7 bras 530 cues. Ofthe 550 cawr
analyzed. 169 were cases that were more than 600 dys old. The Ycar 7 sanrple thus included 51.9?& of
closed old cases (as opposed to 3l.4Sb in Year 6). This represcntcd an increase of 54.1% over the
proponion of older cases the sample for Year 5. and a significant increase over the avenge number ofoldcr
cases in the samples of previous years.
Unit of ~lcnsure I : Average number of ntonths taken from case filin~ to final decision for all
civil cases
Baseline for 1998 (NB) : 12.3
Number planned for 2003: 15 months (450
Number achicrcd in 2003: 17.5 months
(525 days)
Discussion of result: The number achievcd in 2003 marlis a reduction from the pr cvious year of 6.4% in
the number of months from case filing to disposition. Althou;h the nun~ber of months from filin: to
disposition measured in 200; does not meet the targ number of 15 months, it does reflect a decmsinz
trend in comparison with the avenge number achievcd in 2002 (1 8.7 months).
The avenge number of months from filing to disposition in 200: is also higher than nun~bcrs xhieved in
previous years (12.8 months in 199s. 12.9 months in 1999. 11.4 months in 2000. and 12.7 months in 2001)
This difference is attributable to the fact that the sample used in Year 7 included a Iqcr pcrccn1a:c of
closed older cases (51.9%. as opposcd to 3 1.4% in Ycar 6 and 20.4:'. In Year 5). The hishcr proportion ol older cascs being closed inevitably increases the avcraze time from filing to disposition. as the Project hJ predicted in previous years. Such increases, however, marked an imponanr positivc trend with x g ~ to d the
Project's ovcnll work in encourqinp judges to tackle older cascs and brmg thcnr to closu~~. thus reducing
and gradually eliminating the backlog of older cases at the couns. and allo\rin: for ncwr cases lo become
the focus of the couns' work. This ircnd also reflected thc increased utiliution of me age rcpons
generated by the Caw Xlanapement .Application (CAIA) to electronically tnct progress made with older
cases. In addition, this trend paralleled hlOJ priorities exprcsscd by thc Xlinisler with regard to decidinb
older cases. as seen in the anicle published in Al4hhoar ne\rspaper of Septenibcr 50. 2002 i;rr Anner -:
for details regarding the Xlmirter's statements).
The average achievcd in Year 7 is also lower than tlrat achieved in Sear 6 (17.5 nlonths as opposed lo IS.7
months, respectively). Even though this is only a slight decrease. 11 could poss;bly point to a ne\r drcrcasing
trend now that the coun backlo; hxs started to bc addressed.