The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report NIGERIA: ACCESS to JUSTICE for the POOR (P115863)
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Public Disclosure Copy The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report NIGERIA: ACCESS TO JUSTICE FOR THE POOR (P115863) NIGERIA: ACCESS TO JUSTICE FOR THE POOR (P115863) AFRICA | Nigeria | Public Sector Governance Global Practice | Recipient Executed Activities | Specific Investment Loan | FY 2011 | Seq No: 4 | ARCHIVED on 13-Feb-2015 | ISR17805 | Public Disclosure Authorized Implementing Agencies: LEGAL AID COUNCIL OF NIGERIA Key Dates Key Project Dates Board Approval date:15-Mar-2011 Effectiveness Date:24-Dec-2010 Planned Mid Term Review Date:04-Feb-2013 Actual Mid-Term Review Date:05-May-2013 Original Closing Date:24-Dec-2013 Revised Closing Date:30-Nov-2015 Public Disclosure Authorized Project Development Objectives Project Development Objective (from Project Appraisal Document) To enhance access to legal aid services by the poor and vulnerable in Kaduna State to enable them to effectively enforce their socio-economic rights and resolve civil matters disputes. Has the Project Development Objective been changed since Board Approval of the Project Objective? No PHRPDODEL Public Disclosure Authorized Components Name Awareness and Advocacy Programs:(Cost $0.71 M) Needs and Baseline Assessment; and Monitoring & Evaluation:(Cost $0.30 M) Yearly Financial Audit:(Cost $0.01 M) Establishment of Legal Aid Centers:(Cost $1.07 M) Capacity Building for Legal Aid Service Providers:(Cost $0.45 M) Overall Ratings Name Previous Rating Current Rating Public Disclosure Authorized Progress towards achievement of PDO Satisfactory Satisfactory Overall Implementation Progress (IP) Satisfactory Satisfactory 2/13/2015 Page 1 of 7 Public Disclosure Copy Public Disclosure Copy The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report NIGERIA: ACCESS TO JUSTICE FOR THE POOR (P115863) Implementation Status and Key Decisions The overall progress towards achievement of the PDO and the overall implementation progress are satisfactory. The counterpart (the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria – LACON), its Director General and the PIU are committed, responsive and working well to undertake the project in difficult conditions due to the security situation in Kaduna State. Enhance access to legal services: The project has enhanced access by decentralizing legal services which were previously only provided by one state center in Kaduna South. Kaduna State’s 2nd rank, including the established centers, in a nation-wide performance review (measured so far by the number of cases completed) opposed to a 17th rank when excluding the established centers proves the demand on the ground and the enhanced access to services. 1. Over the course of the project, pilot centers have been tested in 20 different locations all across Kaduna State and have been closely monitored in order to determine which of the established centers should be sustained after project closure given demand and existing capacities. 2. 5 of these centers will be sustained by LACON given its scarce resources. They were selected as to provide services to the local population and to the centers that will be sustained by local governments. 3. Front-line staff (legal aid lawyers, paralegals and Youth Corps volunteers) across Kaduna State has received training on ADR and specific legal topics to provide quality services. 4. Lawyers/legal service providers from the Local Governments have been included in these training sessions to ensure for a smooth continuation of legal service provision after project closure. 5. A nation-wide performance measurement and management system was introduced which allows LACON management to monitor all centers’ performances (including the established legal aid centers) and quickly identify performance gaps and possible shortcomings in access to services. 6. Quality of services will be evaluated by a pilot ‘customer comment card’ collecting feedback from clients on services received. The pilot will compare 6 states from six different geo-political areas, including Kaduna State. Enable them enforce their socio-economic rights and to resolve civil matter disputes: Socio-economic rights (or economic, social and cultural rights) have been addressed by the project through various outreach and awareness campaigns. This was done via interactive workshops targeting local and religious chiefs and community leaders to raise awareness for these rights and enable them to conflicts related to these rights. Further, the local population was reached via road shows, radio broadcasts and NGO awareness raising activities, such as drama plays. Similarly, civil matters have been addressed via interactive workshops, radio jingles and broadcasts, road shows and NGO awareness raising activities. Further, staff of the established centers has reached out to other entities, such as women’s organizations, police, church, health centers and attended local markets to inform staff and market participants about availability and scope of legal services. In addition, the project is undertaking a Legal Needs Assessment which should give a better insight into the local population’s perception and level of trust with regards to legal services. This will allow LACON to address challenges identified by local communities and better tailor services and awareness/outreach activities to better equip local population to ask for their rights. 2/13/2015 Page 2 of 7 Public Disclosure Copy Public Disclosure Copy The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report NIGERIA: ACCESS TO JUSTICE FOR THE POOR (P115863) Results Project Development Objective Indicators PHINDPDOTBL Number of functioning legal aid clinics in Kaduna State (Number, Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 0.00 10.00 15.00 12.00 Date 12-Feb-2009 12-Jul-2013 01-Jan-2015 24-Dec-2014 Comments Target met. At the beginning of the project only the Kaduna Center was providing services, no decentralized services were offered. Over the course of the project, decentralized services through legal aid clinics were piloted in 20 locations across Kaduna State: Zaria, Sabon Gar, Kudan, Ahmadu Bello University, Kaduna South, Igabi, Kajuru, Jema'a, Kaura, Kachia, Giwa, Ikara, Brinin Gwari, Kubau, Lere, Chikun, Zango-Kataf, Sanga, Jaba, and Kagarko. Demand for these services and their quality was closely monitored and due to poor performance, the center in Kaura was closed, respectively merged with the close by center in Jema'a in January 2014. That said, 19 centers have been fully functional throughout 2014. From its own resources and existing capacities, LACON will only be able to support 5, respectively 6 out of the 19 centers: Kaduna South, Sabon Gari, Jema'a, Chikun, the center at the Ahmadu Bello University, and the office in Igabi which will be merged with LACON's Kaduna State Office in Kawo. These centers were chosen because they are already staffed with LACON lawyers, are performing above average and are located across all three senatorial zones which puts them in a good position to assist those centers that will be maintained by Local Government. By the end of 2014, the heads of Local Governments in Giwa, Lere, Sanga, Zaria, Jaba, Kudan, Zangon-Kataf, Birnin Gwari, and Jere have expressed their interest to maintain the centers at their local governments, in parts they have directed financial means accordingly. As no interest was expressed from the Local Governments as per the centers in Ikara, Kuban, Kachia and Kajuru these centers were closed by end of December 2014 following an exiting strategy. PHINDPDOTBL Number of fully staffed and functional centers in Kaduna State offering full range of legal aid services (Number, Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 1.00 3.00 3.00 3.00 Date 12-Feb-2009 12-Jul-2013 31-Dec-2014 24-Dec-2014 2/13/2015 Page 3 of 7 Public Disclosure Copy Public Disclosure Copy The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report NIGERIA: ACCESS TO JUSTICE FOR THE POOR (P115863) Comments Target met. Three senatorial centers - one in each of Kaduna State's three senatorial zones (Zaria, Kaduna South, Jema'a) have been refurbished, staffed and provide free legal aid services. Performance is above average. However, due to the project's scope services only cover civil cases. Other cases, such as criminal cases, are referred to the LACON State Office of Kaduna. Referrals have been done smoothly, no complaints from clients have been received. PHINDPDOTBL Number of poor and vulnerable groups who have satisfactorily used available legal aid services (Number, Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 173.00 0.00 830.00 242.00 Date 12-Feb-2009 12-Jul-2013 31-Jan-2015 24-Dec-2014 Comments Target met. There were no decentralized services offered at the time of the project's inauguration. Thus, the baseline reflects on all cases received by the Kaduna State Office in 2008 as the only measurement available. The original unit of measure at project inauguration was "percentage", in specific an increase of 40% in cases. Translated into the measure "number" the end target is 242 cases. Providing decentralized services via legal aid clinics across Kaduna State started in late 2011 and numbers of cases received have picked up significantly over time. In specific, 36 cases were received in 2012; 322 cases were received in 2013, and 830 cases were received in 2014. PHINDPDOTBL Number of poor and vulnerable groups who are aware of available legal aid service and who have trust in using these service providers (Percentage, Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 0.00 0.00 -- 40.00 Date 12-Feb-2009 12-Jul-2013 31-Dec-2014 31-Dec-2014 Comments Target partially met. It is estimated that close to 850,000 people have been reached by radio programs, jingles and road shows (see table below). To estimate the level of trust in LACON and other service providers, the project is undertaking a Legal Needs Assessment. Its details should give better insight into the local population's perception. The consultant company submitted an interim report which was discussed with the company, the PIU and LACON management during the supervision mission in October 2014.