Justice Budget Monitoring Project Project Aim, Scope and Approach 6 November 2007

Background OSF commissioned study Map policies and decisions How they are operationalised Whether they are funded What impact on criminal justice system Study on the 2007/8-9/10 Budget Framework Study Commission in September Inception Report due this week (draft distributed) Identify central spending areas and issues (demarcation and focus) Thin analysis Data issues Final report early January with dissemination programme before February Budget

Approach and Scope Public Expenditure Review of DoJCD Vote Scope Effectiveness and efficiency of spending Links between policy and budget, budget and implementation and budget and service delivery Assessment of budget management systems against findings of expenditure study Scope Inception report proposes that study should focus on spending areas that are important for Access to Justice Criminal Justice System delivery Rule of Law Current MTEF, but also backward looking Inception Report proposes 2004/5 (2003/4 where possible) to 2009/10

Method Identify objectives and spending priorities Review funding Main budget revenue and donor support Spending trends Growth, shares, deviation against policy at different levels and for classification categories Effectiveness and efficiency Relationship between financial and non-financial indicators Discussion on indicators Main budget and service delivery management issues

From priorities to service delivery: First Clues Inception research show linkages between national and sector priorities Translated into many initiatives on the ground in programmes funded by Vote Little shift in spending shares over time To be expected given number and spread of priority programmes/initiatives But generally link between priorities and spending But, what is link between funding and implementation Significant variance and shifts from over to underspending Additional requests that in retrospect may be hard to justify given funds available within Vote Underspending against final allocation Audit qualifications And implementation and service delivery? Court efficiency and case flow management (backlogs, case cycle time) Monies in Trust IT systems: do they work? Are they the right systems?

Proposed central spending issues General Deeper look at links between increased spending and inputs and service delivery Underspending? Why? Where is problem in budgeting system? Where are examples of aligning policy, budgets and capacity better in the Vote? Distribution between and of capital and recurrent spending against priorities. Specific Court performance and efficiency, case flow, case flow management and coordination between agencies Access to justice from a spatial and vulnerability group perspective Master’s Office Investment in court, prosecution and legal aid systems Human resource management and operational efficiency Spending on IT and operational efficiency Spending on systems to manage MIT

Way forward Workshop Main study (final report 15 January) Stakeholders consultation Focus area discussion (trade-off between breadth and depth) Date? Main study (final report 15 January) Dissemination