MASAQ staff seconded to the Ministry of Justice took significant steps this quarter in building the capacity of the institution. The IT Advisor successfully pushed two vital procurements through the MOJ tenders committee. As a result, this month the IT Directorate began installation of a wide area network (WAN) connecting 14 automated courts and the MOJ headquarters, and received laptops to be distributed to judges throughout the kingdom.  The IT Development Unit completed steps necessary for building a nationwide judicial data warehouse, while also creating components to enable SMS text messaging from courts, developing new automated applications for use within the Ministry and publishing users guides for applications created previously. The Communications Advisor spearheaded a number of both internal and external communications initiatives including launching the MOJ's English language website, honoring journalists for covering judicial issues, facilitating change management workshops for Ministry staff and publishing a number of newsletters, posters, flyers, booklets and press releases related to Jordan's judicial branch.

 MASAQ IT staff automated twelve new court sites this quarter and completed facilities renovations on three more scheduled for automation in August.  Over 200 staff from 14 courts across Jordan received training in basic computing skills, MIZAN and case classification to prepare them for the automation of their courts. MASAQ volunteers assisted court staff with entering data from the entire caseload into the automated system while MASAQ legal staff helped the newly automated courts reclassify their pending and closed caseloads according to the new case classifications adopted in January.  Assessments began for re-engineering processes in the Appeals Courts and procurements started for new case file folders that MASAQ helped design.

 At the Judicial Institute of Jordan (JIJ), MASAQ reached a significant milestone by officially handing over a renovated, modern library.  The library's collection is now fully catalogued and new printers connect to computers running new legal research software. Nearly 600 judges and court staff received training in one of the 42 Continuing Legal Education courses offered this quarter, including unique courses held in cooperation with institutions such as Ministry of Environment and Stock Market Commission.  Judges from northern and central Jordan also attended JIJ-sponsored awareness sessions introducing them to the new judicial inspection criteria and automated procedures MASAQ helped develop. Students in the JIJ's Judicial Studies Diploma program completed their second semester at the end of June and will continue with computer and language courses over the summer before returning to legal studies in October.

In the Small Grants Program, all seven of the original grantees completed their grant-funded activities by the end of May and spent June compiling required programmatic and financial reports.  They also participated in a day-long Lessons Learned session on July 30 where each grantee shared the impact achieved and challenges faced while implementing their projects.  Four of the seven original grantees – Adaleh Center for Human Rights Studies, Al-Hayat Center for Civil Society Development, the National Council for Family Affairs and the Noor Al Hussein Foundation - succeeded in proposing new projects to be carried out between July and November 2007, and each received nearly $18,000 to support their efforts.  Project activities kicked off early in July with groups completing initial drafts of funded publications, framing research questionnaires and hosting their first trainings and awareness sessions of the new grant period.