Modernization of the Supreme Court

Venezuela 1998 - 1999

DPK, working in conjunction with the IESA, the preeminent management training institution in Venezuela, analyzed the organization of the Supreme Court and the operation of each justice's chambers. The project reviewed each of the support organizations to the court and developed a series of recommendations to improve their operations.

DPK assisted the Supreme Court in the development of new case processing methodologies for cases entering the court, a new organizational model for staff attorneys, and a new system for publishing court opinions. The project also resulted in the creation of public access to pending cases through automation and the creation of a policy-making entity in the Supreme Court.

As a result of the project's technical assistance, criminal and civil courts finished the year 2000 with no cases pending more than 4 months; and the Supreme Court communicated with the legal community in a more efficient and systematic manner. Evaluation of the project by the World Bank resulted in an overall "Highly Satisfactory" performance rating of the project outcome. The institutional development impact was rated as "Substantial" and sustainability was rated as "Likely."