Research project on access to justice, rule of law and development For several years, ASF has been developing and sharing its expertise with the combined body of all key actors within the justice, human rights, and development sectors in order to play a major role in facilitating and coordinating a harmonious, effective cooperation amongst all such sectors. 

The challenge of this project is the further development of ASF’s legitimacy within those sectors through the deepening of its expertise and increasing the reach and awareness of the organization in academia and development policy. With this in mind, the research project will capitalize on ASF’s experience and activity according to a multidisciplinary scientific approach.  

The research project will contribute to repositioning the issue of access to justice towards the core of development policy priorities. This is especially timely in the context regarding the goals for development and implementation on the post 2015 millennium agenda. 
Scope 
The project aims to analyze and make explicit the links between access to justice, enforcement of the rule of law, and the progress being made in developing countries. This will be done through evaluation of the impact of ASF and other projects in these states which aim to improve access to justice. This project aims to meet the increasing scrutiny and demand for empirical proof or evidence showing the effects and impact of development projects and initiatives in the field of justice and governance. To do so, the research project will produce various outputs: scientific publications, internal capitalisation, impact studies.

Research project and ASF
The project will use data and evidence taken from ASF projects (on-going, past, and in development) as well as from its politics and strategies. The analysis, conclusions, and recommendations from the research project will contribute towards developing ASF projects and strategies. The research coordinator thus works closely with ASF strategic coordinators, experts, field staff and partners. 

Activities and deliverable:
All along the course of the project: 
• Set up and animation of a network (or think tank) made up of academics and other actors focusing on research project findings. 
• Participation and/or presentation at 5 international conferences (in the field of access to justice, rule of law, fighting poverty in fragile states). 
• Counsel and scientific support on the quality, evaluation and impact of ASF projects.

Year 3: 
• Scientific publication focusing on the link between access to justice, rule of law and development processes. 
• (Co-)Organisation of the conference on that thematic with participation of high level actors. 
• Publication of one or two impact evaluation (written in 2015) with a scientific approach. 
• Support to the development of projects proposals/country strategies. 

Year 2: 
• Impact evaluations of 1 or 2 ASF projects with a scientific approach. 
• Management of one or two large scale field surveys.
• At least one publication on access to justice and rule of law effectiveness (written and accepted). 
• Support to the development of projects proposals/country strategies with innovative approach, increasing fundraising opportunities. 

Year 1: 
• Two ASF internal papers focusing on evaluation, links between ASF & academia and impact. 
• At least one publication on access to justice and rule of law effectiveness (written and accepted). 
• Support to the development of projects proposals/country strategies with innovative approach, increasing fundraising opportunities. ; The target groups are key justice and development international actors, academics, public actors and national and local NGOs. ; Strategic level:
ASF is for the majority an object of study or an intriguing organization in the spheres of academia and influence in the developing world. Midway through the research project and in the long term, ASF aims to become an actor, co-constructor of knowledge and information influencing crucial political decisions regarding priorities, agenda, and mode of operation. The efforts of the research project are expected to further move ASF towards this mid- and long-term goal.    
In concrete terms, the project proposes to:
- Short to medium term (1 to 2 years): contributing to adjusting or reorientating ASF programmes on the basis of research findings and recommendation in order to increase their effectiveness
- Short to medium term: strengthen ASF’s position as a key actor in the justice and governance sector through the development of ASF’s expertise. The project aims to translate ASF’s accumulated experience into knowledge and scientific theory which can be disseminated to key actors within academic and political spheres. 
- Long term (3 years and more): the project is building towards the ambition of ASF to hold a more mainstream role in the world of development aid in between human rights and development. ASF will take into account political orientations and development priorities in its efforts for access of justice and rule of law according to its mandate.

Institutional level:
The project will allow ASF:
-To prepare post DFID PPA agenda, by increasing ASF expertise and visibility among high level actors and developing innovative approaches. 
-To strengthen the links between ASF and academia and policy actors. 
-Consideration may be given at the end of the project to broaden and institutionalize on a smaller or larger scale a research center for investing in other strategic research areas for ASF and solidify / capitalize on the successes and links created during the project.

Operational level:
- Experimenting research findings and recommendations in forthcoming projects.
- Enhancing monitoring and evaluation of changes made and the impact of 2 or 3 project keys for ASF (A2J -- Increasing fundraising opportunities for ASF projects.  
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