EWMI—Amplifying Voices. Advancing Justice. Inspiring Progress.

What it reported doing in 2024

USAID rule of law (rol) program in Georgia - see schedule o.the rule of law (rol) program in Georgia has three objectives: (1) to strengthen the independence and effectiveness of justice system institutions, including the courts, the georgian bar association (gba), the legal aid service (las), the public defender's office (pdo), and law faculties; (2) to enhance equal access to justice for all, in particular women, ethnic minorities, and persons with disabilities, among other marginalized groups; and (3) to increase citizen and institutional oversight of justice institutions. Other key elements of the rol program include building the capacity of individual judges throughout Georgia, promoting alternative dispute resolution (adr) mechanisms, and promoting a people-centered approach to legal and judicial reforms. The following are a few examples of the activities undertaken in year 2024: efforts to strengthen justice system institutions, include *supporting three rule of law practice groups (women's rights, rights of the child, freedom of expression), with 30 judges and 17 court staff participating in eight meetings; advancing the drafting of three georgian benchbooks by 19 practice group member judges (work paused in august 2024 due to u.s. State department pause on direct technical assistance towards georgian government institutions) and holding a workshop for their judicial assistants and secretaries; *supporting public outreach by judges through five meetings with secondary school students and releasing six videos explaining landmark judgments, which garnered over 290,000 views and plays across various social media platforms. *assisting the constitutional court in adopting a new rule of procedure, based on an international expert's recommendation, aimed at speeding up court functioning by addressing delays in opinion drafting. *facilitating u.s. Study tours and secondments for 19 georgian judges (10 judges visited the u.s. To learn about labor and employment law, 6 judges were seconded to u.s. Courts, and 3 judges participated in the national association of women judges annual conference). *supporting three long-term shadowing missions by u.s. Judges in georgian courts (samtskhe-javakheti, shida kartli, and kakheti regions), observing numerous cases and mentoring 17 georgian judges, 12 clerks/assistant judges, and engaging with many lawyers and students. *awarding a grant to the georgian bar association (gba), supporting initiatives such as the development of new software for the bar entrance exam (used by over 1,000 test-takers), creation of an online training module on the law on entrepreneurs (completed by 529 gba lawyers), a training-of-trainers on effective communication, and a study tour for gba leaders to the u.s. To study judicial selection processes. *partnering with 11 universities, leading to the development of new, the publication of three new georgian textbooks (on human rights, contract drafting, and patient rights), and student involvement in research resulting in amicus curiae briefs and a constitutional claim, as well as strengthening clinical legal education by establishing four new clinical courses for bachelor's and master's level students, with more than 60 students participating in these clinics during the year. *implementing street law courses at five georgian law schools (located in batumi, kutaisi, zugdidi, telavi, and tbilisi), which were all made a permanent part of the schools' curricula. As part of this, 45 law students conducted 138 street law lessons for over 1,500 students in public schools and youth centers, many in remote villages.efforts to enhance access to justice, include: *supporting the public defender's office (pdo) by assisting in the implementation of three recommendations from a program-sponsored report concerning the child's relationship with both parents, launching a three-month public awareness campaign to discourage workplace sexual harassment, and conducting capacity-building

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 86.5%; rating input score 87
• Program expense ratio: 87.3%; rating input score 87
• Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 93.3%; rating input score 93; 14th percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 3 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 50
  • Compensation committee: Missing
  • Independent consultant: Missing
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
  • Written employment contract: Missing
  • Compensation survey or study: Pass
  • Board or committee approval: Pass
• Foreign activity oversight: 3 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 38
  • Claims monitoring procedures: Pass
  • Requires narrative reports: Limited
  • Conducts field audits: Limited
  • May suspend future funding: Limited
  • Requires financial reports: Pass
  • Conducts site visits: Pass
  • Requires grant agreements: Limited
  • May require repayment: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 66th percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 9 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 100
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: Pass
  • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 0.9%; rating input score 37; 37th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.17; rating input score 4; 4th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.45; rating input score 32; 32nd percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 10.6%; rating input score 18; 18th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 6.1% per year; rating input score 100; 50th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 3.8% per year; rating input score 100; 33rd percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 3.3% per year; rating input score 100; 25th percentile among comparable filings