LASPNET was registered in 2004 as an NGO as to provide a collaborative framework and strategic linkages for Legal Aid Service Providers (LAPS) in the country. The founders were heads of Legal Aid service providers who Included Foundation for Human rights Initiative, Legal Aid Clinic of Law Development Centre, FIDA #U. The Network that has membership of 52 organizations across 70 districts.Through its membership, LASPNET provides a collective voice, to engage the sector on access to justice issuesthrough aimed at improving service delivery in the justice system. The Network is established and governed by a General Assembly comprised of Legal Aid Service Providers from which the Board of Directors is elected every two years to provide oversight and policy implementation. The Executive Director who heads the Secretariat works closely with the Board of Directors in policy and institutional governance to facilitate management of programmes and operations of the Network. LASPNET#s strength lies in the diverse membership and numbers spread across regions; system structures and tools like IIMS as well as our networking and collaborative platforms. LASPNET champions three critical aspects of coordination: i. A collective role of bringing together different LASPs in solidarity for strategizing, sharing lessons and experiences, while minimizing duplication; ii. A capacitating role of ensuring improved quality standards among LASPs but also linking international / regional developments on legal aid to national interventions; iii. A supportive role of documenting, providing needed feedback, and amplifying voice on key issues regarding access to justice and legal aid at regional and national levels. The LASPNET programme framework mainly focuses on improving the quality, capacities, and standards of LASPs in Uganda as well as building the much-needed voice on pertinent issues and sustain institutional linkages with state actors so as to effectively complement government#s efforts in enhancing access to justice for the poor, marginalized, and vulnerable persons. Integrating Gender. LASPNET is an equal employer which doesn#t discriminate against any gender. Both male and female are given equal opportunityduring recruitment processes. For example, there are currently 12 female and 9 male staff. Under governance, the AGM amended the constitution to mainstream gender and ensure gender parity. There are currently 4 female and 6 male members on the board in addition to having a gender cluster which advocates for gender-based issues. More still, the organization supports youth as volunteers and interns through mentorship and coaching programmes as well as employing them when opportunities arise. 2. ACHIEVEMENTS What have beenthe principal results in the past three years that contribute to significant, structural, sustained and positive improvement in thelives of men, women, girls and boys suffering from poverty, injustice, insecurity and exclusion? For over 10 years the network hasgrown into a formidable platform of a group of NGOs that has excelled in research, lobbying and advocacy as well as facilitating capacity building to promote rule of law, good governance and access for justice for most poor and vulnerable through provision oflegal aid services and empowerment of rights holders. Its achievement include Research <(>&<)>Documentation LASPNET has conducted evidence based researches such as the 2004 and 2009 baseline surveys on legal aid service ; a report released in December 2015 on Poverty, Marginalization and Vulnerability in the context of Access to Justice ; has undertaken a cost benefit analysis on legal aid to weigh the benefits of legal service to all Ugandans, Cost Benefit Analysis of the National legal aid policy(2016) as well as research on Poverty, Marginalization Vulnerability in Access to Justice in Uganda(2015),Documentation of Good Practices of Child Friendly Justice(2015) ,Child Friendly Legal Aid Manual (2016),Monitoring and Evaluation Training of Trainers Manual(2017); Community Based Paralegal Training of Trainers Manual (ongoing)Tool kit and posters on broad themes on access to justice(on going); whistleblower s manual(on going), Access to Justice trends Report 2017 and Monitoring corruption Report 2017 amongothers . Through research and documentation issues hindering access to justice and promotion of rule of law such corruption an institutional barriers to justice are brought to the fore for JLOS consideration. Such information is disseminated at forums like working group and committees of JLOS to which LASPNET represented, as well as at the LASPNET convened National level activities such as the Annual Access to Justice Conference. Resolution and information from the Conferences is utilised to contribute to institutional process reforms related to access to justice at National and sub-national level. Networking <(>&<)>Partnership LASPNET has effectively galvanized efforts to LASPs to provide outreach activities like Legal aid open weeks. In addition and as a result of its networking and partnerships, engagements, LASPNET has been able to partner with the Uganda Court bailiffs Association to support execution of cases for the poor and vulnerable; under the coalition in Support of the independence ofthe Judiciary(CISJI) together with six other organizations which include: Foundation for Human Rights Initiative (FHRI), Center for Public Interest Law (CEPIL), Anti-Corruption Coalition Uganda (ACCU), Chapter Four Uganda, the Uganda Association ofWomenLawyers (FIDA-Uganda) and Uganda Law society (ULS) made a case for increased funding of the judiciary to the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee upon which the budget was increased to cater for computerization of court and case backlog reduction;withthe Equal Opportunities Commission under which both institutions will jointly conduct activities aimed at furthering the fulfilment of each other#s mandate through legal awareness and sensitization, popularizing themandates of both institutions,case referrals, representing applicants at EOC tribunal sessions, joint lobbying and advocacy for improved legal and policy framework, among others; with National Social Security Fund(NSSF) 's legal services department joint conduct quarterly legal aid clinics, case referral, legal advice and joint sensitization and awareness raising sessions on legal aid and relevant benefits to citizens such as through legal aid clinic. LASPNET participates in many national and regional based advocacy anddialogue meetingsconvened by various partners and makes contribution as participants, facilitator and or presenter on issues majorly those related to human rights, legal aid and access to Justice. Lobbying<(>&<)> Advocacy LASPNET has supported tracking and analyzing government policies that are developed in various levels to ensure legal aid services are properly captured. Some of the targeted policies and legal framework include the National legal Aid Policy and Law and Administration of Justice Bill. In addition, and in collaboration with the Uganda Child Rights NGO Network (UCRNN) LASPNET was at the fore front of advocating amendment of the children# act. Furthermore, LASPNET is on the Steering committee for JLOS Justice for Children programme. Also LASPNET is a member of the taskforce developing standard operating procedures for victim friendly justice to support child witnesses and victims of Sexual and Gender Based Violence. LASPNET in conjunction with FIDA held a National Dialogue on the Revolving Status of theMarriage and Divorce Bill. In conjunction with the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, Save the Children and UCRNN organized a NationalChild Justice Conference and parallel session on child justice for victims of violence. Also, LASPNEThas created awareness through several media campaigns and engagements creates awareness of all legal aid services among the public especially the poor, disabledand marginalized people LASPNET has six cluster groups an arrangement that allows LASPs workingin specific cross cutting issues to deliberate in emerging issues in the specific areas. These cluster groups include: Land Justice; Child Justice, Gender Justice; Criminal Justice; Traditional and Social Justice. Within this realm, LASPNET synchronizes the execution of shared activities among LASPs with major emphasis on improving the quality of service delivery, monitoring and evaluation frameworks, supporting policy reform, capacity building initiatives, and promoting evidence based advocacy in setting the legal aid agenda, gender and child justice. For example the gender justice cluster has been at the fore forefront of advocacy efforts of the domestic relations act and the marriage and divorce bill. To this end and given its experienceinaccessto justice and advocacy for rule of Law, LASPNET has been recognized as formidable civil society organisation in the area of partnership and collaboration as as evidenced with the recent Annual recognition award from the JLOS sector on#Partnershipand corroboration award 2016.# and community excellency award in Networking and Coordinating Legal aid service providers in 2017 from Muslim Centre for Justice and Law This recognition is informed by a series of engagement dialogues, meetings and research whichamong other include bringing to fore issues of access to justice and rule of law as well as advocating for the adoption of a National legal Aid Policy (NLAP). Information Data Management LASPNET#s coordination platform enables members to have a collective voice on the issues of access to Justice and legal aid service provision in Uganda; the spread of network across the country provides support and advocacy intervention from bottom level to top. The platform also provides a forum to enhance the capacity of LASPs to provide professional quality service. Furthermore, LASPNET has an electronic based system of collecting and analysing information called the Integrated Information Management System (IIMS). LASPNET#s IIMs is the standard casemanagementsystem that has improved the capacity of legal aid service providers to manage information through storage, reference and moderate reporting with trends analysis The development, hosting and nurturing of the IIMS has provided a platform for LASPNET to spearhead use of information technology to improve service delivery as well as to expand research and referral mechanism as well as offer basic legal advice through the social web application module. Therefore this provides LASPNET with opportunity to continue innovating and making it user friendly with wider outreach to enable timely, and effective provision of the services to the poor and vulnerable. In addition, the incorporation of the electronic standardized Means and Merit Test and a Client satisfaction survey to the IIMS to assess the impact and nature of services provided by the LASPs has enabled improvement in services delivery by LASPs and aided to analyze case trends in the justice system with a view to informing intervention and policy changes appropriately. Also a sub-module to capture outreach activities of LASPs, GIS module that enables the location referral of clients to NGOs and JLOS service delivery points and one that enables standardized modes of reportinghas been incorporated. This component will be linked to the JLOS information management system and ease tracking cases and to assess effectiveness and efficiency of the JLOS system. Capacity Building LASPNET has had a leverage in capacity building for legalaid service standards in Uganda through assessing needs and leveraging on the capacity development strategy to facilitate a number of trainings such as the, Trail Advocacy, Monitoring and Evaluation, Labour rights, Disability rights, Mediation, child justice, Plea bargaining amongst others. Additionally, LASPNET conducted a gender audit (gender analysis (across the membership with the objective of exploring and analyzing its effectiveness in carrying out the steps necessary for engendering its Programmes and projectsandmainstreaming it into all its institutional activities this informed the Gender training. Through The various trainings Members have been able to acquire skills on how to align their organizational development with developingfundraising and sustainabilitystrategies, gender analysis and reporting among the LASPs, institutional governance and accountability, results-based management framework and evidence-based advocacy approaches. LASPNET and itsexpert members have been part of the Judicial StudiesInstitute training team which trained judicial officers and other JLOS stakeholders like Police on administering child friendly procedures for JLOS; presented on the role of magistrates in the protection ofchild rights;facilitated induction trainingfor newly appointed judicial officers; training of Law development centre on legal aid and Probono as well as police on gender-based violence related issues. Additionally, LASPNET has been part of the team that developed diversion guidelines for Uganda.To theabove capacity building initiatives LASPNET has database of over fifteen experienced and highly qualified trainers and researchers available to be engaged to undertake any training both at national and community levels. 3. INSTITUTIONAL PURPOSE TheVision: A FREE AND JUST SOCIETY Mission Statement: To provide a platform for effective networking and collaboration to enhance legal aid service delivery and access to justice by the most vulnerable and marginalised people. Mission: What is thecurrent purpose of the organisation? Strategic objectives. 1. Strengthen advocacy for supportive enactment and implementation of legal aid harmonised legal and policy framework. 2. Promote research and knowledge management to supportevidence-based programming and advocacy for legal aid and access to justice. 3. Enhance networking and coordination of LASPs professional standards, collective voice and advancing the legal aid and access to justice agendas. 4. Strengthening institutional development ofLASPNET through effective and efficient functional organisational systems that provide sustainability. Institutional objectives: What are the principal changes the organisation seeks to achieve over the long term? 1. Harmonised legal and policyframework providing for Legal aidand access to justice for the poor vulnerable and Marginalised 2. Evidence based legal aid and access to justice programming and advocacy 3. Effective and efficient networking and collaboration among LASPsand JLOS 4.A dynamic and efficient institution Field(s) of activity: What are the principal thematic and geographic areas in which the organisation works? Who are the social actors that benefit from the work? The principal thematic areas are: # Use of thehuman rights-based approach throughout LASPNET#s programming andinterventions # Evidence based planning and advocacy using research, best practices and models # Gender mainstreaming to promote non-discrimination # Access to legal aid andjustice through JLOS services by the most vulnerable people and communities # Networking and collaboration as the backbone of advocacy and service provision Geographically, LASPNET operates nationally with its membership extending to different regions in the countrynamely; central, western. Northern and eastern. Focus is given to areas where rights violations and abuse are prone such as: Acholi sub-region (Amuru), Albertine graben, where land grabs, child abuse and gender-based violence are wide spread. The most poor and vulnerablecommunities in Uganda benefit the most from LASPNET and its members# work. 4. STRATEGIC POSITIONING Analyse the environment in which the organisation works? Who are the other relevant social actors, including government and business, and what rolesdo they play? #In this context, what is unique about the position of the organisation? LASPNET works within a CSO context collaborating, partnering and networking with like-minded organisations as well as with the Justice Law and Order Sector through variousworking groups in the areas of criminal , family, land Justice as well as legal aid service provision and the rule of law Other relevant social actors that the Network works with through networking and partnershipsinclude: the UgandaCourt bailiffs Association to support execution of cases for the poor and vulnerable; under the coalition in Support of the independence of the Judiciary(CISJI) together with six other organizations which include: Foundation for Human Rights Initiative (FHRI),CenterforPublic Interest Law (CEPIL), Anti-Corruption Coalition Uganda (ACCU), Chapter Four Uganda, the Uganda Association of WomenLawyers (FIDA-Uganda) and Uganda Law society (ULS) made a case for increasedfunding of the judiciary to theLegal and ParliamentaryAffairs Committee upon which the budget was increased to cater for computerization of court and case backlog reduction; with the Equal Opportunities Commission under which both institutions will jointly conduct activities aimedat furthering the fulfillment of each other#s mandate through legal awareness and sensitization, popularizing the mandates of both institutions, case referrals, representing applicants at EOC tribunal sessions, joint lobbying and advocacyfor improved legal and policy framework,among others; with National Social Security Fund(NSSF) 's legal services department joint conduct quarterly legal aid clinics, case referral, legal advice and joint sensitization and awareness raising sessions on legal aid and relevant benefits to citizens such as through legal aid clinic. LASPNET participates in many national and regional based advocacy and dialogue meetings convened by various partners and makes contribution as participants, facilitator and orpresenter on issues majorly thoserelated to human rights, legal aid and access to Justice among others.

LEGAL AID SERVICE PROVIDERS NETWORK

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