USAID and Legal Empowerment Publications

Following  USAID's contract to ARD to study legal empowerment for the poor, ARD has prepared two documents to USAID for review. Both these publications have been recently released by USAID. 

Firstly, as a background report to the Commision's first meeting in January 2006, ARD prepared Land and Business Formalization for Legal Empowerment of the Poor: Strategic Overview Paper. 

Secondly, In June 2006, USAID requested that the team prepare a concept paper that presented a comprehensive picture of legal empowerment of the poor, and develop an LEP index—its conceptualization, development of a prototype, and choice of indicators. While recognizing the importance of government in creating law and enforcement mechanisms, the team shifted the paradigm to give greater support to civil society efforts that help or pressure government to do its job better. This resulted in Legal Empowerment of the Poor: From Concepts to Assessment.