Rwanda launches online performance assessment tool for judiciary workers

Rwanda’s judicial arm has unveiled a virtual system called the Judicial Management Performance System (JMPS). This will enable the authorities to appraise judiciary workers’ performance to ensure that the judicial system is in its best shape.

Interestingly, this isn’t the judiciary’s first effort to improve its efficiency with technology. In 2015, the government launched a tool called the Integrated Electronic Case Management System (IECMS) which greatly improved the synergy between the courts, law enforcement, the prosecutor’s office, and other related parties.

The JPMS will be used for multiple purposes including performance monitoring, budget allocation and execution monitoring.  It will also help track staff performance using milestones or tasks. Beyond ensuring that Rwanda’s judiciary runs smoothly, stakeholders expect the JPMS to encourage performance growth and spotlight areas in dire need of attention. 

Rwanda’s President of the Supreme Court, Chief Justice Faustin Ntazilyayo, said JPMS will build on the success of IECMS, a system that paved the way for the judiciary’s technological advancement. He added that JPMS will ensure that every activity conducted by judiciary workers will be monitored and evaluated accordingly. This new trend, according to her, will cover every level of the judiciary.

Ntazilyayo said that the JPMS shouldn’t be viewed as a replacement for the IECMS, but instead as a supporting agent of change. By running both together, the goal of facilitating “fair and timely justice” for all can be achieved. The JPMS tool has two parts. For the first one, judges and court registrars will keep using the IECMS standard, though they’ll need to upload their documents to JPMS. Other judiciary workers will solely use the JPMS. 

The Chief Justice did hint that some workers were skeptical about the accuracy of this system. However, he said that with time he expected them to understand the JPMS better. He said that by familiarizing themselves with the processes, “they will better understand its benefits and appreciate how it improves and streamlines their tasks.” 

Marie Alice Uwamahoro, a Business Analyst working at the  Rwandan Supreme Court, strongly believes that the JPMS will encourage judiciary workers to self-evaluate themselves frequently. She also said that digitizing the performance assessment method ensured that certain areas often ignored during manual evaluations would be caught by JPMS. 

Read also: Rwanda to release INNODIP; an online tool to reduce unemployment in 2023 

Tool for judiciary workers latest tech stride in Rwanda

Rwanda has made great strides in ensuring that it unlocks the potential of technology. Its Irembo platform which offers many essential services online is a product many African countries can emulate. It also pledged to equip every teacher with a laptop by 2025. Its JPMS tool, if utilized effectively, can greatly improve the performance of its judiciary. Those in charge should ensure that the system is constantly improved to guarantee correctness always. 

Essentially, technology is set on transforming virtually every facet of life including the administration of justice. Although certain roadblocks like internet penetration, cost of infrastructure, and limited digital literacy exist, intentional investments in the initiative can do the African justice system great good. However, tech innovations designed for governance should have legal backing to limit the chances of drawbacks upon implementation. 

Consider the ongoing electoral tribunal case between Nigeria’s president Bola Tinubu and the two major opposition candidates, Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi. Two months ago, the court refused to approve a request from the opposition seeking to live stream the case. Among the reasons disclosed by the tribunal, one was that the constitution did not support the request. As such, new initiatives, no matter how beneficial, must first be recognized by law.