ABA ROLI is committed to collaborative learning and innovative research that enables us to identify effective approaches to rule of law development, incorporate these into creative program design, capture lessons learned from our work, and share them with the broader development policy community. The Research, Evaluation, and Learning team supports rule of law learning inside and outside of ABA ROLI by undertaking evidence-based analysis of gaps, challenges, and successes in the rule of law and development sector. This includes developing recommendations and methodologies for better programming that can be updated as necessary to share and reflect learning from our programs and from progress in the field.
ABA ROLI has developed 13 rule of law assessment methodologies and indices, as well as numerous technical guides, toolkits and primers on reform processes and skill building. These tools provide a basis for in depth study of rule of law conditions and inform reform and technical assistance efforts. Using these tools, ABA ROLI has conducted over 80 assessments in more than 30 countries, all of which are widely available and regularly relied upon by local reformers, technical assistance providers, donors, and scholars.
ABA ROLI develops tools and training to support the design and implementation of evidence-based programs that are assessed, monitored, and evaluated, using cutting-edge methodologies and technological tools. Our organizational culture of learning supports high quality monitoring and data collection to form the foundation of evaluation and learning that helps maximize outcomes.
ABA ROLI remains committed to promoting thought leadership by sponsoring and facilitating publications and events, sharing insights from our work around the world. ABA ROLI convenes an annual Contemporary Rule of Law Issues conference that highlights the contributions of law and governance approaches to the key challenges of the day. In May 2017, ABA ROLI and Georgetown University Law Center convened a conference on rule of law approaches to countering violent extremism and published an accompanying report on our findings from work on these issues in the field. Collectively, these activities demonstrate ABA ROLI’s commitment to collaborative learning and innovative research for effective rule of law solutions.