Dated: February 22^nd 2024

Objective:

The Focus Group Discussion centered on understanding the factors contributing to the success of digitalization efforts across government agencies and identifying challenges in implementing the Case Management System (CCMS) in Pakistan’s criminal justice sector. Following an introductory overview of the project, emphasizing the importance of standardized efforts, user training, and stakeholder collaboration, the participating representatives from various institutions shared insights into their digitalization initiatives, highlighting the need for comprehensive policies, interoperability, and user involvement.

Key Takeaways:

• Challenges including interoperability, user training, and policy formulation need to be prioritized.
• All stakeholders recommended holding an inter-institutional policy dialogue along with the development of a composite vision document.
• The participants advocated for fostering collaboration among IT boards, conducting thorough assessments, and formulating policies prioritizing data security and compliance.

Additionally, recommendations alluded to facilitating inter-institutional policy dialogues and organizing visits to courts for firsthand observation of existing digital systems, underscoring the importance of collaborative input from all stakeholders in framing effective policies and regulations.