Bridgetown
Barbados
- Alexia Peralta-Nurse
- Queenie Tam
- Ghazi Mabrouk
Introductory
Event organizer(s)
Supported by
Description
This course is designed to provide justice sector professionals with foundational knowledge and practical experience in digital transformation. Participants will explore digital governance tools, enabling pillars for digital transformation, and innovative strategies and technologies for modernizing the justice sector. The course uses an immersive, scenario-based approach—"The Digital Justice Challenge"—where participants work in teams to develop and implement digital strategies in a simulated justice sector crisis.
This course will also reference international best practices and approaches to designing digital strategies for the justice sector, focusing on the enabling foundations for digital transformation based on the five pillars of digital transformation—governance, infrastructure, regulation, business, and people.
By the end of the course, participants will be able to outline key principles of digital transformation, digital tools available for justice institutions, and how to navigate implementation challenges in their respective contexts.
With the generous support of the Global Gateway initiative of the European Union, participation in this training is provided free of charge for selected applicants. This includes meals during the period of the training and three nights of accommodation. Participants or their organizations are responsible for covering the costs of travel expenses to and from their home country to Barbados.
The course is designed for government officials, legal professionals, policymakers, ICT specialists, and digital transformation leaders involved in modernizing justice systems. It is most suitable for those looking to understand digital transformation's impact on the justice sector and explore actionable solutions to real-world challenges.
Participants should have a fundamental understanding of governance and justice sector operations. A background in public administration, legal services, or digital transformation is preferred.
Selection criteria:
- Hold an undergraduate degree or have a minimum of three years of relevant professional experience.
- Possess a fluent level of English.
- Complete an application questionnaire, attach an up-to-date CV, and provide a motivation letter or employer recommendation.
- Have an interest in implementing digital justice solutions in their institutions
- Government officials and policymakers from developing countries especially Small Island Developing States (SIDS), particularly women, are encouraged to apply.
- Selection will be conducted by the course organizers, who will consider the above entry requirements along with an analysis of the application questionnaire and the recommendation/motivation letter of each applicant.
Number of available places for the cohort: 32.
Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:
- Outline digital transformation concepts and their application to governance and justice.
- Identify and analyze key digital tools used in the justice sector.
- Develop practical digital strategies through a scenario-based approach.
- Collaborate across the justice ecosystem to plan and implement integrated digital solutions.
- Assess and shape the enabling conditions and factors conducive to digital transformation in the justice sector.
This course will be delivered face-to-face. There will be one short session held online prior to the face-to-face training for participants and instructors to get to know one another, align expectations and learning objectives, and get a glimpse of future topics to be covered during the course.
Face-to-face sessions will be held in a classroom setting led by an instructor using PowerPoint slides, short videos, and other creative media. To maximize interaction and engagement, there will be breakout sessions for brainstorming and discussions, as well as short presentations throughout the course that encourage participants to draw on their specific environments. Participants will be assigned into small groups of 5 to facilitate teamwork and provide opportunities for networking. A scenario-based simulation project will be given on Day #1 to be completed by Day #2. Participants will present the results of their scenario-based project to the class for evaluation and feedback.
The scenario-based simulation titled “Digital Justice Challenge” will be a practical scenario-based problem-solving analysis enabling participants to apply digital transformation concepts to real-world justice sector challenges across countries.
Participants will be divided into multidisciplinary teams and presented with a set of fictional yet realistic justice scenarios—such as missing court records due to natural disasters, identity fraud in criminal cases, or the use of deepfake evidence in high-profile trials. These scenarios are inspired by common structural challenges in the Caribbean justice landscape and are designed to engage participants in critical thinking, collaboration, and innovation.
Each team will be tasked with:
- Analyzing the scenario using the UNDP Digital Transformation Framework, considering all five pillars: Infrastructure, Regulation, People, Culture, and Governance.
- Developing a Digital Transformation Strategy and Roadmap tailored to the scenario.
- Applying principles of digital inclusion, resilience, and innovation.
- Exploring the possibility of emerging technologies such as AI as solutions to the scenario based on the presence of strong data governance
- Presenting their solution to a panel of instructors and peers for feedback.
Throughout the simulation, teams will encounter “twists” that mimic real-life complexity—such as budget cuts, legal opposition, or public distrust—which challenge them to adapt their solutions in real time. The activity promotes experiential learning and ensures participants walk away with a deeper understanding of how digital transformation can strengthen access to justice, transparency, and institutional efficiency.
This interactive simulation will span two days of the face-to-face component and culminate in the final project presentations during the online follow-up session.
Participants’ performance will be evaluated using a combination of assessment methods, including a pre-class survey, active participation, and final group presentations.
Assessment Breakdown:
- Pre-class survey: 10%
- Active participation: 35%
- Final group presentation: 55%
Pre-class survey: Participants will be required to fill out a pre-class survey that assesses their existing knowledge levels on the subject. Completion is mandatory.
Active participation: Attendance and active class participation is considered an integral component of the learning process. Participation focuses on participating in group discussions and completing group tasks will be awarded 35 points.
Final Group Presentation: Participants will work in groups of 5 to solve a scenario-based simulation challenge and propose a draft digital strategy, including a solution to address the situation.
A total score higher than 70% is required to obtain the ITU certificate.
Day 0 (June 6th, 2025): Online Pre-Session
Course Introduction (10:00 – 11:30 Eastern Caribbean Time)
Learning Outcomes:
- Introductions for instructor, participants, and mentors
- Overview of course methodology, simulation approach, and physical sessions
- Overview of the UNDP e-Justice Toolkit
Arrival (June 10th, 2025; Bridgetown, Barbados)
Day 1 (June 11th, 2025): Start of the Training
Opening of the Training (09:00 – 09:30)
Learning Outcomes:
- Welcome and introductions
- Introductory remarks by partners
Introduction to Digital Foundations Part I (09:30 – 10:10)
Learning Outcomes:
- Overview of digital transformation concepts
- Exploring key enablers for digital transformation: Governance, Infrastructure, Regulation, People, and Business
- Exploring emerging trends and technologies in digital transformation applicable to the justice sector, such as AI, data portals, etc.
Introduction to Digital Foundations Part II (10:20 – 12:00)
Learning Outcomes:
- Explore the enabling conditions, such as data governance, necessary to facilitate the adoption of emerging technologies in the justice sector
- Explore the UNDP Needs Assessment report findings
- Self-assessment activity: Digital readiness for justice sector institutions
- Justice sector case study
Digital Solutions for the Justice Sector (13:00 – 14:00)
Learning Outcomes:
- Demonstrate use cases of digital solutions applicable in the justice sector, including solutions based on emerging technologies like AI
- Interactive discussion on enabling conditions for the digital solutions
- Case study: SID Member Justice Sector case
Introduction to “The Digital Justice Challenge” (14:20 – 16:00)
Learning Outcomes:
- Overview of the challenge and group assignments of scenarios
- Group brainstorming
Day 2 (June 12th, 2025)
Recapping Previous Session (08:30 – 09:00)
Learning Outcomes:
- Summary of key concepts and lessons discussed during the introduction to digital foundations
- Overview of “The Digital Justice Challenge”
Developing Digital Strategy (09:00 – 10:30)
Learning Outcomes:
- Assess the challenge to define users, map the AS-IS journey, identify digital condition gaps, and create problem statements
- Brainstorm digital solutions (traditional and AI-enabled)
- Prioritize solution(s)
- Draft a digital strategy for prioritized solution(s)
Adapting to Change (10:30 – 12:00)
Learning Outcomes:
- Present each group with a “twist” to their scenario, requiring adaptation in real time
- Revise and adopt a digital strategy based on new challenge conditions
Finalizing Digital Strategy (13:00 – 14:30)
Learning Outcomes:
- Finalize workbook activities to complete the digital strategy for the assigned scenario
Develop a Digital Roadmap (14:40 – 16:00)
Learning Outcomes:
- Define and develop an actionable roadmap for implementation of the proposed strategy, including:
- Definition of the problem
- Definition of the digital solution(s)
- Recommendations for enabling pillars
- Action plan and governance structures
Day 3 (June 13th, 2025)
Pitching Introduction (08:30 – 09:00)
- Introduction of “The Digital Justice Challenge” pitch format
- Introduction of panel
Group Pitches (09:00 – 11:00)
- Each group will pitch their solutions to the Digital Justice Challenge
Wrap Up (11:00 – 11:15)
- Refresh key learnings from the course
- Set actionable goals to apply them in real-life settings
- Course evaluation
Graduation Ceremony (11:15 – 12:00)
- Celebrate successful completion of the course
Financial support available
With the generous support of the Global Gateway initiative of the European Union, participation in this training is provided free of charge for selected applicants. This includes meals during the period of the training and three nights of accommodation.
Registration information
Unless specified otherwise, all ITU Academy training courses are open to all interested professionals, irrespective of their race, ethnicity, age, gender, religion, economic status and other diverse backgrounds. We strongly encourage registrations from female participants, and participants from developing countries. This includes least developed countries, small island developing states and landlocked developing countries.