B. Introduction
This part focuses on how to support institutional change from within. It begins by exploring what makes justice and security institutions trusted and legitimate, and how institutional leadership, incentives and culture influence behaviour and outcomes.
Lessons from UNDP’s long-standing experience in institutional support highlight what enables or hinders meaningful transformation. Based on these insights, Part B introduces the People-Centred Capacity and Integrity Framework (PCCIF), a practical tool for identifying strategic entry points and diagnosing where change is needed in justice and security institutions.
With the PCCIF as a foundation, Part B sets out four interrelated dimensions of change that underpin people-centred institutional transformation:
- Shifting institutional mindsets and behaviour
- Strengthening service orientation
- Embedding people-oriented practices in systems
Accountability and oversight Each section offers programming insights, examples and a checklist to support people-centred, impactful and sustainable interventions.
B.1 Laying the foundation for institutional transformation
State institutions play a critical role in delivering justice and security services. Yet for institutions to be effective and legitimate, they must also be responsive, trustworthy and accountable.
In the people-centred approach, institutional reform is shaped not only by formal mandates or institutional perspectives but also by how people actually experience justice and security institutions. Programming is guided by practical questions: When, how and why (or why not) do people seek help from institutions? What is their experience when they do? What is the quality and fairness of the service and the outcome they receive?
The goal is to support institutions to become more accessible, responsive, legitimate and accountable, delivering quality justice and security services that protect the rights of all people, especially those who are vulnerable, marginalized or at risk of being left behind. The approach is grounded in understanding how institutional actions can strengthen (or undermine) the relationship of trust between the State and society, and how that trust can be built through changes in institutional behaviour and in the actions of individuals within them.
Building trusted and legitimate institutions
The perceived and actual legitimacy of justice and security institutions does not rest solely on legal mandates. It is also shaped by how these institutions operate in practice—whether they uphold people’s rights, deliver services fairly and effectively, and are accountable to the people they serve. Institutions earn trust and legitimacy when they act with integrity, operate transparently, and treat all people with dignity and respect. This depends not only on laws but also on how institutions behave and how people experience their actions.
Legal frameworks are essential for ensuring accountability and consistency in institutional actions. As outlined in UNDP’s Guidance Note for Assessing Rule of Law in Public Administration, decisions by public authorities must have a legal basis, and agencies must act in accordance with the law. Yet, legal frameworks alone do not ensure legitimacy. What matters is how laws are implemented and whether institutions are seen as trustworthy by communities.
Public perceptions of justice and security institutions are shaped by daily interactions (see Box 28). Trust is influenced by whether people feel their rights are protected, they are treated fairly, they are given a voice, and decisions are made transparently and fairly. These perceptions affect whether people cooperate with institutions, accept their authority and engage with the State more broadly.
Institutional change comes from within
Effective people-centred justice and security programming invests in building public trust, strengthening accountability, and promoting a service-oriented approach. Institutions must be not only technically capable but also inclusive, fair and trusted. Building this trust and legitimacy requires institutional change that goes beyond technical performance. It requires engaging personnel within institutions in a process of behaviour, mindset and organizational change. This means more than technical training. It calls for attention to motivations, values, relationships and the internal dynamics that shape institutional behaviour (see Box 29). Sustainable change must be led by those within institutions.
“To bring justice to people we have to change ourselves.”
Milorad Markovic, Supreme State Prosecutor for Montenegro, UNDP Rule of Law Annual Meeting 10 June 2025.
Lessons from UNDP’s experience with institutional change
UNDP’s experience shows that the relationship between State and society is shaped as much by how institutions behave as by how they are designed. Through long-term, trust-based partnerships, UNDP has supported institutional change that improves justice and security service delivery. Evaluations since the mid-2000s highlight important progress in this area:
- Long-term engagement produces results. The most visible improvements in capacity and performance occur where UNDP has maintained sustained engagement and been adaptive. In Timor-Leste, years of support enabled a shift from institution-specific projects to sector-wide assistance. Support to the Public Defender’s Office led to its legal recognition and government funding for free legal services, laying a foundation for sustainability. In Tajikistan, UNDP’s sustained support to the legal aid system began in 2015. By 2024, the government had assumed full responsibility for funding the system.
- Integrated approaches support systems change. UNDP has evolved from infrastructure-heavy, siloed interventions to more integrated, people-centred approaches. In Nigeria and Mozambique, area-based stabilization approaches integrate justice, security and human rights with peacebuilding and reconstruction.
- From ad hoc to institutionalized legal aid. UNDP’s legal aid support places support to individual providers within broader efforts to institutionalize legal aid systems that address everyday justice needs. In Kyrgyzstan, legal aid was expanded to cover family, land and inheritance issues, and integrated within national systems through the leadership of the Ministry of Justice.
Despite this progress, some challenges persist. See Box 30 for a summary of common obstacles to institutional change. The people-centred approach responds to these challenges by promoting participatory and sustained multistakeholder engagement, evidence-based adaptation, and politically informed support.
These insights point to the need for strategic support that strengthens both the internal workings of institutions and their relationship with the people they serve. The People-Centred Capacity and Integrity Framework (PCCIF) provides a practical tool for assessing institutions and identifying priority areas for people-centred change.
The People-Centred Capacity and Integrity Framework: A tool for supporting people-centred institutional change
Supporting institutions to become more people-centred requires a structured way to assess what needs to change, both internally and in how they serve the public. The PCCIF provides this structure. It helps teams to identify strengths; pinpoint gaps across skills, systems, behaviours and cultures; and find entry points for strategic, people-centred support.
The tool was developed by Leanne McKay and builds on the original Capacity and Integrity Framework in UNDP’s Vetting Public Employees in Post-Conflict Settings: Operational Guidelines (2006). It adapts that tool to focus on strengthening institutions in ways that are inclusive, accountable and grounded in people’s rights, needs and expectations.
The framework considers two core dimensions:
- The individuals who work within an institution
- The organization as a whole.
It also considers two qualities that are essential across both dimensions:
- Capacity: the ability to do the job well
- Integrity: the ability to do the job fairly and in line with human rights and rule of law
As shown in Diagram 6, the framework creates four fields.
| INDIVIDUAL | ORGANIZATION | |
|---|---|---|
| CAPACITY |
Knowledge and skills Competence Experience Well-being |
Structure and mandate Infrastructure Internal systems Information flows |
| INTEGRITY |
Human rights Conduct Service orientation Empathy and inclusion |
Representation Accountability Independence Transparency Responsive, quality services |
The PCCIF is designed to support strategic, people-centred interventions. It helps teams to:
- Diagnose institutional strengths and weaknesses, and critical areas for change
- Facilitate dialogue with stakeholders—such as institutional personnel, government actors, civil society, community members/end-users and development partners—around opportunities for change
- Identify entry points and design practical, people-centred interventions
- Measure progress in implementation
It promotes a holistic view of institutional transformation by addressing both the technical and public-facing sides of justice and security systems, so they work better for the people they serve.
The PCCIF also supports sequencing by helping teams identify what to prioritise first— whether that is securing leadership support, strengthening internal systems or building frontline capabilities. By revealing where gaps are most acute or where momentum already exists, it helps teams sequence interventions realistically and strategically.
The tool can be applied during institutional assessments, strategy development or stakeholder dialogue to guide reflection on capacity and integrity. It complements the Six Dimensions Tool and participatory co-design methods.
The PCCIF encourages teams to think beyond technical fixes and approach institutional transformation as a long-term, relational process. It supports the design of institutional support that is politically aware, behaviourally informed, and centred on relationships of trust between institutions and people. The following four sections build on this foundation by examining the key dimensions of people-centred institutional transformation.
B.2 Shifting institutional mindsets and behaviour
Changing mindsets and behaviour is generally understood as essential for institutional transformation, yet it remains difficult to define and support in programming. This section explores how practical strategies—such as reforming training systems, mentoring, leadership engagement, change management, mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS), and performance feedback—can come together to shift institutional culture and behaviour. A summary checklist at the end highlights what makes mindset-change interventions impactful and people-centred in practice.
Shifting mindsets and behaviour is a foundational step in people-centred institutional change. It means moving beyond technical skills to reshape the values, beliefs and attitudes that guide how people within institutions think and act. It emphasizes that institutional transformation must start with individuals and how they understand their roles, their relationship with the public, and their own attitudes towards service, rights, and accountability. While structural reforms are important, they rarely succeed without corresponding changes in individual mindsets and internal incentives.
UNDP supports mindset-driven change by equipping people in institutions with the skills, motivation and enabling conditions to work in more inclusive, accountable and service-oriented ways. For example, experience shows that support to reforming training architectures can be a powerful and strategic entry point for mindset and behavioural change within the police.
Training and study tours are widely used in institutional reform. Yet without a clear link to people’s justice or security outcomes, they risk reinforcing institution-centred approaches. See Box 32 to test whether an initiative is truly people-centred.
Shifting mindsets and behaviours can also be catalysed through relational experiences, such as joint problem-solving, shared initiatives or changes in how institutions interact with users. These experiences can help reframe institutional roles, build trust and embed people-centred principles and practices within institutional culture. For example, UNDP’s support to prison reform in several contexts demonstrates how engaging both staff and inmates can help shift institutional culture from punishment to rehabilitation. Initiatives such as hydroponic farming show how practical livelihood and food security interventions can serve as entry points for cultural transformation. Involving prison officers in training and the joint management of activities alongside detainees helps foster trust and mutual respect. In this way, rehabilitation becomes embedded not just in programming but also in institutional values and practices.
UNDP is increasingly integrating MHPSS into people-centred justice and security programming to enhance institutional resilience and strengthen the delivery of empathetic and responsive services. Trauma exposure is widespread among police officers, judges and civil servants, and moral injury can be significant (see Box 33). Without specialized support, this can lead to burnout, absenteeism and behaviours that undermine public trust. Through skills development, peer support and safe spaces, MHPSS interventions help identify and refer individuals with mental health conditions, reduce stress and fatigue, and foster greater empathy, which in turn strengthens professionalism and trust in service delivery.
What makes mindset-change interventions people-centred and impactful?
- Interventions are based on evidence and understanding of the broader context, institutional culture, dynamics and behavioural norms that shape how justice and security actors behave.
- Training is integrated into broader strategies for institutional transformation. Mindset shifts are more likely to be sustained when reinforced by policies, standard operating procedures, infrastructure, leadership, supervision and accountability mechanisms such as regular performance assessments that promote and incentivize new ways of working.
- Change agents within institutions are supported to model new behaviours, influence peers and shift organizational norms from the inside out. Refresher training, peer networks, mentoring and ongoing leadership engagement are critical for reinforcing change over time.
- Monitoring and evaluation systems track changes in attitudes and behaviours over time, while feedback mechanisms (e.g., user surveys and interviews) help programmes adapt and reinforce progress. Interventions monitor for unintended consequences and adjust strategies to ensure that positive changes are sustained and risks of backsliding are addressed.
B.3 Strengthening service orientation
Service orientation reframes justice and security institutions not merely as rule enforcers, but as providers of fair, accessible and responsive services that meet people’s everyday needs. It is grounded in the idea that justice and security are public goods and that institutions must be designed and resourced to serve all people, especially those traditionally excluded or underserved. Service orientation focuses on trust and legitimacy, which grow when people see that institutions are responsive to their everyday needs, treat them with dignity, and deliver outcomes that are fair, just, and timely. It is not just about what institutions do, but how they do it: with respect, accountability, and attention to the experience of those seeking justice and security services.
This shift requires more than technical reform. It calls for a transformation in how justice and security institutions function. As emphasized in the UNDP people-centred policy framework, service orientation demands moving beyond institutional form (laws, structures, procedures) to focus on their function, that is whether institutions are actually solving people’s problems. It entails a shift away from elite-serving systems and towards inclusive, legitimate institutions embedded in communities. Service orientation is closely linked to the mindsets and behaviours of those working within institutions, as explored in the previous section, and often requires new capabilities and ways of working to sustain change.
Service orientation is a core pillar of people-centred justice and security, central to building trust and ensuring institutions work for everyone. UNDP supports justice and security institutions to move beyond conventional models of service delivery by designing services that respond to how people actually experience and seek help to resolve their problems. Innovations that extend the reach of services to underserved areas and integrate services are essential for vulnerable and marginalized people navigating often intersecting legal and socio-economic challenges.
UNDP supports the institutionalization of people-centred justice services by linking frontline service delivery with national policies, legal frameworks, and strategies for capacity development and financing to ensure sustainability and long-term impact.
UNDP supports investments in frontline police capacity and improved coordination across the justice sector as a foundation for more effective and people-centred policing. Reconfigured police spaces, such as model police stations, can transform how people experience safety and justice, and help embed cultural and behavioural shifts within police institutions, reinforcing a more responsive and accountable policing ethos. People-centred policing cannot be achieved by the police alone. It requires coordinated action across the entire justice chain to address systemic bottlenecks, protect people’s rights and deliver fair outcomes.
What makes service-oriented interventions people-centred and impactful?
- Initiatives are designed around people’s needs and experiences, not institutional convenience. Location, staffing and physical space are planned to promote safety, dignity and accessibility, especially for women and marginalized groups.
- Initiatives are embedded in national strategies, legal frameworks and sector-wide reforms. This ensures they are not stand-alone pilots, but part of a coherent, long-term effort to strengthen people-centred justice and security institutions.
- National and subnational ownership, through leadership, budget allocations and cost-sharing, and institutional mandates, is essential for sustaining service delivery once donor support ends.
- People-centred service delivery is supported by coordinated action across justice, policing, prosecution, corrections and legal aid systems. Whole-of-system approaches help resolve bottlenecks, improve accountability, and deliver more consistent and just outcomes for people.
- Service improvements are accompanied by ongoing capacity-building, professional standards, and investment in infrastructure, staffing and management systems that reinforce quality and responsiveness.
B.4 Embedding people-centred practices in systems
People-centred practices are more impactful and sustainable when they are intentionally embedded within institutions and the broader justice and security system. Embedding means making people-centred practices the standard operating logic of justice and security institutions. This involves codifying them in strategies, laws, policies and procedures; aligning budgets, staffing and performance systems; supporting them through leadership and peer learning; and sustaining them through capacity-building, and feedback loops that support continuous improvement, such as monitoring data, community scorecards, user surveys and complaints mechanisms.
While embedding can strengthen the resilience of people-centred practices, it is not a guaranteed solution. Contexts evolve, government capacity may be limited and political commitment can shift. But where efforts align with national people-centred visions or sector-wide strategies—such as Iraq’s commitment to people-centred policing, Nepal’s Integrated Legal Aid System, Colombia’s national development plan (2022–2026) that incorporates human security and social justice, and the Kenyan judiciary’s Blueprint for Social Transformation through Access to Justice 2023–2033—there is often stronger traction, ownership and potential for scale.
Embedding also requires attention to the broader ecosystem. People-centred justice is reinforced when formal and informal systems are integrated in ways that expand access and coherence, as seen in countries such as Bangladesh, and Somalia. Harmonizing processes and clarifying roles between State and community-based actors strengthens both institutional legitimacy and people’s ability to navigate the system.
UNDP’s experience shows that embedding people-centred change requires deliberate effort in five areas:
- Translate promising practices into policy and law Initiatives such as community policing or victim support centres are more likely to endure when integrated into national strategies, sector plans and legal frameworks that give them long-term mandates and legitimacy.
- Align roles, budgets, and structures. Practices must be reflected in job descriptions, staffing and operational budgets, and supported through supervision and performance management systems.
- Institutionalize through standard operating procedures and tools. Approaches such as trauma-informed services or gender-sensitive investigations should be incorporated into standard operating procedures, case management systems and digital tools to shape daily operations.
- Build institutional memory. Monitoring and capturing lessons learned and regular training helps sustain reforms across leadership transitions and staff turnover.
- Create loops for continuous improvement. Embedding is a constant process. User surveys, oversight mechanisms and community dialogues create feedback loops that support institutions to adapt and continuously learn how best to deliver people-centred services.
This systemic perspective reinforces a central tenet of the people-centred approach: meaningful change comes not just from new ideas and innovations, but from how they are sustained, scaled and embedded across institutions over time.
B.5 Ensuring accountability and oversight
People-centred justice and security require a strong rule of law culture in which officials and the public hold themselves and one another accountable. This requires a legitimate legal framework that is grounded in shared values and upholds, protects and fulfils the rights of all people.
UNDP’s support for legislative frameworks is often embedded within broader governance and rule of law strategies and aligned with national development plans, constitutional mandates and international human rights standards. It includes direct assistance to constitution-making processes, drafting and revising laws, and supporting the creation of policies that underpin justice and security for all.
This involves engaging a range of institutions, including justice and security institutions, parliament, civil society and public administration entities in participatory, inclusive and rights-based processes.
A holistic approach combining legislative reform, the empowerment of individuals and communities to understand and exercise their rights, and the strengthening of institutional capacities (including training, infrastructure, coordination mechanisms and oversight functions) is important to sustainably advancing access to justice and strengthening the rule of law.
The people-centred approach also requires ensuring accountable, high-quality service delivery across public institutions beyond justice and security actors (e.g., courts or police). Denial of access to basic services is both a justice and security concern. Understanding how weaknesses in public administration undermine justice and security outcomes, especially for the vulnerable and marginalized, is a key element of the approach. It supports more integrated programming that links justice and security with wider development interventions.
For example, maladministration in the application of housing, land and property rights perpetuates inequality and discrimination and can prevent generations of poor families from lifting themselves out of poverty. Deficiencies in civil registration, or in the issuance of birth, death, marriage and citizenship certificates, can have a direct impact on people’s right to vote or to other entitlements such as access to health care and education. Conflicts often erupt because of perceptions of corruption, unfairness and discrimination in the way services and utilities are delivered.
While the people-centred approach emphasizes accountability of the State (the duty bearer) to the public (rights holders), this cannot be achieved without strengthening how State institutions take responsibility for their own performance and conduct. Internal accountability and oversight are a critical entry point for ensuring justice and security systems are fair, transparent and responsive to people’s needs.
Building effective and people-centred institutions requires embedding accountability into their internal architecture through laws, policies, procedures, disciplinary systems and performance monitoring. These internal mechanisms help institutions uphold professional standards, detect and address misconduct, and ensure that justice and security personnel act in accordance with rights-based principles. UNDP supports justice and security institutions to develop and implement internal accountability systems that improve integrity, performance and public trust. Tools such as UNDP’s Judicial Integrity Self-Assessment Checklist help courts identify weaknesses in integrity, transparency and accountability, and guide institutional reform from within.
Technological and procedural innovations can improve the fairness of justice processes and enable stronger oversight of institutional conduct. UNDP supports the adoption of tools such as video-recorded interviews (VRIs) and procedural protections that safeguard human rights and enable more effective monitoring by judicial or independent bodies. When embedded in law and practice, such tools enhance both internal accountability and external trust in justice and security systems, as evidenced by UNDP’s support to implementation of VRI systems in Iraq and Fiji.
Ombudspersons, parliaments, NHRIs, judicial councils, and inter-agency coordination mechanisms also play a key role in strengthening justice and security system accountability. These bodies help monitor institutional performance and reform processes, investigate complaints and ensure remedies for rights violations, and promote shared standards for service delivery across the justice and security chain. They also represent people’s concerns in local and national dialogues and within justice and security policymaking. These institutions can serve as critical bridges between people and institutions, reinforcing transparency, accountability and the rule of law.
What makes accountability-focused interventions people-centred and impactful?
Interventions are embedded within national strategies, institutional mandates, or established legal and policy frameworks and are supported by government or local regulatory structures for sustainability.
Internal accountability is strengthened through clear procedures and performance monitoring, such as standard operating procedures, disciplinary systems, and tools such as case tracking and peer review to reinforce professional conduct and rights-based service delivery.
Interventions enable public oversight by linking institutional accountability to community feedback and participation. Structured mechanisms such as complaint systems and community scorecards make it possible for people to raise concerns, monitor performance, and shape how justice and security are delivered.
Effective accountability is supported by inter-agency mechanisms and strategic partnerships within government (across justice, security and oversight bodies) and with external actors (donors, NGOs, community groups) to encourage transparency, foster collective learning and support impactful reforms.
Interventions build institutional readiness for greater accountability through assessments, training, mentoring and phased roll-outs of reforms to ensure justice and security institutions have the capacity and confidence to adopt and sustain accountability practices.
Parts A and B explored the core dimensions of people-centred change.
focused on empowering people and communities through five interconnected dimensions of change: participation, inclusion, agency, access and accountability.
examined how justice and security institutions can transform to better serve people through four key dimensions: shifting mindsets and behaviour, strengthening service orientation, embedding people-centred practices in systems, and ensuring accountability and oversight. Together, these nine dimensions offer a comprehensive lens for designing and delivering people-centred programming.