A project entitled Promoting the Effectiveness of Democracy Protection Institutions (DPIs) in Southern Africa was recently undertaken by the Governance Institutions & Processes Programme at EISA. Eight EISA research reports (numbers 39-46) are the culmination of this regional project. Empirical research was conducted in early 2009 on the performance of 12 human rights state institutions established to promote democratic governance. Research focused on two types of DPIs in Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia, where they exist.