The Commission's key functions (education, coordination, grant management, and program and project development and oversight), as well as the general organization and staffing of the Commission, are flexible enough to address changing trends and needs while continuing to support the mission.

In particular, with regard to education, Commission work stresses:

• synthesizing best practice and other knowledge about gender and justice from across the nation into programs and projects that address the particular needs of Washington State;
• increasing the use of research findings;
• developing on-going research partnerships;
• increasing the numbers of Commission partners and expanding the local and state gender and justice network to include greater numbers of local, state, federal, and international public and private sectors participants;
• increasing understanding of the theory and practice of risk assessment in the gender and justice arena;
• working more closely with the National Judicial College and other court support organizations;
• increasing media attention directed at gender and justice topics; and
• developing educational formats that move well beyond the traditional seminar class setting.

The Commission's coordination functions are:

• coordinate programs and topics in light of a set of well articulated strategic goals and outcomes;
• build personnel and institutional relationships and networks of private and public organizations committed to addressing gender and justice issues;
• leverage participation by private and public attorneys across the state in efforts to address gender and justice issues;
• coordinate the advancement of gender equity and justice among judge organizations, the Washington State Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC), and other commissions and committees; and
• monitor progress towards gender and justice improvement goals and outcomes.

The Commission's grant management functions are:

• foster alignment between individual grants and the Commission's four long-term strategic priorities;
• establish best practices; and
• monitor, evaluate, and report the outcomes of grant funded efforts.

The Commission's program and project development and oversight are:

• assertively initiate educational and research programs that advance gender equity;
• coordinate the contents of programs and projects;
• generate financial support for programs and projects; and
• evaluate programs and projects.

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The Commission has the representation and support from the key court stakeholders and interest groups needed to advance gender and justice in Washington State. This work is enhanced by:

• developing a broader network of national, state, and local partners to work with the Commission;
• more aggressively collecting and distributing information and training materials throughout Washington;
• establishing and supporting a set of long-term priorities; and
• improving Commission capacity to help develop and implement effective policy throughout the courts.

Subcommittees exist to:

• provide opportunities for smaller groups to meet more frequently;
• increased flexibility;
• increase possibilities for a more workable division of labor among Commission members;
• increase capacity to reach consensus more efficiently;
• increase capacity to include more participants in the work of the Commission; and
• increase accountability.