Mongolia: Project monitoring trip report 2011 written by Minna Ala-Orvola & Ilona Kalliola SYL’s project monitoring trip to Mongolia was conducted on 8th-22nd of August. Representatives of SYL were members of KENKKU Minna Ala-Orvola and Ilona Kalliola. During the trip we had discussions and meetings with the staff of IEC, beneficiaries (in Tuv and Dornod provinces), the audit company and local governmental officials in Zuunmod and Jargalant (Tuv province). We also met Mr. Hartwig from the German Development Service and Mr. Norrvik from Kylväjä. The principal objective of the trip was to conduct an internal evaluation. Other things on the agenda were sustainability (the future of the TL-TCs) and financial issues. We also discussed reporting procedures and presented SYL guidelines for conducting development projects. This report will present the main results of the trip. However, the results of the evaluation are presented in a separate evaluation report, which will also be presented to SYL (the board and KENKKU) and IEC. Evaluation: Conducting an internal evaluation was the main objective of this monitoring trip. The evaluation was done during two weeks in Mongolia, between 9th and 21st of August 2011. During that time we conducted 19 semi-structured interviews. Seven of them were group interviews with anywhere between three and 17 people present. For some of the interviews we used an interpreter, for some IEC staff translated for us. In addition to interviews for beneficiaries, we also conducted two evaluation workshops for IEC staff: the first one for the staff from Tuv and Arkhangai, the second for the staff from Dornod and the central office in Ulaan Baatar. As a basis for the evaluation workshops for the employees we used Max Pemberdy’s three universal questions of evaluation: Did we do what we said we would do, Did we make any difference and Did we do the right things. We only included trainings in the evaluation, as we agreed the libraries could be evaluated through numerical information. Due to limited time we only interviewed beneficiaries in Dornod and Tuv provinces, although the project has the same activities in Arkhangai province as well. In Tuv we visited the province center Zuunmod and rural areas like Jargalant soum, in Dornod we only visited Choibalsan. During the evaluation work we noticed that many people have benefited from our trainings and in general IEC has worked efficiently. Trainings have been successful and now they meet better the needs of the beneficiaries. Trainings are also of a better quality now because they are planned carefully, there is a database of contents, new training material developed by IEC and a circle of trainings in use. Along with trainings, help with planning and consultations are also offered.

Financial issues: We met the manager and some staff members of Panthere Midland Audit LCC, the company responsible for our audit. We discussed how difficult it is to get the reports on time. Last spring the report was delayed, because it is an extremely busy time at their office. Also the accountant of IEC changed last spring, which was one reason for delays. We discussed the reporting schedule and the company told us that in Mongolia all NGO and company reports need to be ready by the 10th of February, because the Mongolian government requires this. The auditor’s solution for the tight reporting schedule is an interim audit. We agreed that it is a good idea, but said that we have to ask about this from SYL. So if we are interested in this solution, he could send an offer to SYL. In the last audit IEC did not get any recommendations from the auditor, because they got some last year and have applied them successfully. For example, last year IEC wrote rules of finance which are in use now. The accounting programme in use is Interactive / Pyramid and it has been working well, there have only been some problems with currency exchange rates. However, the company that provided the programme has been repairing it. We met the accountant of IEC, B. Gantuya, who has worked at IEC this year. She works part-time at IEC and has another job as well. She is satisfied with her job, but the salary is small. The salary in our budget is divided between the assistant (Enji) and the accountant, both working half-day. We discussed money transfers, the accounting programme and the rules of finance. The first money transfer from SYL still comes too late. Usually the manager of IEC needs to take a loan from the bank and use her apartment as collateral just to get the project activities started. The interests she pays from her own salary. We also checked some receipts, which had running numbers and everything was in order. The rules of finance were in Mongolian, so we did not focus on that too much. Future and self-sufficiency: We discussed sustainability and IEC’s self-sufficiency several times with the manager and other staff members. The two evaluation workshops were also a good opportunity to discuss and learn. We observed that IEC is a co-operative and reactive NGO. IEC is well-known in every province where it works and it has succeeded in establishing a co-operation network of NGOs and local governmental authorities in Tuv, Arkhangai and Dornod. IEC is also a popular partner in cooperation and other organizations as well as local governmental officials have asked TL-TCs to organize trainings. So IEC is a trusted and well-known expert organization. TL-TCs have developed well during this project. The direct objective of an improved library and training service in the three provinces has been met, but the sustainability of the TL-TCs is a big challenge. A lack of financial resources, after SYL support ends, is the biggest problem.

At the moment there is no funding for the TL-TCs after SYL support. IEC will work hard to find some financial resources to keep up the activities of the TL-TCs. We also discussed HYY (Student Union of University of Helsinki) project funding, which could be one solution to continue some activities. However, this would be a totally separate project from the SYL project. The new SYL project would operate in two khoroos (districts) of Ulaan Baatar and in Arkhangai. This means that Tuv and Dornod provinces would be excluded. Timetable for SYL monitoring trip in Mongolia Day Topic Monday 8.9 Flights Helsinki - Frankfurt- Peking- UB Tuesday 9.9 Arrival to UB. Meeting with Tuv aimag vice governor and interviews (3)

with beneficiaries. Wednesday 10.9 Meeting with Jürgen Hartwig (German Development Service). Meeting

with Joel Norrvik (Kylväjä/FLOM). Meeting with audit company (Panthere Midland Audit LLC).

Thursday 11.9 Free time Driving to Jargalant soum, one beneficiary interview on the way

Friday 12.9 In Jargalant soum: Meeting with soum governors. Visits and interviews (5) of beneficiaries. Driving to the hotel.

Saturday 13.9 Driving back to UB. Meeting with accountant B. Gantuya. Sunday 14.9 Evaluation workshop with Tuv and Arkhangai staff at the central office. Monday 15.9 Free time. Driving to Öndörkhaan. Tuesday 16.9 Driving to Choybalsan. Visit to IEC’s orphanage. Wednesday 17.9 Visits and beneficiary interviews (6 single and 4 group interviews).

Evaluation workshop with Dornod and central office staff. Thursday 18.9 Driving towards UB. Spending the night on the way. Friday 19.9 Driving back to UB and sightseeing on the way. Saturday 20.9 Free time and meeting with Odno at the central office. Sunday 21.9 Free time and meeting with Odno. Dinner together. Monday 22.9 Back to Finland