Organizational profiling and learning needs assessment

ANSA EAP Mongolia Conveners GroupStrategic planning workshopKhaan Jim, 23-24 June 2010

Organization Focus Issue or Area of Work

Center for Citizen’s Alliance (CCA)

Women’s rights and monitoring of CEDAW Convention implementation; education, health, rural development sectors; democracy and decentralization

Chingeltei District Health Unit (CDHU)

Public health services; primary and secondary medical care to district population

Centre for Social Responsibility (CSR)

Mapping of social accountability initiatives in Mongolia; participatory planning and budgeting activities with district governments

Democracy Education Center (DEMO)

Strengthening NGO sector in Mongolia; development of active citizens through democracy education; mapping study of social accountability in Mongolia

Infratest Research and Training Center (IRTC)

Social well-being through research and training activities; mapping study of social accountability in Mongolia

Organization Focus Issue or Area of Work

Independent Research Institute of Mongolia (IRIM)

Professional research on social issues; training of policy researchers; formulating new development policy measures ; organizing public awareness campaigns and sharing best practices on overcoming difficulties in transitional countries; mapping of social accountability initiatives

Mercy Corps Mongolia (MCM)

Economic, civil society, and natural resource management programs; rural business development ; promotion of CSO and local government collaboration toward civic participation; social entrepreneurship

Responsible Mining Initiative (RMI)

Building common framework for responsible mining among different stakeholders; transparency in mining sector; equal participation among stakeholders in mining

Transparency Foundation (IT NGO)

Improving public bodies and business transparency in Mongolia

Focus issues or areas of work:

• Public services delivery: health, education, livelihood/rural development, natural resource management, extractive industries governance

• Protection of rights: women’s rights, citizen participation in governance, right to information

• Support services to citizen groups: capacity building, research, awareness campaigns, democracy and active citizenship education

Organization Accomplishments Challenges

CCA Formed local networks for mobilizing CSO support in combating VAW; mainstreamed democracy and civil society through work on women’s issues

CDHU

CSR Produced research and monitoring reports, media articles, brochures, and other public information materials on its social accountability activities

Lack of experience in implementing social accountability initiatives; weak management; funding issues

DEMO Provided various support services to civil society groups (training, sharing, network meetings, counselling and information services, researches, publication); recognition of civil society sector (Civil Society Council and Cooperation Agreement)

Concept of social accountability is not clearly defined in Mongolia and understood differently by stakeholders; bureaucratic approaches of government organizations; lack of capacity of civil society groups; funding support

Organization Accomplishments Challenges

IRTC Produced monitoring reports and papers Lack of information sharing by government; sustaining social accountability activities; lack of citizen participation in governance at local level; bureaucratic ways of working of government

IRIM

MCM Strengthened productive rural businesses; access and increased use of business information by rural entrepreneurs; supported CSO efforts at resource mobilization (including tapping volunteers)

CSOs lack capacity and experience in conducting social accountability activities like social audit and procurement monitoring; government officials don’t believe in collaborating with citizen groups

RMI Responsible mining clauses in government plan; organized multi-stakeholder forums on responsible mining; development of mining land restoration standards; development of criteria for measuring responsible mining principles

Conflict of interests ; uncertain legal framework on mining in Mongolia; information transparency; different perspectives on mining; lack of trust among stakeholders

Organization Accomplishments Challenges

IT NGO Transparency rating of extractive industry companies (2007-08); established coalition on budget monitoring; public access to some parts of budget expenditure reports; public discussion on local budget process

No law on access to information in Mongolia; lack of knowledge on budget review and analysis; lack of experts and funding

Accomplishments:

• Mobilized support of citizen groups on issues (e.g. women’s rights)• Coalition-building and networking among citizen groups• Support services to civil society groups (training, resource center, etc.)• Recognition of civil society sector (CS Council, Cooperation Agreement)• Implemented some social accountability initiatives• Facilitated citizen engagement with government (multi-stakeholder

forums, policy dialogues, public discussion on local budgeting)• Some policy influence (e.g., responsible mining standards)• Access to some information (e.g., budget expenditure reports)• Improved quality and delivery of public services (e.g., health, rural

business development)• Produced information materials and publications

Challenges: • Varying understanding of social accountability• Lack of experience with some social accountability tools

(budget review, PM, social audit)• Capacity gaps (project management)• Sustaining initiatives and activities (including funding support)• Different perspective on issues (e.g., extractive industries)

• Public officials unsupportive of citizen participation• Lack of information sharing by government/lack of

legal framework on freedom of information• Bureaucratic ways of working of government

• Lack of trust among stakeholders

Organization Planning and policy formulation

Budget analysis and monitoring

Expenditure tracking

Performance monitoring

Center for Citizen’s Alliance (CCA)

Chingeltei District Health Unit (CDHU)

Centre for Social Responsibility (CSR)

Democracy Education Center (DEMO)

Infratest Research and Training Center (IRTC)

Independent Research Institute of Mongolia (IRIM)

Mercy Corps Mongolia (MCM)

Responsible Mining Initiative (RMI)

Transparency Foundation (IT NGO)

Level of Engagement

Organization

National DEMO (engaged with national government ministries)RMI (Parliament members, ministries, inspection agencies)IT NGO (Natural resources agencies)

Province IRIM (Budget transparency)MCM (Monitoring school tea break program and social welfare budget

expenditures; service quality of provincial hospitals)

District CSR (Songinokhairkhan District)IRTC (Songinokhairkhan District)IRIM (Budget transparency)CDHU

Village CDHU (with CBOs)

Existing capacities/learning needs Rating (average)

Capability to generate and use data/information 3.44

Capability to share data or information 3.44

Plan, implement, and monitor/evaluate projects 3.44

Conduct capacity development of partners 3.33

Engagement with other citizen groups 3.00

Networking capabilities 3.00

Capability to mobilize and manage resources 2.89

Manage and resolve conflict 2.89

Engagement with government 2.78

Knowledge of social accountability 2.67

Communicate, advocate for, and promote SAc 2.67

Practice and application of social accountability 2.22

salamat po