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ANNUAL REPORT FOR NGO DEVELOPMENT CO-OPERATION PROJECT

YEAR 2011 PROJECT CODE 75300701

1. Hankkeen perustiedot

1. Basic information on the Project 1.1 Name of Organisation registered in Finland Suomen ylioppilaskuntien liitto SYL ry 1.2 Name of Organisation in English The National Union of University Students in Finland (SYL) 1.3 Name of Project in Finnish Kiertävät kirjastot ja koulutuskeskukset 1.4 Name of Project in English Travelling libraries – Training Centres (TL-TC) 1.5 Name of Project in other relevant language 1.6 Location of Project (country, province, village/community) Mongolia: Tov, Arkhangai and Dornod provinces. 1.7 Name of co-operation Partner Information, Education & Communication Centre IEC 1.8 Planned initiation and termination dates of the Project 1st of January 2010 – 31st of December 2011 1.9 Summary of the core idea of the Project and the key results and impacts achieved

(see Project plan, 1.11.) The rural population in Mongolia has very limited access to information and trainings that could improve their livelihoods. The objective of this project was to improve the access of the rural people in

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Tov, Arkhangai and Dornod provinces to information services and civic education, vocational training and small business courses through improving Travelling Libraries-Training Centres (TL-TCs). ¨

The project implementation consisted of three parts: Expanded and improved Travelling Libraries’ services; Expanded and improved Training Centres, and IEC´s capacity and self-financing possibilities have increased. With SYL support all three parts expanded:

1. through purchasing of the new books, manuals, magazines; 2. through increasing number of readers; 3. through trainings on small business, vocational skills and civic education; 4. through purchasing manuals, handouts, trainings presentations on small business, vocational

skills and civic education; 5. by the continuation of services, programs established 2 years ago (local networks against

violence, NGOs networks, etc); 6. by organizing different events, actions for attracting people to TL-TVs, encouraging people to

take stands to activities, to run businesses; 7. through co-operation with the governmental and non-governmental organizations; 8. through co-operation with other donors; 9. by increasing skills of staffs as librarians, trainers, networker 10. through the closer co-operation with local administrations; 11. through the closer co-operation with other CSOs; 12. through receiving orders for books, trainings from the side citizens, local administrations,

NGOs; 13. through the better marketing among population, donor and partner organizations.

The key results in 2010 and 2011 are:

Readers:

2010: 19065 (33% male, 67.0% female; 30.9% children, 61.0% people of middle age, 8.1% old people).

2011: 17623 (31.6% male, 68.4% female; 39.9% children, 48.1% people of middle age, 12.0% old people)

Soums visited: 2010: 29; 2011: 29.

Books, materials borrowed: 2010: 15905; 2011: 14852.

Trainings: In 2010 158 and 2011 153 trainings on vocational training, business and civic education.

Number of participants: 2010: 4469 (1147 males/3322 females). 2011: 5186 (1169 males/4217 females).

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1.10 Financing summary

Year 2011 Euro s

Project support not used in the previous year (incl. not withdrawn + withdrawn unused funds)

34,46

Support approved for the reporting year 56575

Total Project support available for the reporting year 56609,46

Total Project support used during the reporting year 56251,22

Funds not used, transferred to be used and reported in the following year

(incl. not withdrawn + withdrawn unused funds)

358,24

1.11 Other financing of the Project during the reporting year, if any.

Please state here the amount and source of this financing.

1. Donation (books, toys, stationary, children’s bags) from Switzerland (c 5000 Euros). 2. Training “Mass media and Female candidates” in Erdenet and Zamiin-Ud (Dornogovi aimag)

from The Swiss Development Agency (1,200,000 tugrics) 3. Future without AIDS” (TL-TC (Dornod) and LEOS (Dornod), 10,668,000 tugrics) from Natinal

Foundation against AIDS. 4. “Women’s leadership” (TL-TC (Dornod) and LEOS (Dornod), 3,023,000 tugrics)

2. Co-operation Partner and co-operation procedure 2.1 How did the co-operation Partner participate in the implementation of the Project?

(e.g. Did they provide labour, economic resources, other assets?) IEC´s employees implemented all project activities. Their main activities were to carry out summer travel with gers, to advertise and organize events and trainings. They also took care of the book exchange. They kept records of the users of library services and collected feedback from participants of the trainings. 2.2 Were there other parties involved in the co-operation (e.g. Finnish, local or international

organisations or officials)? Please describe their role and involvement in the Project.

There were several other partners involved in the cooperation.

Local governments and citizens´ representatives help spreading information on TL-TCs and some events, seminars and workshops have been organized together with the local government

TL-TCs exchange books and other reading materials with Departments for Education and Culture, public libraries, schools, Vocational centers, colleges, Gurvantamir University (Arkhangai) and with soums.

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Co-operation with library of the Cultural centre, library of the Culture and Education office, libraries of schools, public libraries on book exchange.

TL-TCs organized most of its activities (trainings, discussions, forums, competitions, bringing books to soums, books exchanges etc) together with following actors and organizations:

Aimags, soums governors administrations and press offices of Arkhangai and Tuv aimags administrations

Citizen’s Representatives Assemblies of Arkhangai, Tuv aimags, Erdenebulgan (Arkhangai aimag’s center) soum, Zuunmod (Tuv aimag’s centre) soum, Choibalsan city and other soums.

Schools libraries, public libraries, libraries for children, kindergardens (book exchange, co-organizators, TL-TCs use the school rooms for events)

NGOs (beneficiaries, partners)

Labour and Social care departments in Arkhangai, Tuv, Dornod aimags (sometimes support with materilas for training and honorar for traners)

Health departments of aimags

Medical centres of aimags (information exchange, co-organizators)

Centres for Vocational training and production in aimags (beneficiaries – receivers books and other materilas, in Dornod and Tuv aimags TL-TCs organized quizzes, discussions among students, in Dornod some of our orphan children and young women from the vulnerable group study at the school)

Arkhangai’s Gurvantamir college (gave to TL-TC the second room from the last year free of charge)

Tuv aimag’s 5th school (gave to TL-TC the second room from the last year free of charge)

-Citizens sponsored books, old magazins, newspapers.

Local TV station in Zuunmod (partner)

Kherlen soum’s private TV (Dornod) (partner)

Business incubator in Arkhangai and Dornod (co-organizators of training on business).

Trade union in Tuv aimag (partner)

Men’s Accociation of Tuv aimag (partner)

MercyCorp (supporter)

Save the children (book exchange)

Sport committee of Tuv aimag (partner giving the office room free of charge and rooms for our events)

Children organizations in Tuv aimag (partner)

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Union of senior teachers (partner)

Union of senior citizens (partner)

National Centre against violence (partner and supporter)

World Vision (book exchange, providing food for Shelter house in Tuv aimag, is which our second librarian works volunterarely as social worker, supporter)

National Foundation against AIDS (supporter)

The shops, hairdressers salons, sellers on markets took permanently our books and newspapers (beneficiaries and partners exposing our materials to the clients).

Social workers (partners, co-organizators)

3. Sustainability of the Project 3.1 How did predictable or unprecedented external factors affect the implementation of the Project?

(economic, social, environmental or cultural factors)

The implementation of the project was realized mostly as planned in the original project plan. Still, there were some unexpected factors during the year.

- Sending books and materials did not work fluently and the only way to get it done was with the help of close colleagues and friends.

- The price rise of petroleum. This affected petrol rates, but it also has influenced to prices of many other products, such as food, stationary, books, postage, services and so on. To compare to the beginning of the project price of petroleum has increased about 48 percents.

3.2 How has the local government, local organisation or the beneficiaries themselves taken

responsibility for the economic sustainability and continuation of the Project?

IEC and TL-TCs have cooperated with local government and the cooperation has been successful but the local government does not have a possibility to take the responsibility on TL-TC from IEC. The local government has supported the project in the shape of services. For example, they have helped with marketing TL-TCs’ activities, provided rooms for library service and training and sometimes gave a small amount of petroleum and some permissions. Local administrations were also involved in book circulation to soums and within soums, with transportation to settlement of gers and with transportation to herder’s communities, providing electricity access, etc. In Dornod and Arkhangai Aimag’s Assemlies of Citizens representatives Khurals also has given their decisions and minutes of the meetings to TL-TCs to expose those to the public. Those documents have been very important because for most people it is impossible to reach these documents and monitor the local budget.

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Beneficiaries have helped in marketing the arriving TL-TCs and trainings. In addition beneficiaries have been helping with the project, for example repairing the books. But for the nature of the project, it’s difficult for beneficiaries to take responsibility for whole project.

IEC and SYL have now a new project which focuses on community groups trainings. This is a separate project from this, previous, project. During last years IEC found that it is important to move on from libraries to trainings of people. Even if the project focus changed, IEC is able to continue library services in Arkhangai since one of the project areas of the current project is Arkhangai. Currently libraries are still working in all three aimag centers and IEC is looking for financing for TL-TC to work as efficiently as during SYL funding.

4. Beneficiaries 4.1 Who were the direct beneficiaries of the Project, and how many were there?

Library users in Aimag Centres (the amount of users in 2010 in parentheses)

• Zuunmod (Tuv): 3652 (4032) • Choibalsan (Dornod): 2211 (2407) • Tsetserleg (Arkhangai): 1151 (2528)

In total there were 7014 (8967) library users in Aimag Centres. Compared to the year 2010, the decrease is approximately 22 % and compared to the year 2009 (9 745) the decrease is even more, approximately 28 %. The main reason affected the decrease of library users in Aimag Centers is that IEC put more emphasis to the trainings during the year 2011. IEC paid more attention and efforts to spreading information and knowledge, to the organization of trainings and consultations and to supporting livelihood of rural people.

Users of Travelling Library (the amount of users in 2010 in parentheses)

• Tuv: 4200 (4178) • Dornod: 2861 (3011) • Arkhangai: 3548 (2909)

In total there were 10 609 (10 098) travelling library users. Compared to the year 2010 the increase is approximately 5 %, and compared to the year 2009 the increase is approximately 14,5 %.

Participants in trainings (gender division, male/female, and the amount of users in 2010 in parentheses)

• Tuv: 1096 (93/1003)(1109) • Dornod: 2955 (790/2165) (1271) • Arkhangai: 1135 (286/1049) (2089)

In total there were 5186 (4 469) participants in trainings, which makes the increase from year 2010 about 16 %. In the project plan one of the objectives was that more than 60 % of beneficiaries in trainings would be women. During the year 2011 81 % of beneficiaries were women, which makes the increase from year 2010 about 28 %.

In 2011 there were in total 22 809 (23 413) direct beneficiries (17 623 from libraries, 5186 from trainings).

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4.2 Who were the indirect beneficiaries of the Project?

• The families of the library users and trainees • Information, Education and Communication Centre IEC • People employed by the project and their families • Local and state level governments • Soum libraries, school libraries

If the project support granted was less than 20.000 €, please answer the following question: 4.3 How did the beneficiaries participate in the Project? If the project support granted was 20.000 € or more , please answer the following question: 4.4 Please specify the way in which each group of beneficiaries participated in the Project.

Library users in Aimag Centres and in the Travellin g Library

Library users, both in Aimag Centers and in the Travelling Library, were mainly just readers. However, some of them have helped with advertising library services with good results. There have been announcements of new books and library services in the daily newspapers. Since the increase of marketing more bookings for certain books have been made in advance. In addition, library users have given feedback of the library services quality and relevance. IEC has client’s books in libraries where beneficiaries have written their comments and opinions concerning the services.

Participants in trainings

Since the project started, trainings have become more and more popular. Beneficiaries feel that their living conditions have been improved after receiving information and learning new skills. Participants of trainings have started to use their newly learned skills for their own benefit, some of them with great success. For instance, one women group, Soeilj, participated in Misheel Expo in Ulaanbatar. In this annual national-wide trade fair they got opportunity to show their new skills. They won a prize and also found new partners for their small marmalade businesses.

Participants have also given lot of feedback, which helps the project to improve the concept and methods of the training activities. For example, due the request of people more trainings on vocational skills and businesses were arranged again in Tuv and Arkhangai aimags.

The families of the library users and trainees

The families of the library users and trainees did not participate directly in the project activities. Sometimes they gave feedback concerning reorganisation of some training or to give prescriptions for more products. The citizens were also ordering training on establishing the community groups.

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Information, Education and Communication Center, IE C

IEC organized all activities planned and communicated with TL-TCs. It also managed, coordinated and monitored the project. IEC reacted to the feedbacks of the project and connected all the parties with each other and communicated with local governments and departments.

IEC also developed training materials, made manuals and information newsletter, purchased new books and training materials and developed the curricula of trainings. Besides, IEC marketed their action and project by using TV, newspapers, radio and different events. In addition, IEC did fundraising and tried to find new donors and partners and also took responsibility for accounting and monitoring of activities and finances.

People employed by the project and their families

Staff members worked actively according the project plan, for instance they organized lot of trainings. The family members of staff also helped with marketing and organizing activities.

Local and state level governments

Local and state level governments have understood the benefits of increased knowledge level and new skills acquired by the project beneficiaries. Unfortunately local administrations were still not able to help TL-TCs financially, but they have paid attention to introducing TL-TCs’ schedules, activities and events to beneficiaries. IEC aims to maintain good relationship with local administrations to get the cooperation functional and get them know about TL-TCs. The cooperation with the governors of aimags and chairpersons of the Citizens Repreentatives Assembly is based on contracts.

At times local and state level governments have also offered supports such as petroleum, electricity, wood for heating and cooking, space for training and advertising etc. Besides, local officials and IEC’s staff were organizing concrete actions together. For example, they organized trade fair “Arkhangai-Cooperation-2011” and some children’s activities. They also propagated the legal acts together on the Baghs Day. After working together, officials have had more interests to organize some events, actions, trainings, discussions and workshops together with TL-TCs. Reason for this development were creativeness, flexibility, experience and ability to cooperate with IEC’s staff.

Soum libraries, school libraries

IEC has supported the local governments on building functional book exchange network (Library of Education, Culture office by Aimag governor’s administration, school libraries, aimag’s public library, aimag’s children library). Permanent book exchange now happens through boxes with soums’school and public libraries and also in culture centers of soums. Project object

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5. Project objective, implementation and monitoring OBJECTIVE 5.1 Has the objective(s) of the Project remained the same as in the original Project plan? If they have

changed, please describe how. The objectives remained the same as in the original Project plan. IMPLEMENTATION 5.2 Have the objectives of the Project been implemented by the activities as mentioned in the Action

Plan? If the activities are different from the original plan, please state the reason for the change and the nature of the current plan of action. Has the Project proceeded according to the original timetable?

All the project activities were implemented almost as planned.

TL-TCs worked at the aimags centres from autumn till summer, serving with libraries and organizing trainings, discussions and different kinds of activities such as competitions and quizzes (to attract clients).

During the summer, TL-TCs visited soums moving from one nomadic community to another, serving them with the travelling libraries and organizing trainings, as planned.

IEC bought more books, issued learning materials, mostly on small business and vocational training, and continued issuing IEC’s monthly newsletter.

The staff of the TL-TCs in Arkhangai and Tuv visited the TL-TC in Dornod to share experiences and results. All the staff attended a seven-day workshop organized at the IEC central office in Ulaan Baatar.

See training schedule and description of library action in aimags attached .

If the project support granted was less than 20.000 €, please answer the following question: 5.3 Please estimate how and how successfully the objectives of the Project have been achieved from

the beginning of the Project and during the reporting year.

There is a wider analysis of the results of the project in chapter 5.4. Here are some other results not included in the chapter 5.4.

1. Changes in knowledge - As a result of the trainings that TL-TCs have held, there are more and more changes in thinking compared to the beginning of the SYL project. The attitude of people to information and books is changing permanently. The number of those who are really interested in our services has increased. More and more people ask us to purchase books on certain subjects and to organize trainings on other subjects.

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2. Changes in behavior - Having participated in different trainings, credit insurance programs and advocacy events, people begin to listen to the opinions of other people, to motivate other people, to be more patient and see advantages and more positive possibilities. As a result of attending the trainings, many young people now look for information actively and are interested in attending trainings to develop themselves, to have knowledge and skills. Some now have chances to communicate in places other than pubs, play stations or the streets.

3. Changes in participatory level - As a result of trainings, IEC has seen how people are becoming less egoistic and more interested in community development, interested in the problems of the area where they live. The best examples of this are the Local networks against violence in Dornod and Tuv aimags and the NGO networks in Arkhangai and Dornod aimags, which IEC has helped to create, as well as fund raising on International Women’s day for the sick women organized by Arkhangai aimag’s women and writing support letters to women in prison who have been judged wrongly. All of these were the initiative of the IEC and TL-TCs, but were of course organized together with others.

4.Changes in the status of IEC - After the SYL project, local NGOs respect IEC because of their sustainability, different activities, dedication, communication skills and creativeness. This is the reason why the local CSOs long to work with TL-TCs and IEC and see them as a model for their activities. IEC staff became great networkers and closer co-operation with governmental institutions and loc al administrations was established during the project. IEC staff was initiator of the NGO-networks in all three aimags and widened co-operation between the governmental and non-governmental institutions. TL-TC (Arkhangai) works closely with a group of trainers and was one of the initiators of this network, but on the other hand the NGO-network in Tuv aimag is not functioning. Arkhangai aimag’s administration even asked TL-TC to organize an annual trade fair, monitor the workload, structure of officials, to survey the state program “Lunch for pupils” at state schools etc. TL-TC (Dornod) managed to reach the exposing of orders and decisions of the local administration to the public at the TL-TC and to have these documents open to the public is a rare exception in Mongolia.

5. As a result of attending IEC trainings, 109 participants on small business and vocational trainings have now received small loans from banks to start building a business.

6. For civic education trainings , the results are based on tests, questionnaires and interviews and the following results have been noted:

- change of thinking about leadership (especially women’s leadership), freedoms, rights, types of violence (mental and physical)

- increasing knowledge of developing of proposals

- understanding others and co-operation, for example parental duties and responsibilities

- understanding the risks of alcoholism and smoking

- understanding sexual minorities, different food customs, etc

- understanding of the common, local needs

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If the project support granted was 20.000 € or more , please answer the following question: 5.4 Please describe the results that have been achieved since the beginning of the Project and during

the reporting year.

Expanded and improved Travelling Libraries’ service s provide knowledge and information

RESULT 1 Better resourced libraries

During the project IEC has been able to buy more books and libraries are better resourced. More than this, IEC has created an information network. Through the network aimag and soum libraries as well as school libraries are able to exhange books and other materials. This network is working in all three project areas.

RESULT 2 TL-TCs will be reached by more beneficiaries

The overall number of library users decreased slightly from the previous year (from 19 065 to 17 623). Looking at aimag center and travelling library level, the number of users of traveling library increased approximately 5 % (from 10 098 to 10 609) and number of library users in aimag libraries decreased.

In total there were 5186 participants in trainings, which make the increase from year 2010 about 16 %.

RESULT 3 Women, children and senior citizens participate in special reading and discussion hours

There were organized some special reading and discussion hours for women and children. For women there were 18 reading and discussion hours about topic such as gender equality, domestic violence and human trafficking. For children there were 45 meetings with topic such as tales, comics, geography and children’s rights.

There were organized some special reading and discussion hours for women, children and senior citizens. The discussion hours for senior citizens were not organized as planned. Women’s discussion hours were for example about in Tuv aimag women met with two writers and talked about their books. The discussion hours for children were organized mainly in the cooperation with schools. For example they read books and after that made pictures about heroes and discussed about behavior of heroes. The special reading and discussions hours for senior citizens were organized 23 times on human security, human trafficking, special hours on certain books, the positive methods of growing children, social care and health and how to live longer and stay healthy.

Expanded and improved Training Centres provide skil ls, small business and civic education training

RESULT 1 Learning material is produced

No training material was produced, as IEC had enough materials produced during 2007-2009.

RESULT 2 The trainings are organized more systematically

This result has been achieved. Before IEC organize trainings only when people requested. Now the TL-TC organize trainings according to plan made beforehand.

RESULT 3 Trained people are satisfied with the trainings

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IEC has received very positive feedback on the trainings and appreciated the information provided. According to the evaluation made in August 2011, 91,5% of the participants in the trainings have given an excellent grade to the trainings based on teacher’s skills, abilities, training material and training environment. In general, it seems people learned knew skills and about new issues in the trainings and they have been able to use new skills. IEC also noticed changes in behaviour, as people learn to be more positive and people-centred in their businesses and other activities. There are some feedback about trainings attached .

RESULT 4 Children´s capacity for community action is improved by establishing new children groups and activating existing ones

IEC has organized activities in order to improve children’s capacity for community action. For example on IEC organized in 27 soums in Tyv aimag a competition on “Children rights and violence”. On the Childran Day the TL-TC organizes the annual competition “Who does think faster?”

RESULT 5 50 trainings are organized in each aimag

There were organized 153 trainings in three aimags. (In 2010 158 trainings)

RESULT 6 At least 60 % of the people participating are women

During the year 2011 81 % of beneficiaries were women, which makes the increase from year 2010 about 28 %.

RESULT 7 TCs´ trainings will become more known, especially among women

IEC has been marketing its activities actively. This has done for example via local administration, local events, TV, employees and people participated in IEC’s educations. IEC is well known in aimags and among people.

IEC´s capacity and self-financing possibilities hav e increased

RESULT 1 The staff is more qualified for working as trainers

The staff of IEC has participated in the trainings in both project years and they have had trainings for all of them at the same time. During the project, the capacity of TL-TC units has also increased: The TL-TCs started to develop small projects by their own, with consultation and information from the IEC. TL-TCs staff started to raise (very) small funds. TL-TCs started to co-operate in developing the learning materials and presentations. IEC staff was also establishing networks of NGOs in aimags. Local NGOs respect the IEC because as it has been running a lot of activities for a long time, and also for its dedication, creativeness and communication skills. IEC works both as a model and as a sort of protector of the local NGOs.

RESULT 2 The board works more efficiently

This is the result which is not met as planned. The board have regularly reunions and they attend them expressing their opinions. Still, the board is not working as efficiently as it could.

RESULT 3 The project has been evaluated and based on the evaluation a plan for increasing IEC´s self-sufficiency is made

The evaluation of the project was done during 2011 by two KENKKU member of SYL. The evaluation can be found attached to this report.

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IEC would like to be first social enterprise in Mongolia and in this way would be economically sustainable. During the year 2001 and during the new project planning process there were discussions to take the social enterprise as a part of the new project. It was decided together with SYL and IEC representatives that IEC needs more information about enterprise before including it into the project activities. Also the possibility of SYL to finance a bigger project was limited. That’s why there is a plan to apply funding for social enterprise in the future and a more detailed plan for the future will be done at the same time with the plans about the social enterprise.

If the project support granted was less than 20.000 €, please answer the following question: 5.5 How did the separation of responsibilities in the implementation of the Project work? If the project support granted was 20.000 € or more , please answer the question: 5.6 Describe the implementation and monitoring procedure of the Project and the responsibility of each

party therein.

Board Monitoring committee

Manager IEC

Assistant/Accountant

Manager, Tov Manager, Arkhangai Manager, Dornod

Librarian/trainer Librarian/trainer Librarian/trainer

trainers IEC’s Board was responsible for implementation of the Project by making decisions on plans, familiarizing with TL-TCs reports and feedbacks. Monitoring committee was responsible for monitoring the implementation of the project. Monitoring committee monitored activities and finances two times during the reporting year and attended two Board meetings.

Three of the staff members at the central office ( IEC manager, accountant and assistance) are responsible for making plans, correction, connection, marketing, receiving report, feedbacks, developing agenda, training materials, manuals, financial transactions, preparing narrative and financial reports, calling the Board meetings and raising funds.

SYL monitored the project with communication to IEC and a monitoring trip realized in August 2011.

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MONITORING 5.7 How did the responsible persons in the Finnish organisation follow the implementation of the

Project and the use of financial resources? How did they participate in the implementation themselves?

SYL´s development cooperaration coordinator Johanna Ursin-Escobar and KENKKU (Kehitysyhteistyöasiain neuvottelukunta, advisory board for development cooperation in SYL composed by 15 voluntary development cooperation experts from students´ unions) followed the project with annual and quarterly narrative and financial reports. The financial report form is made by SYL and it follows the Ministry of Foreign Affairs´ form for financial reporting.

Development cooperation coordinator also keeps in touch with the IEC manager Odonchimeg by email, text messages and Skype conferences. Coordinator has reported both to SYL´s board and to KENKKU. The project has been discussed in detail in KENKKU´s monthly meetings, by emails and also in KENKKU`s Mongolia group meetings.

In August 2011 Ilona Kalliola and Minna Ala-Orvola, members of KENKKU, visited Mongolia in order to monitor the project and to make the final evaluation. During the monitoring trip a field trip to Dornod aimag was carried out.

5.8 How did the local co-operation partners follow the implementation of the Project? IEC monitored the implementation of the project through keeping records of readers and training participants, collecting feedback, communicating with partner organizations and conducting some interviews with the beneficiaries. The quality of trainings has been evaluated with tests that measure the level of knowledge of participants before and after the trainings. Arkhangai's manager has developed in 2009 a questionnaire for training, with which a possible progress in participant's skills can be estimated. This has delivered for other managers. All the aimag coordinators provide the project manager with quarterly reports from the field. The project manager also visits the aimags regularly. The project manager reports the implemented activities and finances to the board and the monitoring committee. During the reporting year the monitoring committee monitored activities and financing two times and visited three meetings of the board.

IEC’s Board is responsible for implementation of the project by making decisions on plans, familiarizing with TL-TCs reports, feedbacks, and worked more permanent than in previous years.

Please see IEC’s organizational chart in chapter 5.6.

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5.9 What kind of qualitative or quantitative data was collected on the advancement of the Project?

Travelling Libraries

Basic information of the library travel and visitors:

Readers: 17623 (31.6% male, 68.4% female; 39.9% children, 48.1% people of middle age, 12.0% old people).

Library users in Aimag Centres (the amount of users in 2010 in parentheses)

• Zuunmod (Tuv): 3652 (4032) • Choibalsan (Dornod): 2211 (2407) • Tsetserleg (Arkhangai): 1151 (2528)

Users of Travelling Library (the amount of users in 2010 in parentheses)

• Tuv: 4200 (4178) • Dornod: 2861 (3011) • Arkhangai: 3548 (2909)

Soums visited: 29

Kilometres TLs travelled: 8870 km

Books borrowed by aimag: Arkhangai Dornod Tuv from aimag library

3644 2521 3963

from travelling library 1644 1074 1350

books sent in boxes 0 167 489

Topics of new books: Literature, The Mongolian culture and traditions, Education, Small business, Farming, Taxes,Popular scientific, Human rights, Children’s books, Pasture management, Environment, encyclopedias, dictionaries.

Perceptions of librarians on the quality and relevance of training (feedback, interviews): Excellent

Training Centres

Basic information on trainings:

Number of trainings/courses: 153

Number participants: 5386, of which 78,3 % women

Age of participants: in average 25-45 years old

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Number of learning material available per student: It depended from the training. At some training everybody received materials, at some training materials were distributed for shared use.

Iinformation about trainers (educational background, sex etc): more than 90 % of trainers were women, all were trainers with certificates.

Participants in trainings (gender division, male/female, and the amount of users in 2010 in parentheses)

• Tuv: 1096 (93/1003)(1109) • Dornod: 2955 (790/2165) (1271) • Arkhangai: 1135 (286/1049) (2089)

5.10 How has the Project budget been realised? If the realised costs in one or more of the budget

sections differ by 15 % from the planned costs, please explain here.

There are the following differences:

1. Salary of D.Ojunkhuu (more by 21.57%): She worked hard, especially on week-ends. IEC saved money from the Phone, Internet costs.

2. Books (less by 10.52%): Last project year IEC decided to buy more learning materials than books

3. Transportation costs (more by 30.97%): Firstly, Odonchimeg went to Erdenet for participating in trainings for community groups and officials, and to learn the DED community groups; Secondly, TL-TC (Arkhangai) visited in Spring 4 soums additionally for organizing trainings on community groups and Start business; Arkhangai's truck was repaired; and the prices for petrolium were increased by more than 19%.

4. Learning materials (more by 11.07%): IEC bought less books for buying more learning materials.

5. Marketing (more by 12.17%): The Central office spent more money for the potencial donors for the future potencial support of TL-TCs.

6. Berry trees (more by 12.33%): implementing this part in Dornod, Sumber soum costed more money as planned. Sumber soum is about 790 km far from UB.

7. Ger repair (more by 91.90%): The gers in Dornod were seriously damaged. Dornod has much more territorium as Tuv and Arkhangai. Usually in summer time the TL-TCs gers have being settled up and down about 18 times. And the gers are be carried from one place to another place on the country-side roads which are in terrible condition. So the gers are in heavy use.

8. Teaching equipment (more by 17.88%): the prices increased.

9. IEC used only 32.04% of Internet costs, because it used the cheaper operator.

10. IEC used the phones of the DED. That is why the phone cost is only 54.85% of the planned cost.

11. Postage (more by 31.65%): IEC sent many books bought and donated, stationary, toys, clothes, eye classes, old computers to TL-TCs.

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12. Rent of Central office (more by 12.24%): IEC spent extra money to change the broken window at the office and for warming all windows. It blew from the windows in winter time.

5.11 Where and how were the accounting and audit of the Project arranged?

Audit was arranged locally. Audit firm was the same as previous year:

Panthere Midland Audit LLC Phone: +976 11 319 836, +976 8865 1619 5.12 Has the organisation carried out an evaluation of the Project during the reporting year?

If so, please state here the findings in brief. Please also attach the evaluation report. Yes. The project evaluation was carried in august 2011 by two KENKKU members, Ilona Kalliola and Minna Ala-Orvola based on Max Pemberdy’s three universal questions (Did we do what we said we would do; did we make any difference; did we do the right things). Interviews were semistructured. According to the results of the evaluation, IEC has been capable to offer quality trainings, meet the needs of participants and work as an organisation efficiently. The project met the objectives (only the board activity did not increase as hoped) and it progressed towards the long term objective of reducing poverty. The biggest challenge is funding for TL-TC when SYL funding ends. Chapter 7 is mainly based on evaluation and there can be found more information about the findings. The evaluation is attached to this report. 5.13. How has the organization informed of the Project? Give details on the target groups, information

material and distribution channels. SYL has informed the student unions and university students about the project. The former have their representation in SYL, and SYL has also organized meetings (four meeting / year) to discuss development cooperation and information issues with representatives of the student unions. In addition, the members of KENKKU are generally active members of the development cooperation affairs in their respective student unions, which has provided for effective knowledge sharing between SYL and the unions. For the latter, apart from the students accessed by the aforementioned activities, KENKKU has also a blog where it posts news of SYL's development cooperation projects and other relevant issues in SYL’s development cooperation web page (http://kehitysyhteistyo.syl.fi). There can be found also all project reports, photos, ect. on SYL’s projects.

6. Lessons learned and the continuation of the Proj ect 6.1 Describe the nature of problems encountered during the Project and the attempts to solve them.

(e.g. in reaching the beneficiaries, working to keep to the timetable and other risks not included in 3.7)

During the report year 2011 there were not any especial problems in the implementation of the project. The timetables were kept and beneficiaries reached. 6.2 Describe the next stages of the implementation of the Project.

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2011 was the last project year and the project ends as such. Still, the new project of SYL and IEC which focus on community groups’ capacity building is based on experiences from the TL-TC project. IEC will focus more on trainings because see a need for that. That is why already in the year 2011 the organization started to focus more on trainings and for example bought more training materials instead of books. In this way the trainings will continue as a part of the new project. IEC still has all libraries working in aimag centers and in Arkhangai also in soums. One of the new project areas are in Arkhangai and that is why IEC has been able to continue library services also in soums. IEC is analysing possibility to bring gers, trucks and furniture from Dornod and Tuv to Songinokhairkhan district and continue TL-TC there together with the new project.

7. Free-form description of the Project and its ope ration (optional: if the other questions in this form are not suitable or sufficient to describe the Project, please use this space to give additional information.)

1. The effects of the project. Did you reach the ob jectives of the project? What kind of side effect (positives and negatives) did the project ha ve? How did the project effect to the situation of the most vulnerable people?

The long term development objective was to reduce the negative impacts of poverty in Tuv, Arkhangai and Dornod provinces. The direct objective was to provide an improved library and training service for the rural people of those provinces.

An internal evaluation report has been attached to this annual and final report and this is a good source of information on how SYL and IEC feel the project has succeeded. In the discussions between SYL and IEC, we have come to agree on the following general conclusions: the project has been implemented very successfully, the number of clients in both libraries and trainings has increased, IEC has become a very active NGO and the quality of trainings is better: the materials, trainers and the way the trainings are organized have all improved. There has been more planning of the trainings and now the needs of the people in the countryside are the most important base for trainings. NGO and government cooperation has improved and the behaviour and attitudes of many local government officials has changed. Governments and other NGOs truly appreciate IEC and the TL-TCs.

The activities have been the right ones for the objective of reducing poverty. People get more information both from the library and through the trainings some also get more income. IEC has especially worked against the lack of knowledge, because that changes behaviour and attitudes and is the way to reducing economic poverty.

The results targeted by this project, in relation to trainings were development and purchasing of learning materials and developing a curricula and training calendar. People trained were to be satisfied with the trainings and IEC was to survey educational needs through feedback questioners after each training and to provide a feedback and follow up mechanism on the quality and relevance of training and learning materials. Through children’s trainings, their capacity for community action was to be improved by establishing child groups and activating existing ones. 50 trainings were to be organized in each province, 150 trainings altogether. At least 60 % of the people participating were to be women.

As the project has finished, it can be said that these results have been achieved quite well. Trainings have become more versatile, as they now involve planning and consultation. The participants now come because they need the education. It has been easier to spread information, as IEC staff has more contacts. There is a database of trainings. Around 80 % of trainees have been women. The quality of the trainings is evaluated with tests that measure the level of knowledge of participants

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before and after the trainings. Feedback is collected after each training and 91,5 % gave an excellent grade to the training, based on the teacher’s skills, abilities, training material and training environment (vocational and civic trainings).

The TL-TC trainers have noted mental, economic and social changes in beneficiaries: family incomes increase and people are more self-confident. Some trainees could use the knowledge and skills to change their lives, but others of course still lacked the motivation and education. Not every trainee used what they learnt, but a significant percentage did. It is also likely that the results of many 2010 and 2011 trainings will only be seen later, as for example in 2011 many who had been to business trainings in 2009 were just getting started. Sometimes after business trainings people did not get any additional income, but they learnt to produce products for family needs and save money by producing it themselves.

Business trainings were very popular and many had formed a business after them or made their existing businesses more profitable. There were some great successes like very profitable small businesses that were formed solely because the people had attended courses arranged by the project and had they learnt both the concrete vocational skills and basic business skills to be able to form small, working businesses. Please see the evaluation report attached for more detailed information and examples. The biggest successes were IEC trainings on making products from materials that were previously thrown away, like sewing from left over materials (quilting) and making milk products from yellow milk. Both of these were very popular and could be used to generate extra income.

One of the most successful businesses is an ice cream factory in Choibalsan, owned by a local couple where the husband is disabled. They got the idea for the business from a yellow milk training and have also attended a business training. They now sell ice cream to 125 shops in Choibalsan and employ up to ten people. Business trainings have made people believe in their own ability to do something new to support themselves and this way of thinking has been rare in Mongolia because of the traditional nomadism and communist times.

Sometimes people needed consultation for business plans and marketing and TL-TC staff had started to advice in marketing services and products and to participate in expos. Another effect of any of the trainings has been teaching people to work together and many businesses were formed in groups, either as family businesses or groups of women etc. We learnt that family business is effective and that people should work as a team or community, whereby we have encouraged the formation of groups. This was seen as a valuable result and something that IEC and SYL are now continuing in the new project.

Trainings have had an effect on poverty by both teaching people various methods of saving money or even making money with small businesses. The state already has credit programs and IEC has assisted poor rural people in making business plans needed to get small loans.

The project has really managed to reach the most vulnerable groups, especially in Dornod where young female prostitutes were actively searched for to get them to attend the trainings, where they learned important things about STDs, raising their children, human rights, Mongolian law, human trafficking, etc. Some of these women have now formed community groups together and learnt to make items in vocational training and to calculate profits in business trainings, but it remains to be seen whether they will be able to start generating income.

With the libraries , results targeted were better resourced libraries through purchasing more books, magazines and newspapers for the Travelling Libraries and further education of librarians. TL-TCs were to be reached by more beneficiaries and to visit 15 soums during one year. TL-TC were to be marketed and books and material to be circulated in boxes within each province by civil servants. Women, children and senior citizens participate in special reading and discussion hours through special hours for women and senior citizens.

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The libraries are now better resourced with learning materials, books and other reading materials. The TL-TCs are reached by more beneficiaries. Special reading and discussion hours were organized for women, children and senior citizens. TL-TCs provided library services for different organizations like prisons, agencies and market places. Circulating material in boxes, however, was not always a success, as sometimes the materials were not returned to TL-TCs. Discussion and reading hours were arranged.

IEC´s capacity and self-financing possibilities hav e increased – The staff were to become more qualified for working as trainers and courses were to be organized for the staff members (year 2010). The board was to be trained to be more efficient. Conducting a thorough evaluation of the project including self-financing possibilities was to be done in 2011.

The capacity of the organization has really increased, IEC was a more hierarchical organization, now they are a team that is able to monitor and develop themselves. IEC staff has learned to develop manuals and information sheets and pay more attention to planning, which has made their work more effective. However, the board still functions like it did before the project and this objective was not reached. An internal evaluation was done in 2011, focusing on the trainings and Dornod and Tuv. Self-sufficiency was discussed, especially as the two aimags of Tuv and Dornod were left out of the new project, but IEC is still only very limitedly self-sufficient.

2. The sustainability of results. Are results susta inable, what are the risks involving to the sustainability?

The sustainability of the activities is a big challenge, but it must be said that even though many parts of the project will stop with the funding, there have been lasting results achieved by the project. For example, in the evaluation report we have described many businesses that seemed to be on a solid basis and therefore the effects of the trainings have mostly been sustainable.

There are still small questions of sustainability related to business trainings, for example small markets similar business ideas. Business trainings had improved the finance skills of trainees in saving, planning and increasing their income. But all should carefully consider whether they will be able to pay the loans back. However, IEC has given advice on these issues.

The bigger problem is the libraries . The travelling libraries are the only travelling libraries in Mongolia and if they end, no one will take information to the nomads. The travelling libraries are difficult to keep up, but the soum center libraries could still function within the IEC offices, as long as they have the offices and even after this, the books can definitely be available to the people in some other library. IEC is also constantly looking for support for the libraries. It is also possible for the libraries to continue functioning alongside the new IEC and SYL project in Arkhangai.

IEC’s sustainability is also an issue and one idea has been for IEC to also work as a community group of its own, that would earn its own income.

3. The problems of the project. Are there some objectives you did not reach? Why? What other problems did you have? What have you learned?

In the beginning, it was identified that the main risks are that the TL-TCs do not provide the information and education most needed, the quality of the library services and trainings do not meet the targets set, the project organization does not learn and respond to the changing needs of its beneficiaries and the uncertain financial situation caused by the global crisis. None of these has proved to be a problem. In the internal evaluation report it is shown that the quality of services is improved as well as the activities are needs-based. The challenge is to establish a unique business which would have enough of a market. Many people get similar business ideas, like quilted and pearl products or chicken farm. The business training itself is not the only key to success. Often people need also a loan, however, there are restricted possibilities to get loans needed for businesses. On the other hand, people who have participated training, have better possibilities to get loans.

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4. Applying the results. How are you able to apply the results and the operation models in other projects?

IEC is able to apply the results in the next project with SYL which begun in 2012. TL-TCs have shown that library and training services are great activities to reduce poverty. In TL-TC project IEC noticed that economic development could be achieved through community groups. In the new project with SYL IEC focuses on to building and strengthening community groups in order to reduce poverty. IEC has also learnt to cooperate with local officials and other civil society organizations and its capacity has increased significantly.

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8. Project costs and financing Project costs Approved Project

budget Cost performance

1. Personnel costs (Appendix 1)

Salaries and related costs of the Finnish personnel 0 0

Travel and accommodation of the Finnish personnel 0 0

Salaries and related of the local personnel 19680 17968,17

Other personnel costs 2165 5514,43

Value of Finnish voluntary work 0 0

Personnel costs, subtotal 21845 22582,60

2. Activity costs (e.g. training) (Appendix 2)

Fees of hired experts 5370 5938,17

Other costs 11354,2 9974,83

Activity costs, subtotal 16724,2 15913

3. Materials, procurements and investments (Appendi x 3)

Procurement of materials and appliances 836 1721,32

Construction 0 0

Other procurements 300 1236,78

Value of donated goods 0 0

Materials, procurements and investments, subtotal 1 136 2958,1

4. Operation and maintenance (Appendix 4)

Operation costs 6906 7614,89

Maintenance costs 0 0

Operation and maintenance, subtotal 6906 7614,89

5. Monitoring, evaluation, and information (Appendi x 5)

External services (incl. experts) 7585 4965

Travel and accommodation 5170 4909,57

Other costs 1500 1542,42

Information costs (max. 5 % of total project costs) 0 0

Monitoring, evaluation, and information, subtotal 1 4215 11416,99

TOTAL IMPLEMENTATION COSTS 60826,2 60485,58

6. Administrative costs (Appendix 6)

Salaries and related costs of administrative personnel 5453,135 5453,135

Office costs 276 242,5

Statutory audit costs of the Finnish organisation 0 0

Fund-raising 0 0

Value of Finnish voluntary work in administration 0 0

Total administrative costs 5729,135 5695,635

TOTAL PROJECT COSTS 66215,68 66181,22

Administrative costs as a % of total costs (max. 10 %) 8,61 8,61

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Project financing Approved Project

Budget Cost performance

1. Self-financing (Appendix 7)

Cash contributions 4990 4965

Voluntary work and material donations 4990 4965

Total self-financing 9980 9930

Self-financing as a % of the total costs 15,00 15,00

2. Project support from the Ministry for Foreign Af fairs

Support transferred from prior years 34,46

Support available for and used during the reporting year 56609,46 56251,22

TOTAL FINANCING 66589,46 66181,22

9. Signatures Place and date Place and date Signature Signature Name in Capitals Name in Capitals Position Position

❏ Copy of the co-operation agreement between organisations (if it was not attached to the Project

plan)

❏ Report of the Board of Directors

❏ Financial Statement of the organisation

(= income statement, balance sheet, notes to the financial statement)

❏ Audit report on the organisation's annual financial statements

❏ Auditor's assurance on the legal use of the Project funds

❏