“ Let’s share experience and  move forward together” regional training was held in Arkhangai aimag

GIC’s regional capacity building training titled “ Let’s share experience and  move forward together”  for contracted 26 local civil society organizations was held on April 13-14 2023 in the Conference room of Local Government House, Arkhangai aimag. 26 representatives or two CSOs from each deignated location: Arkhangai, Bulgan, Darkhan-Uul, Orkhon, Khuvsgul, Selenge, Tuv, Sukhbaatar, Dornod, Dornogobi aimags, and Baganuur, Nalaikh and Songinokhairkhan districts of Ulaanbaatar attended the training.

In his opening remarks, B. Batjargal, Head of Representatives of Citizen’s meeting, welcomed MASAM II project team and co-implementers of various aimags and distrcits to his aimag and, highlighted the importance of citizen participation in key fields including public investment and primary health care service, and wished a sucsess to regional training participants.  He thanked CSOs for their initiative to conduct monitoring in Arkhangai aimag.Ch.Enkhbayar, Executive director of the GIC and MASAM II project team leader, introduced biefly about  MASAM II project and it’s a technological solutions to ensure public participation in primary health care service and public investment and, that the application has been testing in some aimags and districts, also on two newly developed SA tools which one is now would like to test in Arkhangai aimag.

Then, O. Altai, MASAM II coordinator, introduced on results of forming Working group in each designated areas and development of citizen budget booklet of year of 2022, 2023 and public awareness activities at the aimag/soum/district to foster the use of public information released through ICT-based participatory platforms designed with support of the project and next activities to be carried on under the project.

Furthermore, NGOs such as Khuvsguliin Hugjil devshild that developed and localized its new SA tool named “Good clinic and satisfactory service “shared experience with participants. And 3 NGOs that have received training on it also shared their experience with others.

NGOs of Songinokharkhan, Nalaikh districts and Tuv aimag that have choose other SA tools previously taught by World Vision trainers also shared their experiences with participants. Also GIC team members, guide lined on how to issue financial report effectively and how to organize the multi stakeholders meeting on local level basing on issued recommendation by NGOs after implementing the new SA tool on PI. In the afternoon, NGOs representatives which has  been exercising newly developed SA tool in Public investment sector as part of Local Initiative in planning of monitroing activities, setting goals, objectives, and steps of monitoring within the framework of legislation, standards, and regulations shared expereince and received advice and recommendations from other stakeholders. Discussion session included brief presentation by each aimag/district on local initiatives followed by recommendations and suggestions from GIC trainers and other experienced NGOs.

Finally, all participants divided in to 3 citizens monitoring example group and facilitated session on how to conduct monitoring, how to gather, verify and analyze information, and how to effectively engage in advocacy/lobbying activities under the new SA tool.