USAID Mongolia local governance mid-term evaluation : STAGE and APPEAL projects final report

The STAGE project is implemented at the national level, while the APPEAL project is implemented in 15 aimags (provinces) and 60 soums (counties). The locally-oriented APPEAL project is a counterpart to and coordinated with the center-focused STAGE project. Together the implementing partners' goal is to strengthen anti-corruption efforts and improve the administrative reform process. The goal of the STAGE project is to strengthen democratic governance by building a more transparent and accountable regulatory and legislative environment as well as ensuring the principles of checks and balances. To achieve this overarching goal, the two primary objectives for the STAGE project are to promote good governance, thereby reducing corruption, and improve administrative reforms. The goal of the APPEAL project is to promote democratic reforms, economic growth, and to improve legal, institutional, and administrative processes in targeted governmental agencies. The primary objectives of the project are to strengthen the awareness and understanding of relevant legal frameworks related to anti-corruption and good governance as well as supporting engaged, informed action in localities thereby animating good governance through Mongolia's legal framework. Both of the projects evaluated reflect USAID's continuing commitment to and comparative advantage in, providing assistance to develop Mongolia's democratic government. Even though the evaluation team used three different survey instruments to gather necessary information about APPEAL and STAGE projects, it found that the common denominator or starting point of all three surveys can be summarized within three main topics: (1) project implementation mechanisms; (2) project participatory and consultative processes; and (3) project relevance. The evaluation team states that in general, both STAGE and APPEAL are well conceived democracy and governance projects that are being implemented successfully by their respective implementers. There are many positive findings regarding information dissemination, participation, anti-corruption efforts, good governance practices, and gender role equality. The methodology and analysis related to the findings is elaborated upon in Annex B. Specific evaluation findings, conclusions and recommendations are provided with detailed analysis for each evaluation question. (Excerpt, modified)