Kh. Khash-Erdene: Monitoring and Evaluation Should Guide, Support, and Advise Not Just Inspect

As part of the “Entrepreneurship-Focused Socio-Emotional Skills for the Most Vulnerable Youth in Rural Mongolia” project, children and young people enrolled in the “Entrepreneurship-Focused Socio-Emotional Learning” (ESEL) training program participate in a pitch competition. Selected teams receive funding of up to $1,000 and have the opportunity to apply the knowledge and skills gained from the ESEL training in real-life projects.

The Project Soum Level Counsel (SLC) plays a key role in the successful implementation of these micro-projects. This counsel includes a chairperson, secretary, representatives from partner organizations, a finance focal point, a monitoring and evaluation focal point, as well as parent and volunteer representatives.

In this story, we would like to introduce Kh. Khash-Erdene, a monitoring and evaluation focal point of the project in Bulgan soum, Khovd province.

The monitoring and evaluation focal point is responsible for supporting micro-project activities, conducting three monitoring sessions for each project, and providing guidance and assistance to team members.

Khash-Erdene is a biology and geography teacher by profession. While teaching at the First General Secondary School in Bulgan soum, he was trained as a teacher/counselor for the “Entrepreneurship-Focused Socio-Emotional Skills for Vulnerable Youth in Rural Mongolia” project and has been serving as the monitoring and evaluation focal point since 2022.

Khash-Erdene has monitored and provided guidance on the activities of 37 micro-projects at two secondary schools and the Lifelong Learning Center in his soum, working with 147 children and youth.

Khash-Erdene shared his thoughts on the specifics of his work, saying, “I believe monitoring and evaluation is more about advising and supporting teams than controlling or inspecting. I make it a point to understand the progress of each micro-project. Before each monitoring session, I remind the children that it’s not an exam but an opportunity to improve and support their team’s project. My goal is to encourage equal participation from all team members.”

He has not encountered any major difficulties in monitoring and evaluating the micro-projects. This is because he attended the “Participatory Monitoring” training organized by Save the Children, where he learned effective methods for monitoring micro-projects and collaborating with children and youth teams. Additionally, he has been working closely with the project team, business coaches of the province, and mentor teachers, receiving valuable advice to improve and develop his skills.

“Working as a monitoring and evaluation focal point has been a valuable experience for my professional and personal growth. I believe my skills in analysis, problem-solving, giving advice, and making economic calculations have improved through mentoring the children and youth teams,” said Khash-Erdene. He also expressed his happiness that the project has been implemented in Bulgan soum and noted with pride, both as a teacher and a citizen, that the children and youth from his soum are thinking creatively and contributing to its development from an early age.

Khash-Erdene has been elected Chairman of the Bulgan Soum Citizens’ Representatives’ Khural as of October 2024. He has already planned several initiatives to support the education and development of children and youth in the soum. For example, he aims to establish a child and youth development center, organize an annual project proposal competition for secondary school students, provide funding, and support the implementation of their projects.

He said, “Both personally and as Chairman of the Citizens’ Representatives’ Khural, I am committed to prioritizing the education and development of the children in my soum. I am confident that our children will come up with many innovative initiatives that will positively impact society, thanks to their entrepreneurial mindset, and I am proud to contribute to that.”

In the target soums of Khovd province—Must, Mankhan, Zereg, Uyench, Altai, and Bulgan—the project’s Soum Level Counsels have worked diligently, with each counsel member fulfilling their duties responsibly. As a result, 90 micro-projects initiated by children and youth in Khovd aimag have been successfully implemented.