Posted on 9/1/2008

In September, the USAID Mission conducted field monitoring of selected projects, and initiated preparations for the end of the calendar year close outs of the successful Judicial Reform Project (JRP),   Gobi Initiative (GI) and Growing Entrepreneurship Rapidly Project (GER), which have been running for the past seven, ten and six years respectively.  These projects are being allowed to come to their planned end due to recent cut backs in USAID Mongolia’s annual budget. However, with the signing a $285M Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Compact late last year, it should be noted that the overall USG assistance levels to Mongolia are at a high water mark. 

Early in the month, USAID Representative Barry Primm, Senior Program Manager Jeff Goodson and FSN Administrative Assistance Narmandal Luvsandagva traveled north to Hovsgol Aimag to meet with the Chief Justice of the court in the aimag capital of Moron regarding the JRP close out; to review the status of USAID funded generator sets provided over a decade ago to the city power plant; to pay a courtesy call on the Aimag Governor; and to locate some heavy road-building equipment donated to Hovsgol National Park by the USG in the late 1990s.  En route back to Ulaanbaatar, the travelers also stopped at Erdenet City in Bulgan Aimag to meet with local representatives of the USAID funded GER Project.   

Late in the month, USAID Messrs. Primm and Goodson, along with FSN Program Officer Mendsaihan Hasbaatar, traveled to Mongolia’s west-central aimags of Bayanhongor, Gobi-Altai, Zavhan and Arhangai to visit project sites. In the respective aimag capitals the USAID group with meet with governors, court justices, local representatives of the Training, Advocacy and Networking (TAN) Project, and local offices of the USDA funded Rural Agriculture Support (RASP) Project and GI.  In addition, the USAID group discussed the progress of the Gobi Forage Project with the aimag governors and met with representatives of the Arhangai Veterinary Department to discuss the local component of the UN’s FAO and USAID funded Avian Influenza (HPAI) monitoring program.