LESSON
Lesson Learned: Towards a better electoral process in Mongolia
Some of the project activities changed as the grantee found that the judiciary was not interested in being trained by an NGO. Instead, they translated the International IDEA’s Handbook on Electoral Justice into Mongolian and distributed it to the appellate court judges at working lunches or through the mail. The handbook was also distributed to other actors, including the electoral commission and political parties. This seemed to be an appropriate alternative as the evaluators found the handbook in use by lawyers with election complaint cases pending in the courts, with some judges, party members and the electoral commission stating that they used it as a reference for international best practices and to find specific examples of how other countries handled their electoral dispute resolution.
Project Name
Project Partner
Women for Social Progress
Project Description
The project sought to strengthen the electoral system and civic participation in Mongolia by raising the level of voter education and public awareness on democratic institutions and processes. Its main objectives were: to prepare a voter education high school curriculum; establish a network of volunteers able to train on voters rights issues; improve the skills of key officials involved with elections; and implement a public awareness campaign for voters for the elections in 2012. Its intended outcomes were to have its voter education curriculum adopted by the Ministry of Education as part of the national school curriculum; trained observers and officials ready for the 2012 elections; and, a more knowledgeable public on voter issues. It is evident that this project contributed towards these results and to the more positive outcome of the 2012 electoral process when compared to the situation in 2008. The project started early when no one else was working on these issues, and it was a sizeable project for the sector. However, the extent of the project’s reach and its actual impact is unknown.
Report
Evaluation Date
November 2011
Theme
Country