Secure Livelihood Meeting 28 November 2008

Here is a draft agenda for meeting next Friday. The meeting will be in the Vol room with lunch in a nearby restaurant. We are a small group but there are two new volunteers, Jonny who arrived in August, and Rosesalie who arrived this month, since we last met in February.

0930 Introductions, objectives etc

0945 Update, 15 minutes each on what we are doing etc

1045 Coffee break

1100 Update continuing, how we can do better.

1200 Value Chains - report by Erka on recent training he attended

1230 VSO website, what info do we want

1300 Lunch

1400 Programme Area Review, what we need to do.

1500 Any other business

Please add anything else you want to discuss, talk about.

NICE meeting room... John, Sheila, Roel, Erka, Greg, Sandra, Ruth, Virginia... (l-r)

SL session at June Vol Conference

(draft - vols please comment / add by email)
Sitting in one of best meeting venues I have yet experienced, under shady trees on a grassy riverbank in the Mongolian countryside while horses grazed around us, the VSO Mongolia Secure Livelihoods volunteers team with our Programme Manager Erka discussed our work here. We proceeded defiantly low-tech and literally green, without the use of flipcharts or post-it notes.

We had an update from all SL vols present as follows:

Sandra (Howarth), working since March 08 as a teacher trainer at the Mongolian Textile Institute (part of MUST - Mongolian University of Science ad Technology) and teaching textile design students.

Clare (Hill) Foundation for the Development of Wool and Cashmere Enterprises Vocational training provider, working as a marketing adviser, recently a project on wool classing.

Virginia (Gresley) working as a Teacher Trainer at the Foreign Languages Institute.

Jude (Mak), previously working at Engram English College, now developing a project with ITGEL foundation for Satun(?) Reindeer Herders in remote Tsagaan Uur Soum, north of Huvsgul, developing a placement supporting a Tourist Centre and Visitor Centre.

Brian (Watmough) who is working also since March on business planning with Mercy Corps in Sustainable Tourism - gave us an introduction to Value Chain Assessment (see this for example from Sussex University) with which most were not intimately familiar. VCA is becoming increasingly important to provide an overview (big picture) perspective for understanding enterprises in development.

John is an accompanying partner, supporting Particia - and VSO housemate Raj - in Choibalsan, but has been busily involved in vegetable growing and a organising seed bank.

Sheila is still getting established in her eco-tourism placement in temporary accommodation in remote Bayan Ulgii, working with Eagle Hunters and others supporting English language lessons and traditional handicrafts (embroidery) projects. She has no internet access.

Roel has been in place for two months as a Construction Teacher Trainer at the Construction Ministry in UB, working on an Asian Development Bank funded Vocational Training programme, including carpentry, bricklaying plastering etc. October will see a key phase of the project commence for the seven training providers.

Ruth (Richardson) who coordinated the conference, and who previously led a disability access audit of the conference venue, Equal Step Camp, is a Youth for Development volunteer who arrived last August and works supporting Equal Step's work with street children, and is completing VSO's work supporting the Mongolian Women Farmers Association.

Greg (Cowan) is working as an architect teacher trainer at the Mongolian Construction Technology College until August, and besides training architect teachers in methodologies has also recently been working with them on enterprise projects for developing eco-houses and a childrens camp.

Erka (Erdenebileg Batmunkh), the Secure Livelihoods Programme Manager for VSO Mongolia , gave an update, expanding information provided in the conference pack, and about his recent training on Outcomes Based Monitoring.

In concluding the Secure Livelihoods conference session, it was agreed that Brian Watmough would take over from Greg Cowan as the volunteer coordinator for this area.

Rob (van Waardenburg) is also working at the Mongolian Construction Technology College as a Building Engineer Teacher Trainer but was unable to attend.
Witze, now working with Bayanburd Tungul NGO, was unable to attend.
Pip a veterinarian, was also unable to attend.

Participants are invited to add to, comment upon, or correct the above draft. (Greg)

SL Programme Session at Volunteer Conf 19 June

Secure Livelihoods programme session at the Vol Conference is now scheduled for next Thursday 19 June, 2.00pm-5.30pm

If you have not done so already, please put your thoughts down and send to the group here (eg. as a comment) or by any other means necessary.

As facilitator, I suggest it should be OK using A1 / A2 flipcharts with 4 colours of suitable felt tip pens. Please bring anything else you may need in order to demonstrate or present your agenda item. Any examples of the work you have done / photos you have taken, etc., would be welcome.

Any reports on your work on Mainstreaming Disability in Secure Livelihoods may be incorporated into the session with Nickson Kakiri and I about accessibility and disability in the morning session 9am-10am Thursday 19 June

VSO Mongolia and Secure Livelihoods weblink

SL Network Meeting - The end

And we had to leave this beautiful place.

SL Network Meeting - New PAP

Aims

• Not to include specific Water point project aims
• Include the word 'sustainable'
  

Objectives

• Should be more focused in order to develop monitoring parameters

Strategies

• Should be more specific for revised objectives.
  
• Should include transition strategies to phase out existing partners who do not fit the new aims and objectives.

General Points

• The reference to a pilot construction involvement be removed, as there is not intention to continue with construction even if the pilot is successful. ie needs and exit strategy for existing partners.
• Serious consideration should be given to supporting TVET short term training offered by private Mongolian companies, both in UB and the country side.
• The PAP should be reviewed in 2 years. The expertise profile of the SL prog. area will change under the new PAP. It was felt that the present members of the SL prog. area group did not have the background to comment on some of the new proposed interventions.
  

SL Network Meeting - New PAP, Business support

Focus Service

• Business structures
• Management
• Financial planning and control
• Communication
• Human resource management
  

Interventions

• Life skills
  
• time management
• Business attitude
• Entrepreneurial skills
  

Targeted Beneficiaries

• Herder, growers and start up business
  

Outcomes

• Improved profitability
• Access to loans

Crossovers

• Quality of service
  
• Services networking, business to business
• Customer relations
• Marketing
• In formation Technologu
  

SL Network Meeting - New PAP, Liestock and Horticulture.

Focus Service

• Livestock advice
• Livestock food security
• Training
  

Interventions

• Disease
• Production
• Breeding
• Data management
• Business advice training
• Research into food security
• Extension services in pasture management.
  

Targeted Beneficiaries

• Herders and growers
  

Outcomes

• Healthy livestock/food production
• Better managed livestock
• Improved food standards
• Improved food security
• Improved pasture management
  

Crossovers

• Training methodologies
• Quality assurance capacity building

SL Network Meeting - New PAP, Trianing

Focus Service

• Improve TVET at soum/aimag centre

Interventions

• Training trainers
• Short term skills training Curriculum Development

Targeted Beneficiaries

• Unemployed youth
  

Outcomes

• Improved employability of vulnerable groups

Crossovers

• Training methodologies
• Quality assurance capacity building
  

SL Network Meeting - New rural placement opportunities.

Imminent Placements

• ADB/VSO Water Point Project
• Textile Value chain
• Horticulture Value chain

Future Opportunities

• Short term TVET for mining, textile, hospitality, construction skills
• Live stock production (ideas need to be developed by the new volunteers in this area of expertise)
• National parks and conservation projects
• Food security projects.
  

SL Network Meeting - Accessibility and Mainstreaming Disability

DRAFT: Mainstreaming Disability - Workshop 22 February (facilitator Greg Cowan)

Secure Livelihoods Volunteers note that they want to continue to work on mainstreaming disability during the period of exit from Ulaanbaatar-based placements and refocus toward rural areas. We feel the current work on mainstreaming disability has been logistically and financially possible largely because of centralised working of secure livelihoods volunteers in the capital.

We would like to continue to work with stakeholders in positive action to raise awareness and create sustainable behavioural change, supporting people with disabiities and increasing accessibility and participation. We have begun this with the Accessibility group at VSO and in working with the Mongoian National Federation of Disabled Peoples Organisations MNFDPO and the Mongolian Wheelchair Users-Citizens Association MTIX.

Secure Livelihoods volunteers in Technical and Vocational Educational and Training should be encouraged to continue for example, to work with the (Ulaanbaatar headquartered) Mongolian Youth Federation on widening access to people with disabilities. See this blog

SL Network Meeting - Programme Links

DRAFT: Programme Links - Workshop 22 February (facilitator Greg Cowan)

The Secure Livelihoods Mongolia volunteers group noted that it is currently working programmatically and cross-programmatically in some of the following ways. It noted that urban and peri-urban areas have recently been a focus in Mongolia.

1. Construction design skills development; community development and training for energy efficient housing design. Developing Mongolian consultants’ / teachers' expertise in this area. (e.g. Mongolian Construction Technology College working with World Vision Bayankhoshuu)

2. Infrastructure development, especially in the Ger districts; domestic heating, water supply, transport. Wish to develop Mongolian consultants' (CTC teachers) expertise in these areas.

3. Linking projects with Education and Health – Cross-programme working.
For example; SL network participation in ‘English speaking club’ established with Ruth Powell (education) and Rob van Waardenburg (SL) to support various Mongolian volunteers in conversational and technical English usage.

4. Mainstreaming Disability – Secure Livelihoods volunteers are working on mainstreaming and awareness raising activities, with VSO Mongolia (eg. Accessibility of Construction in Mongolia) and also often in conjunction with other NGOs (Mongolian National Federation of Disabled Peoples’ Organisations MNFDPO, Mongolian Wheelchair Users-Citizens Association MTIX)

5. Community Health Programme collaboration (eg. Witze mentioned a programme at Nalaikh where milk is being provided for a health programme) Some SL volunteers work on World AIDS day, raising awareness and exhibiting a thematic exhibition at a construction college in the Ger Districts.

6. Life skills training programmes - training trainers and short term training (e.g ADB TVET project with David Whitworth)

7. Supporting and encouraging the development of Outreach Programmes – partner organisations e.g. World Vision Songinokhairkain with Mongolian Wheelchair Users-Citizens Association MTIX or World Vision Bayankhoshuu with Construction Technology College CTC 21^st microdistrict.

8. Continuing language learning and teaching support for Secure Livelihoods partner organisations in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and also in informal settings (e.g.1.English Club as above, e.g.2. Greg Cowan assisting State Construction College with Asia Pacific Accreditation Council submission preparation and English translation.)

9. Business Incubator Centre advice for Secure Livelihoods Partners, assisting in small business planning, could be developed. (e.g. Wilfredo in Darkhan)

10. Short term training for National Volunteers (eg Greg Cowan CTC began Design for Independent Living training for Chuluundolgor, NV, Mongolian Wheelchair Users-Citizens Association MTIX)

Volunteers feel they are working to develop secure livelihoods with urban and peri-urban poverty and we would like to ensure VSO Mongolia has a clear strategy for exiting from its urban work and for effectively continuing its programmatic work in rural areas, especially with changing partners and placements under the new Programme Area Plan (PAP).

SL Network Meeting – SL Global Workshop

The workshops deliberations were briefing outlined by Erka.

The results of the deliberations are,

• •VSO is committed to supporting the development of market chain approaches which strengthen the ability of poor and marginalised groups, especially women, to earn a viable living
• •VSO is committed to sustainable natural resource management and supporting local communities to adapt to the impact of climate change. •
• VSO should pay more attention to livelihoods opportunities for urban and rural youth•
• •VSO should explore ways to get RVs involved in advocacy on International Trade Barriers that restrict opportunities for poor and marginalised people in developing countries to earn a living
• •VSO should show a ggreater commitment to tackling gender inequality in Secure Livelihoods work, especially through gender- sensitive M&E and more training for staff and volunteers
• VSO needs to develop approaches to measuring impact at community level in Secure Livelihoods work;

Sorry, my bold!!!! For details please contact Erka .

SL Network Meeting – Millennium Challenge Briefing

An outline of the projects likely to be funded by the MCC’s $25m TVET grant was presented to the group.

The rural economic sectors to benefit from the MC’s investment in TVET line up closely with the new SL PAP’s proposals, presenting the SL programme area with opportunities to support the MC’s TVET projects and visa versa.

Given the current state of the Mongolian TVET legislation and the general election due in June 2008, the individual TVET projects are unlikely to start until well into 2009. This should provide ample opportunity for the SL programme area to become involved in the MC’s project development process, in particular with short term (also referred to as non-formal) training.

Non-formal training has a big impact on the disadvantaged and unskilled. Government funded, one to four month practical skills training allows the disadvantaged to take their first step towards full employment.

The likely partners for VSO in supporting non-formal training in rural areas are,

• State run Vocational Training Centre’s to be part of the MC’c TVET Project
• Local companies with in-house training facilities
• Local private training providers.
  

More details from David at david.whitworth1@gmail.com

SL Network Meeting – Update for Programme Area Review, Oct 2007

Not much reported, the issues having been covered in the previous session on the PAP.

On the specific questions asked at the end of the PAR partner session, the view was universally expressed that the questions were structured to elicit a single response, agreement. The only exception was the question concerning the new SL rural focus, where the overwhelming response was disagreement, ie UB based partners should be included in the SL programme area’s PAP.

SL Network Meeting – Programme Area Plan (PAP)

Erka introduced the new version of the PAP which was developed with the help of VSO experts in the SL progamme area. The major shift of focus in the SL’s new plan is to support people in rural areas only, ie not UB. The plan has to be submitted to VSP London for approval in March.

As written, the plan proposes to work in four sectors

• Agriculture, to include both livestock and horticulture
• Textiles
• Tourism
• Construction (pilot)
  

The agriculture, textiles and tourism sectors are linked by their rural context and there are considerable crossover opportunities in the types of partnerships and placements that could be developed between them. The new ADB/VSO Water Point Project being a good example. (for follow info on any project, etc, referred to here, please contract Erka). However, construction is almost exclusively targeted at urban development and therefore is at odds with the new SL rural focus.

Following discussion on this aberration, the following emerged,

• Construction should not be included in the plan, not even as a pilot. A pilot implies that if successful a full programme of construction related activities would ensue. It was felt that this would not be the case.
• Developing Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) partnerships, not only in construction as current TVET placements are, could be a possible way to retain the VSO construction placements experience but with a rural and peri-urban focus.
• Including the Water Point Project aims in the Programme Area Aims was felt to be inappropriate.
• The stated Objectives in the plan are too weak. There is no mention of sustainability, for example.
• The Implementation Strategies were not specific enough.
• The Implementation Strategies should include a strategy for shifting the SL focus to rural placements, i.e. exit strategies for current UB based partners, Lotus, Equal Steps and the Construction Technical College. This could possibly involve moving them to an alternative Programme Area.
  

SL group members were encouraged to provide their proposed amendments to the PAP document by the 29^th Feb to Erka, preferable on soft copy.

SL Network Meeting – Get it off your chest.

Firstly to welcome Brian (tourism), Philippa (vetinary), Shiela (tourism) and Sandra (fabric design) to the group. They have been in Mongolia for only 5 days.

Each person present gave a 5/10 min overview of their placement and the progress they were making toward their placements objectives. The session gave a really good insight into the work of other VSO in the group. A good introduction for the new arrivals too. One of the objectives of the session was to connect people who could support each other in their placements. David and Ruth are to look into greenhouse design for the Women’s Farmers Association. Sandra and David will follow up on the curriculum development issues around short term training and the voucher scheme.

Conference Agenda Day 2

Day	Time	Activity	To meet objective	Led By	Comments
Feb. 22nd	8:30	Breakfast	Well Being!
	9:30	Briefing On the Millennium Challenge VET project.	Update group on SL issues.	David
	10:15	Discussion How to take advantage of the MCC VET Project.	Update group on SL issues.	Facilitated by David
	11:00	Coffee	Well Being!
	11:15	Discussion Programme links between Education and Secure Livelihoods	Promote cross programme area working	Facilitated by Greg
	11:45	Discussion On accessibility in construction and education / accessible design, VSO mainstreaming disability / independent living.	Promote cross programme area working	Facilitated by Greg	To include new placements in rural development.
	12:30	Lunch	Well Being!	Urnaa	Pack ready to leave promptly at 2:45. Vacate rooms.
	1:30	Walk and talk	volunteer to volunteer networking
	2:00	Wrap up and Farewells for those leaving Mongolia.	Volunteer to Volunteer networking	Erka
	2:45	Leave Hotel for UB		Urnaa
	4:30	Arrive VSO office

Conference Agenda Day 1

Day	Time	Activity	To meet objective	Led By	Comments
Feb. 21st	8:30	Leave VSO Office for Networking Venue		Urnaa	Meet at the VSO office at 8:15 for a 8:30 departure.
	10:30	Settle into UB2	Well Being!	Urnaa
	11:00	Introduction to meeting with coffee	Volunteer to Volunteer networking	Erka
		Introductions for new SL arrivals.	Volunteer to Volunteer networking	Erka
	11:30	Get it off Your Chest	Volunteer to Volunteer networking	Facilitated by David	Talk about our good and not so good placement experiences and to elicit help from Colleagues.
	1:00	Lunch	Well Being!	Urnaa
	2:00	Briefing Future Programme Directions	Update group on SL issues.	Erka
	2:30	Discussion On the new Programme Area Plan (PAP)	Update group on SL issues. & Volunteer to PO networking.	Facilitated by Erka
	3:30	Coffee	Well Being!	Urnaa
	3:45	Walk/Meditation/Games	Well Being!		The Hotel has sledges you can borrow and a convenient hill just outside!!!
	4:30	Briefing Update on Programme Area Review (PAR)	Update group on SL issues.	Erka
	5:00	Briefing SL Global Workshop: brief presentation on value chain experiences	Update group on SL issues.	Erka
	7:00	Dress for Dinner (only Joking!)	Well Being!
	7:30	Dinner and Social Evening	Fun	Urnaa

Conference Aims and Objectives

Secure Livelihoods Networking Meeting

(Thursday 21^st – Friday 22^nd February 2008)

Meeting Aims

Promote communication within Secure Livelihoods Programme Area..

Meeting Objectives

• Facilitate volunteer to volunteer and volunteer to programme office networking.
• Promote cross programme area working.
• Update group on SL issues.
  

Meeting Outcomes.

• Identify economic sectors in which to find new SL partners.
• Propose ways to include disadvantaged individuals in SL project

Overview

21st February Thursday	22nd February Friday
am Networking.	am SL future partners.
pm Programme area business.	pm Wrap up and Networking.
Evening Dinner and social

Erka's Agenda Items

• provide information on volunteer requests and planning for 2008-2009;
• budget planning for FY 2008-2009;
• update on Programme area;
• outcome and recommendation from the Secure Livelihoods global workshop.

If anyone would like to know any other info from PO, please let me know. I will be happy to provide requested information.