Budget Support for Employment reforms in Mongolia mid term evaluation

Systematic and timely evaluation of its programmes and activities is an established priority of the European Commission. The focus of evaluations is on the assessment of achievements, the quality and the results4 of Budget Support Programme(s) in the context of an evolving cooperation policy, with increasing emphasis on result-oriented approaches and the contribution made towards the achievement of the SDGs.

From this perspective, evaluations should look for evidence of why, whether and how the EU Budget Support Programme(s) has/have contributed to the achievement of these results and seek to identify the factors driving or hindering progress.
The main objectives of this evaluation are to provide the relevant services of the European Union, the interested stakeholders and the wider public with:

• an overall independent assessment of the performance of the Budget Support for Employment reforms in Mongolia, paying particular attention to its different levels of results measured against its expected objectives; and the reasons underpinning such results
• key lessons learned, conclusions and related recommendations in order to improve current and future Budget Support Programme(s).

In particular, this evaluation will serve:

1. To understand to what extent the Government of Mongolia and the Sector Reform Performance Contract for Employment Reforms in Mongolia have achieved their expected results, notably through contributing to the implementation of the partner government's employment and Public Financial Management (PFM) strategies particularly by providing opportunities for the improvement of national policy processes and policy implementation.
2. The evaluation should also specifically analyse how the budget support programme (combined with other complementary EU funded programs such as the Strengthening Governance in Mongolia project (World Bank), SDG aligned budgeting to transform employment project (UNDP), and the IMF regional CCMTAC Programme, have contributed (or not) to strengthen Public Financial Management (PFM) systems, including improved transparency within government systems, improved Domestic Revenues Mobilisation and stronger accountability.
3. The evaluation will also pay attention to other aid modalities (basket/common funds, projects), in order to assess the complementarity and synergy (or discrepancy) of these modalities with budget support.
4. It should also assess the effects of the budget support operations on the M&E systems in the sectors supported by the programme. Budget support should aim to strengthen the monitoring systems in the sectors it supports, in alignment with the existing national level monitoring and evaluation systems and contribute to the improved availability and credibility of data. Availability of the robust progress reports by the government, providing results information against targets set under the strategy, and the use of these reports to facilitate informed policy dialogue between the different stakeholders (CSOs, private sector, Parliament, donors) and evidence-based decision making is one indicator of the capacity of the government in the area of M&E.