Asia
1. Outline of the ProjectCountry:

Project title:

Mongolia

The Project for the Improvement of Technology on Diagnosis of
Animal Infectious Diseases

Issue/Sector:

Cooperation scheme:

Livestock Sanitation

Project-type Technical Cooperation

Division in charge:

Total cost:

Livestock and Horticulture Division, Agricultural
Development Cooperation Department

570 Million Yen

Period of Cooperation

Partner Country's Implementing Organization:

1 July 1997 - 30 June
2002

Mongolian State University of Agriculture, Institute of Veterinary
Medicine (IVM),
Immunological Research Center (IRC)

Supporting Organization in Japan:
Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Kitasato
University, Gifu University, Nihon University

Related Cooperation:
Long-term Training Program

1-1 Background of the Project
In Mongolia, Livestock farming represents 30 percent of the GDP, 40 percent of employment and 40 percent of the county's
exported manufactured products. The development of livestock farming is regarded as an important area in the economicreformation, which had been conducted since the mid-1980s, and the Mongolian government is aiming at expanding exports ofagricultural farming products. Thus, important issues are taking countermeasures for and controlling animal infectious diseases.
IVM is the only organization for veterinary education and research, and is in charge of the study and diagnosis of livestock
diseases and the development of vaccine. However, after the transition to a market economy, information from overseas wasstopped, and the progress of research technology in IVM became stagnated. As a result, the quality of public livestock sanitation
service declined in IVM. This gave rise to the possibility of an outbreak of serious infectious diseases among the livestock, which
would be a future obstacle to the government plan to increase agricultural farming products.
Under this circumstance, the Mongolian government requested Japan to provide Project-type Technical Cooperation to improve
technology on the diagnosis of animal infections, in order to minimize a loss in livestock production, to increase agricultural
farming and food production income, and to acquire more foreign exchange.

1-2 Project Overview
In this Project, basic and applied technology of immunological research on infectious diseases was transferred to researchers in
the Mongolian State University of Agriculture and Institute of Veterinary Medicine (IVM), in order to improve the service of public
livestock sanitation.
(1) Overall Goal
The livestock industry is developed through the improvement of the technology on diagnosis of animal infectious diseases.

(2) Project Purpose
The immunological and immunological research in the diagnosis of animal infectious diseases in reinforced through the basicand applied research activities.
(3) Outputs
The staff of veterinary department of the University and IVM will attain skills of basic and applied research techniques for
immunological diagnosis of animal infectious diseases.
(4) Inputs
Japanese side:
Long-term Experts

10Equipment

150 Million Yen

Short-term Experts

38Local Cost

64 Million Yen

Trainees received

22Mongolian side:Counterparts

41

Local Cost

147.95 Million Togrogs (15 Million Yen)

2. Evaluation Team
Members of Evaluation
TeamTeam Leader/General: Kazuo NAKAGAWA, Managing Director of Agricultural Development
Cooperation Department, JICA
Veterinary Diagnosis and Extensions: Akira ARAKAWA, Professor Emeritus, Osaka Prefecture
University
Veterinary Diagnosis Research and Development: Takeshi MIKAMI, Laboratory of Veterinary
Public Health, College of Bioresource Science, Nihon University
Evaluation Planning: Kayo TORII, Staff, Livestock and Horticulture Division, AgriculturalDevelopment Cooperation Department, JICA
Evaluation Analysis: Kanji HOSHINO, SOWA Consultants Inc.
Translator: Makiko KATO, Japan International Cooperation Center

Period of Evaluation

3 April 2002 - 12 April
2002

Type of Evaluation:
Terminal Evaluation

3. Results of Evaluation
3-1 Summary of Evaluation Results(1) RelevanceThe livestock sector in Mongolia is the most important sector developing the economy and improving the people's standard ofliving. The Government has set the increase in the exports of livestock products as its national policy. As the improvement indiagnosis technology of animal infections and reinforcement of measures to prevent epidemics are important in promoting
livestock products, the project purpose is highly relevant. Moreover the Mongolian government has a policy to promote theexport of livestock products and thus a disease control system is a top priority. The Project Purpose is consistent with theMongolian policy as well as with JICA's Country Program for Mongolia emphasizing the development of Agriculture.
(2) Effectiveness
The Immunological Research Center (IRC) established those related technologies to infections caused by viruses, bacteria andparasites including diagnosis technologies of infectious diseases. International Symposium 2001 and achievement of publication

by counterparts indicate the progress in their research. From the questionnaire survey results, 40 out of 41 counterparts said
that "they had become used to the provided facilities" and were "confident with the transferred technology". These responses
demonstrate that technology has been transferred smoothly.
Although IRC is a newly formed organization in order to conduct the Project, it has been provided with the necessary inputs, andthe counterparts have acquired the necessary skills through the guidance of experts and the training in Japan. The Project
Purpose has been achieved through the activities and inputs of this Project only, as IRC has received no cooperation from otherdonors.
(3) Efficiency
Some of the Long-term Experts were not dispatched as planned, but their tasks were covered by the achievements of Shortterm Experts. The training in Japan and provision of machinery and materials were conducted appropriately and utilized
effectively. There were some problems on the Mongolian side; e.g., the dependence on Japan for the purchase andmanagement of machinery and materials; the veterinary department of the Mongolian State University did not allocate personnel
as counterparts, despite it was initially planned. However, the Project Outputs were achieved with the efforts of the experts andthe counterparts.
(4) Impact
There was a wide gap between the Project Purpose ("the reinforcement of research on immunological and immunologicalinfectious diseases") and the Overall Goal ("development of livestock industry"). As the Project activities were conducted only in
the IRC, the organizational, economical and social impacts have not been observed, yet. In order to achieve the Overall Goal,
the following issues must be considered; development and operation of policy for livestock farming; foundation of an institute topromote diagnosis technology; and maintenance of veterinary services.
However, there were some side-impacts in the technological aspect. For instance, the diagnosis technology developed in theProject was adopted by the veterinary department of the Mongolian State University and the Ministry of Food and Agriculture:
Increased awareness and understanding of the technology of immunological diagnosis were found among veterinary clinics andstate research laboratories. If a biological complex and veterinary centers are founded in the future, the transferred technology
will be disseminated.
(5) Sustainability
The technical sustainability is high, since the counterparts have acquired the necessary skills and can attain new skills orknowledge through the network of researchers, whenever needed. However, IRC is not sustainable in the financial aspect, as it
has been dependent on Japan for funding to cover supplies and maintenance throughout the Project term, and most of thebudget from the Mongolian Veterinary Association is spent on personnel costs. As the Mongolian government is planning toincrease the budget to develop scientific technology, IRC must utilize this opportunity, as well as assuring its own revenues.

3-2 Factors that promoted realization of effects(1) Factors concerning Planning
N/A(2) Factors concerning the Implementation Process
Effective coordination between the dispatch of experts and the acceptance of trainees contributed to the achievements. The
trainees studied in Japan for about 10 months, which fostered a personal relationship between the trainees and the staff of theaccepting institution (a university). This enabled them to receive technical advice even after the training period.

3-3 Factors that impeded realization of effects(1) Factors concerning Planning
At the planning stage, the consideration given to managerial and financial aspects of the implementing organizations wasinsufficient.
As IRC is a research institute and does not carry out actual diagnostics, it must cooperate with the Ministry of Food andAgriculture, which conducts diagnoses, in order to achieve the Project Purpose and the Overall Goal. The plan should havecovered this point.

(2) Factors concerning the Implementation Process
Being weak in financial and personnel resources, IRC became overly dependent on Japanese support in operating the Projectand managing and maintaining the machinery.

3-4 Conclusion
The technology of diagnosis of animal infectious diseases has been transferred to counterparts and the Project Purpose isexpected to be achieved within the Project period. However, there are still some problem regarding Relevance andSustainability, and it is necessary that the Mongolian side improve IRC's organizational system.

3-5 Recommendations(1) IRC needs to establish an appropriate system with regard to maintaining the provided machinery; this includes therecruitment of technicians.
(2) The Mongolian side should take necessary measures as soon as possible to consider the future status of IRC, including
consolidation with another independent center or related research institute, after the termination of the Project.
(3) It is critical to allocate a budget for the maintenance of equipment and procurement of necessary reagents in IRC. It is
expected that IRC to make full use of government funds which are to be doubled for research activities.
(4) In order to promote the diagnostic techniques developed in the Project, the Mongolian State University of Agriculture needs
to form a specific plan to collaborate with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture.
(5) To achieve the Overall Goal, it is necessary not only to improve the techniques of diagnosis on infectious diseases, but also
to solve other issues in the livestock industry, such as over-grazing, how best the nomadic lifestyle should accommodate to themarket economy, natural disasters and water supply. The Mongolian government needs to establish a committee of relatedorganizations and formulate a strategic framework for development of the livestock sector.

3-6 Lessons Learned(1) In designing a project framework, careful consideration on institutional, financial, and managerial aspects of implementing
organization has a critical importance.
(2) Effective coordination between the counterpart trainings and the dispatch of experts is useful in technology transfer.
(3) A realistic goal should have been set to clarify the future direction of the project to keep Project purpose and Overall goal on
the right path.

3-7 Follow-up Situation
Based on the recommendation, JICA dispatched a follow-up expert for two years from 2003, to give advice to the MongolianState University of Agriculture in the area of establishing an IRC system and to the Ministry of Food and Agriculture in the areaof livestock industry policy-making.