Supported by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, the Foundation’s Urban Governance Project (UGP) works closely with Mongolia’s  Municipality of Ulaanbaatar (MUB) in nine districts and 87 ger khoroos (municipal subdistricts) to improve the quality of governance and life in the city. UGP supports MUB  to improve citizen participation in decision-making, public service delivery, and capacity development for the Ulaanbaatar civil service. In 2018, we launched a Citizen Input Application to help plan local infrastructure funded by the Local Development Fund. It  received 13,000+ inputs from citizens in the pilot area. The project also piloted the decentralization of administrative services to improve citizen access to services. We supported the municipality to develop its first-ever training framework for civil servants. Since 2015, UGP has trained 3,270+ civil servants and received significant government support as they have taken ownership of the process.

Mongolia has experienced profound changes since its emergence as a democracy, but women still confront unique barriers to economic participation. With pioneering support from the Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), the Mongolian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Golomt Bank, and Development Solutions, the Foundation and the City of Ulaanbaatar have established Mongolia’s first Women’s Business Center to support women’s entrepreneurship. Since opening in 2016 the Center has already received close to 5,000 visitors, and registered 2,000 entrepreneurs who are learning to access capital, loans, and customers; build networks; and market, manage, and grow their businesses. In June 2017, the WBC opened a new-business incubator, offering state-of-the-art facilities and specially-designed studios for craftsmen, artisans, food-processors, and producers. A four-month, accelerated incubator program for small and startup businesses includes operating space, training and mentoring, and access to a business development fund.