The Asia Foundation

As Mongolia moves into a new phase of its development, driven predominantly by rapid economic growth in the extractive industries, it faces a number of significant challenges. Rapid rates of urbanization are leading to an increasingly...

As Mongolia moves into a new phase of its development, driven predominantly by rapid economic growth in the extractive industries, it faces a number of significant challenges. Rapid rates of urbanization are leading to an increasingly overwhelming concentration of the population in urban centers, especially Ulaanbaatar.  As a result of this rapid population growth, more than half the area of Ulaanbaatar today consists of unplanned settlements called ger districts, which house more than half of the city's residents and nearly 25 percent of Mongolia's total population. The Asia Foundation has been working to support improvements in the ger districts for a number of years.

Mongolia is experiencing unprecedented growth and change, fueled by revenues from mining. Although the country's transition to democracy has been relatively smooth, citizen satisfaction is low. The concentration of economic opportunity in the...

Mongolia is experiencing unprecedented growth and change, fueled by revenues from mining. Although the country's transition to democracy has been relatively smooth, citizen satisfaction is low. The concentration of economic opportunity in the capital, Ulaanbaatar, has created a huge urban migration, with nearly 50 percent of Mongolians now living in the capital. Meeting the needs of recent arrivals in Ulaanbaatar and creating economic opportunities in other regional cities will be important if Mongolia is to deliver sustainable, broad-based improvements in the welfare of its population. The government of Mongolia is committed to fostering more responsive and capable local governments to improve citizen satisfaction, recognizing that decentralization often contributes to better development outcomes. Policymakers, led by the office of the president, are therefore pursuing an ambitious agenda to revive Mongolia's decentralization process.

As mining grows in importance to Mongolia's economy, local communities and the environment will increasingly feel the impact. Effective government institutions and citizen participation in local resource decisions will be imperative. Since...

As mining grows in importance to Mongolia's economy, local communities and the environment will increasingly feel the impact. Effective government institutions and citizen participation in local resource decisions will be imperative. Since 2006, The Asia Foundation has promoted responsible mining in Mongolia by supporting collaboration between industry, government and civil society.

The Mongolian economy is growing at an unprecedented rate. Sustained economic growth is boosting gross domestic product (GDP), supporting job creation, reducing poverty levels, and allowing the economy to expand into new...

The Mongolian economy is growing at an unprecedented rate. Sustained economic growth is boosting gross domestic product (GDP), supporting job creation, reducing poverty levels, and allowing the economy to expand into new fields. Despite these impressive successes, there have been persistent reports in the media about the existence of corrupt practices. These reports often relate to government employees asking businessmen for non-stipulated fees in return for services, for example, to process or expedite obtaining permits and documents, such as licenses, needed by business to operate. Until now, there has been no data about the pervasiveness of corrupt practices affecting business-government relations in Mongolia. The Study of Private Perceptions of Corruption (STOPP) was designed to obtain a picture of the extent of corruption, based on the experience of members of the business community. Interviewing representatives of small, medium, and large sized business enterprises, this study captures the similarities and differences companies face in relation to corrupt practices, breaking down the findings by sector.

The Survey on Perceptions and Knowledge of Corruption (SPEAK) is an integral part of the USAID-funded Strengthening Transparency and Governance in Mongolia (STAGE) program implemented by The Asia Foundation. The SPEAK survey builds on the...

The Survey on Perceptions and Knowledge of Corruption (SPEAK) is an integral part of the USAID-funded Strengthening Transparency and Governance in Mongolia (STAGE) program implemented by The Asia Foundation. The SPEAK survey builds on the semi-annual corruption benchmarking survey conducted under the USAID-funded Mongolian Anti-Corruption Support (MACS) project. While the past eleven surveys probed both citizens' perceptions and actual experience of corruption at the household level, the SPEAK survey has been expanded to capture data on perceptions and knowledge of administrative practices and grand corruption. Additionally, the SPEAK survey will be complemented by the Foundation's newly introduced Study of Private Perceptions of Corruption (STOPP) which is designed to capture data on perceptions of corruption of business sector. Together, the surveys will provide a much broader picture of the level of corruption in Mongolia. The Sant Maral Foundation (SMF) has been The Asia Foundation's implementing partner for both the surveys.

The Survey on Perceptions and Knowledge of Corruption (SPEAK) is an integral part of the USAID-funded Strengthening Transparency and Governance in Mongolia (STAGE) program implemented by The Asia Foundation. The SPEAK survey builds on the...

The Survey on Perceptions and Knowledge of Corruption (SPEAK) is an integral part of the USAID-funded Strengthening Transparency and Governance in Mongolia (STAGE) program implemented by The Asia Foundation. The SPEAK survey builds on the semi-annual corruption benchmarking survey conducted under the USAID-funded Mongolian Anti-Corruption Support (MACS) project. While the past eleven surveys probed both citizens' perceptions and actual experience of corruption at the household level, the SPEAK survey has been expanded to capture data on perceptions and knowledge of administrative practices and grand corruption. Additionally, the SPEAK survey will be complemented by the Foundation's newly introduced Study of Private Perceptions of Corruption (STOPP) which is designed to capture data on perceptions of corruption of business sector. Together, the surveys will provide a much broader picture of the level of corruption in Mongolia. The Sant Maral Foundation (SMF) has been The Asia Foundation's implementing partner for both the surveys.