IRIM has started undertaking a research project aimed to assess and gain better understanding of the challenges and barriers faced by under-represented groups in Ulaanbaatar’s ger areas, with regards to accessing public services from January 2019, within the framework of the Urban Governance Project implemented by the Asia Foundation.

The Asia Foundation in collaboration with the Municipality of Ulaanbaatar implements the Urban Governance Project, funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation. The project supports the municipality’s administrative decentralization of pro-poor services, piloting the delivery of selected public administration services at the khoroo level and in this regard, the municipality is planning to relocate services to khoroos over the next few years. In addition, the municipality adopted the SDG’s principle of ‘leave no one behind’ and is aiming to promote human-rights based approach to reach those who face barriers and unable to receive public administrative services. Thereforeit was necessary to understand and identify the barriers and challenges faced by under-represented groups and to identify factors that affect these barriers.

The study will focus on  the identified under-represented groups in Ulaanbaatar’s ger areas, including those groups at poor and disadvantaged citizens, elderly people, youth, people with disabilities, single headed household, internal migrants, LGBTIQ and ethnic minorities.

The study report will be published in May 2019, and will provide recommendations for the Municipality of Ulaanbaatar to enhance its strategies for improving access to administrative services of the under-represented groups and adopting gender sensitive service delivery.