LocationsA story from Uvs Province
Enhancing Local Governance Through Citizen Participation
January 30, 2026
Enhancing Local Governance Through Citizen Participation
A Story from Uvs Province
When Uvs Province began preparing for its anniversary, the Governor issued an instruction that would spark unexpected change: “We need a grant project proposal.” For two already busy civil servants, it felt like another task at first. Instead, it became the beginning of a six-month journey that reshaped how the province listens to its people.
Guided by the Governor’s vision to expand civic space and bring citizens’ voices into public decision-making, S. Oyunbileg, Head of Administrative Management, and P. Enkhmaa, Manager of the Business Incubator Center, drafted a proposal for UNDP’s regional initiative 3P4D, Pathways for Participation for Human Development. Mongolia is one of five countries using this initiative to test locally led innovations for broader citizen participation.
Among the supported pilots was Uvs Province’s project, From Initiative to Decision, designed with a simple goal: listen to people, identify what they truly need, and work with communities to develop practical solutions.
UNDP Mongolia
Listening First and Turning Ideas Into Action
After securing the grant, the Governor’s Office partnered with two local civil society organizations. Together, they conducted a public survey to gather citizens’ ideas, concerns, and feedback. Responses such as “Thank you for listening” revealed both appreciation and a strong desire for meaningful engagement. By listening directly to people across the province, the project team gained a clearer understanding of citizens’ expectations and needs.
To turn ideas into action, the grant project team organized an IDEATHON, where eight community teams presented proposals to improve local life. Three ideas were selected for implementation, and each addressed a need identified by citizens:
- A real time citizen satisfaction monitoring system was advanced to a more responsive version, helping government offices track service quality more accurately and respond to citizens’ needs faster.
- Smart Uvs, a unified chatbot was created, giving residents one digital entry point to connect with 28 government agencies.
- Trash‑to‑Trees Green Exchange, a circular model, encouraged households and organizations to donate unused items, with proceeds supporting the national One Billion Trees initiative.
Together, these three initiatives demonstrated how citizen‑generated ideas could quickly turn into real, practical solutions. They also marked a shift in how local institutions viewed participation. “This project showed us that instead of saying citizens do not participate, we must learn how to engage them meaningfully. As civil servants, we gained tremendous knowledge and capacity through the grant project ” said Ch. Choijildulam from the Environment Department of Uvs Province.
UNDP Mongolia
In May 2025, a UNDP-supported Participation Grant workshop helped local participants strengthen proposal writing skills and deepened their understanding of civic space and collaboration between government and civil society. They left motivated to begin implementation. But soon after, the province faced an unexpected loss when the Governor who initiated and championed the project passed away.
The team chose to continue in his spirit. “Honoring the principle of continuity in public service, we pushed forward.” recalled P. Enkhmaa. “Not only did we deliver the results we set out to achieve, but we also helped rebuild citizens’ trust and showed that government and civil society can work as true partners.”.
With renewed commitment, the focus began shifting toward long term systems that could sustain participation beyond a single initiative.
UNDP Mongolia
Sustaining Change and Embedding Participation in Policy
The pilot showed that when community voices are heard and reflected, meaningful and lasting improvements follow. The grant project demonstrated the value of structured participation and close collaboration between government and civil society. Through this process, trust deepened, and a foundation for a more formal and sustainable partnership was established. The province adopted a Government and CSO Cooperation Program and included it in the 2026 provincial budget. It also approved annual IDEATHON competitions and initiated monthly Open Dialogue sessions that now serve as sustained platforms for collaborative problem solving.
According to S. Oyunbileg, “We’re always looking for innovative ways to bring government closer to citizens, and this project proved that meaningful and well organized participation can solve long standing problems. Even with a modest project, it delivered real results through collective effort. That’s why we can continue and institutionalize its outcomes,”. G. Suvd, Head of the Secretariat of the Provincial Citizens’ Representative Khural, added that the government did more than address a single challenge; it embedded participation into policy.
UNDP Mongolia
Uvs Province has shown that when communities are given space to participate and shape their own priorities, they can unite around practical solutions that strengthen local governance. The pilot has already influenced provincial policy and everyday practice, becoming a strong example of ethical, responsive, and citizen centered governance in action.
The 3P4D initiative, funded through UNDP’s Funding Windows with support from the Governments of Luxembourg, Denmark, and the Republic of Korea, will continue turning local experiences into lasting systems of participation.
