Government - efficiency, effectiveness, accessibility.

Economy - entrepreneurship, international trade, e-commerce.

Industry - domestic information and communication technology (ICT) and software industries, ICT integration, training.

Education - human resources, distance-learning, e-schools, research and development.

Citizen Services - access to information, information infrastructure, digital divide.

Health - service delivery, public health education.

This summary is part of a research project carried out between March and October 2006 in support of the International Institute for Communication and Development (IICD), one of The Communication Initiative (The CI)'s partners.

The e-Mongolia National Programme aims to develop Mongolia into an information and knowledge-based society through the integration of information and communication technology (ICT) into all societal sectors. The goal is for Mongolia to become one of Asia’s top ten ICT developed countries by 2012. The government’s Information and Communication Technology Authority (ICTA), formed in late 2004, is responsible for the country’s ICT policies and their coordination and implementation; the non-governmental organisation Mongolian Information Development Association (MIDAS), made up of ICT professionals drawn from civil society in Sri Lanka, consults with government on ICT policies and issues and assists with the implementation of ICT programmes. The e-Mongolia programme is focused on six programme areas: e-Government, e-Commerce, e-Industry, e-Education, e-Citizen, and e-Health.

e-Government

This programme focuses on using ICT to develop central and local government that is citizen-centred, results-oriented, and market-based. This will be achieved through the application of ICT to behind-the-scenes administration such as record-keeping, human resource management, and financial management; the provision of 70 percent of front-line citizen and business services through an on-line forum; and through the use of ICT to improve democratic governance by streamlining government services and encouraging citizen involvement in policy-making.

e-Commerce

The e-Commerce programme aims to revamp the economy by leveraging ICT and the resultant decrease in importance of time and distance to improve the competitiveness of entrepreneurs in Mongolia; augmenting the exchange of products and services to and from the country; and implementing the use of e-commerce as a business tool, especially in the context of international trade. The goal is for 70 percent of regional centres and 100 percent of provincial centres to be engaged in e-commerce by 2012.

e-Industry

By developing and linking IT networks in management and production sectors, this programme intends to lay the groundwork for a Mongolian industrial sector capable of supporting an information society by 2012. It will do this by establishing a competitive advantage in the international market in the promotion of its domestic ICT industry; ensuring the integration of ICT in industrial sectors; supporting the domestic software industry in its development of e-industry applications; and supporting the training of 5000 software engineers and researchers.

e-Education

This programme aims to integrate ICT into the education system in Mongolia in order to develop a human resource ICT capability at all levels to support the development of an information society. It will also result in the acknowledgement of Mongolian education world-wide. Concrete objectives include achieving an 80 percent national ICT literacy rate by 2012, on par with the international average; the participation of 70 percent of regional centres and 100 percent of provincial centres in distance-learning programmes by 2012; the development of model e-schools with the goal of 50 percent of schools having e-school capability by 2012; and continued emphasis on research and development of e-education initiatives.

e-Citizen

This programme will use ICT in various social sectors to facilitate the provision of a convenient, accessible, and secure information environment for citizens. This will be achieved through the development of an information infrastructure facilitating equal access to information for citizens, actively working to bridge the digital divide evident in Mongolian society.


e-Health

The e-Health programme intends to use ICT to harmonise the health sector and develop it into a patient-centred, economical, and reliable service regardless of time or location. It will do so through the establishment of an “integrated electronic database system of medical records” ; the application of ICT to enhance public health education; and through use of the new tool of distance treatment, diagnosis, and monitoring in less-accessible rural areas.

Title: e-Mongolia National Programme
Year: 2006
Publication: Information and Communication Technology Authority (ICTA)
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Relevant Links:
Mongolian Information Development ASsociation (MIDAS) website
Digital Review 2005/2006: .mn Mongolia
Asia-Pacific Development Information Programme: ICT Profile - Mongolia
IT Landscape of Mongolia - National ICT Policies
UNESCO Bangkok: Mongolia