PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Strengthen institutional capacity and policies to support the development of low-carbon, climate-resilient agro-territories.
This component will implement the following activities:
Project management and implementation support will be carried out.
- Strengthen and support project implementation and management capacity, including strengthening the capacity for procurement of goods, works, and consulting services;
- Conduct on-the-job training for staff of the central Project Implementation Unit (PIU) on all aspects of project management;
- Conduct financial management training related to submitting disbursement requests to the Asian Development Bank (ADB);
- Improve the project’s financial management and accounting systems;
- Provide procurement assistance, review bidding documents, conduct bid evaluation, manage contracts, and monitor performance;
- Support the implementation of the Resettlement Framework, Land Acquisition and Resettlement Plan, and the Social and Gender Action Plan;
- Conduct on-the-job training for central PIU staff on social, gender, voluntary participation, and public engagement issues;
- Conduct project management training for staff of the central PIU, aimag-level PIUs, and inter-soum center PIUs on ADB’s safeguard policies, due diligence, procurement, and financial management;
- Monitor and evaluate the implementation of the Land Acquisition and Resettlement Plan, and the Social and Gender Action Plan;
- Update, finalize, and review safeguard documents, including the Resettlement Plan, Initial Environmental Examination (IEE), Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), and Environmental Management Plan (EMP), in accordance with ADB guidelines and the relevant frameworks mutually agreed upon by ADB and the Government of Mongolia.
Support the implementation of sustainable urban development, energy-efficient housing, efficient services, and public utility management, and promote more sustainable urban planning and resource management. In this context:
- Develop a model based on the pilot project for inclusive, participatory, and “green” ger area street redevelopment under Tranche 1, and replicate it in Tranche 2 and 3. The model will also serve as a basis for replication after the phased financing ends.
- Implement efficient waste collection and transportation management, and strengthen capacity for recycling and financially sustainable operations.
- Provide specialized advisory services to improve energy efficiency of housing in ger areas, focusing on thermal insulation and heating connections.
- Introduce heat meters in Ulaangom soum only, revise heat tariffs, and use this as a mechanism to enhance energy efficiency.
Implement low-carbon and climate-resilient rangeland management. This includes:
- Strengthening the capacity to manage rangelands and to mitigate and adapt to climate change impacts. Enhance the capacity of the General Authority for Land Administration and Geodesy and local land officers to monitor rangeland condition, maintain rangeland use agreement records, and conduct monitoring. Support the preparation of inclusive, participatory herd management plans, rangeland use agreements, and rotational grazing plans, along with knowledge and information sharing.
- Build the capacity of rangeland user groups and herder cooperatives at soum, aimag, and national levels, and support them through localized training.
- Develop and support the establishment of a “green” cooperative model. Open a financing window to meet the needs of microenterprises by providing loans to eligible savings and credit cooperatives (SCCs) and non-bank financial institutions (NBFIs). Pilot support for SCCs in Phase 1, and if successful, expand in Phase 2.
- Establish linkages among rangeland user groups, cooperatives, and SCCs by including the soum government in a “soum-level coordination platform” involving all local institutions.
- Strengthen veterinary services at all stages of the agricultural value chain. Provide health education and basic animal healthcare to herders engaged in rangeland user groups. Train community-based animal health workers.
- Develop a sustainable, low-carbon value chain and market system.
- Develop certification and traceability systems. Support capacity-building for the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Light Industry (MOFALI), the General Authority for Veterinary Services, and the National Federation of Rangeland User Groups.
- Provide training on the use, maintenance, and management of irrigation systems and forage crop production.
- Support policy development for rangeland management, land use planning, soum territorial development plans, pastoralism, and livestock management.
- Develop and disseminate sustainable water management practices, including:
(i) Creating and sharing best practices and knowledge on sustainable water management and climate change adaptation, particularly for vulnerable groups;
(ii) Using lessons learned and best practices from the project to support the development and improvement of national and regional policies on water management, agriculture, and rural climate resilience;
(iii) Supporting farmers in efficient water use, piloting modern irrigation systems to prevent chemical runoff, and encouraging joint investment by water user groups in successful systems. Promote technology ownership among farmers.
Support replication of the pilot project and co-financing mechanisms, conduct trainings on innovative farming technologies and responsible use/storage of agro-chemicals, and promote solar-powered and drip irrigation systems in agriculture.
Strengthen the financing capacity for low-carbon, climate-resilient agribusiness development. This includes:
- Develop and implement a training program to build the capacity of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and cooperatives in business planning, marketing, strategy development, and technology adoption and application to ensure sustainability. The program will be delivered through business incubator centers in cooperation with the aimag Labor and Employment Departments.
- Participate in the preparation of low-carbon, climate-resilient livestock business development plans, relevant feasibility studies for low-carbon livestock value chains, business plans, and technical specifications for priority investment projects.
- Select SMEs and cooperatives for project financial support based on eligibility criteria such as their participation in rangeland management, carrying capacity compliance, veterinary services, and certification systems.
- Create an enabling environment for financial institutions to provide financing for improving livestock value chains.
- Develop partnership models between cooperatives and SMEs, or contract farming templates, and support collaboration among them.
- Promote income diversification for rural populations by diversifying low-carbon agricultural and livestock products.
- Pilot a microfinance mechanism to provide affordable and accessible loans to certified herders through savings and credit cooperatives and other non-bank financial institutions. Under Output 3, develop recommendations on how to most effectively and efficiently implement the Green and Inclusive Regional Agribusiness Fund (GIRAF) loan window 3.
- Strengthen coordination among plant health, plant protection, and trade-related stakeholders. Collaborate with development partners such as FAO and WOAH to align Mongolia’s plant health and protection standards with international standards. Support the activities of the National SPS Working Group, established with support from the ADB and the CAREC Program.
Implement a system for monitoring, evaluation, measurement, reporting, and verification.
Support the development and implementation of a system for monitoring, evaluation, measurement, reporting, and verification. Strengthen the institutional capacity for policy formulation, implementation, and enforcement. This includes:
- Developing low-carbon, climate-resilient, and people-centered aimag and soum centers.
- Implementing climate-resilient, high-carbon sequestration, and sustainable rangeland management for livestock production.
- Creating and developing a low-carbon, climate-resilient, and inclusive livestock value chain by improving access to finance.
- Strengthening the territorial and sectoral capacities for the development of low-carbon, climate-resilient, and more competitive agricultural regions.
- Providing broad and comprehensive support for designing, influencing, and implementing necessary policy reforms among multi-sector stakeholders.
- Supporting knowledge generation and dissemination activities throughout all program phases and for non-program beneficiaries (aimags and soums not targeted by the program).
