The Mongolian ICT Development Agency

A second and separate organization, the Mongolian ICT Development Agency, will be an independent non-governmental entity responsible for implementing the Action Plan and for eventually realizing Vision 2010. The ICT Development Agency will be a not for profit organization that can raise funds and enter into contractual arrangements. It will work closely with the ICT Advisory Council with which it will share some board members. The Mongolian ICT Development Agency will report to a Board of Directors that will answer directly to the Government of Mongolia via the Office of the Prime-Minister and/or via any channel deemed most appropriate for this. The ICT Development Agency will include on its board members from infrastructure departments and ministries, as well as the telecommunications sector.

Mission of the ICT Development Agency

• Implement the action plan, including securing support for this. Assume responsibility for operationalizing the action plan
• Engage and collaborate with other government and public sector organizations to implement the plan
• Help communities and organizations everywhere to use ICTs.

Activities of the ICT Development Agency

• Project management, including procurement of goods and services
• Organizing / securing funding, including negotiating with government, the private sector, donors and other sources of support
• Maintaining ongoing and open communication with the Government of Mongolia, local governments and administrations, especially in aimags, the private sector and elements of civil society
• Training: offering training directly, or better, supporting and building the capacity of organizations such as the formal educational system – schools, technical colleges and universities, and companies and others such as community groups, local governments and NGOs to provide this service. The Agency will encourage the development of certification programmes in Mongolia, including the provision of testing services and will negotiate with organizations in Mongolia and otherwise to deliver these services in a cost efficient and timely fashion
• Language training: encouraging and facilitating foreign language training for ICT students and professionals. Negotiating with entities such as the British Council, the Alliance Française and the French Cultural Centre, the Goethe Institute, the cultural sections of the embassies of China, Japan, Korea, Russia and others, as well as other organizations in Mongolia (private, public or otherwise) to help develop foreign language training in Mongolia. The Agency, in close consultation with the Government of Mongolia, the ICT Advisory Council, the educational authorities, the private sector and students, will decide which languages are a priority and act accordingly
• Setting up community access centres and helping to develop community based ICT applications
• Helping to set up and operate e-application business incubators in collaboration with the private sector (Chamber of Commerce, Association of Employers, other professional associations or groupings, etc.)
• Establishing a Mongolian trade and information portal, in collaboration with the trade promotion services of the Government of Mongolia, and especially the Foreign Investment and Foreign Trade Agency and others, such as the Chamber of Commerce). In collaboration with appropriate partners, to provide a virtual market place for trade in Mongolian goods and services. This will include establishing a Mongolian ICT procurement portal: see for example procurement sites such as www.merx.cebra.com .

The ICT Development Agency will seek self-sufficiency. The Agency will report to a Board of Directors seconded from key government agencies, such as the Ministry of Infrastructure Development, as well as other key ministries, as well as representative of the private sector most directly involved in ICT development. 

One possible activity of such a Mongolian implementation mechanism could be a Mongolian Internet portal. Canada and China now use Web enabled business platforms for trade, auctions, referrals, news, information awareness and exchange and procurement services. See especially: http://www.meetchina.com/ and http://www.strategis.gc.ca/. Subscriptions and other cost recovery schemes from participating companies could be a way of generating revenue to support the implementation mechanism. The portal is a service the Agency would make available to the over 30,000 SMEs in Mongolia, as well as other potential subscribers.