Enabling Environment for Social Accountability in ... - SASANet

of public radio and television, which is currently threatened by funding cuts and politicization of its
governing board.
As access to Information is crucial to social accountability, the study recommends not only the adoption
of an Access to Information Law, which is currently on the parliament’s agenda, but also the amendment
of the Law on State Secrets as it reinforces a culture of secrecy. Reform of Mongolia’s culture of secrecy
will require significant leadership by senior officials, extensive training of civil servants and civic
education programs, as well as vigilant monitoring by CSOs. Moreover, given the costs of independent
research, the study recommends that CSOs, with start-up support from the international community,
expand their provision of alternative sources of information and collaborate with the GoM in both
gathering and analyzing relevant data to promote social accountability.
Finally, the study recommends greater knowledge, use, and expansion of current mechanisms and forums
for Negotiation with public officials. Community Scorecards, for example, could be incorporated into the
Sustainable Livelihoods Project to increase the scope for citizen monitoring, assessment, and eventually
negotiations to improve the program. While international donors should support CSO efforts to form
liaisons with public officials and other stakeholders, the study recommends that public officials should
create formal mechanisms to encourage civil society and citizen input into the legislative and policymaking
process and provide increased opportunities for regular dialogue and networking (for example, a
CSO council to the Prime Minister).
The study concludes that while impressive strides have been made since the transition from socialism,
particularly in comparison with other governments in the region, Mongolia continues to face significant
institutional, legal, and sociopolitical obstacles to effective social accountability. Since middle- and
lower-level public officials are often more resistant to civic engagement, GoM and political leaders must
lead reform not only of the legal structure and governmental institutions but also of Mongolia’s political
culture to promote an enabling environment for social accountability.