Social Protection Brief: Mongolia’s Community-Based Welfare Services Program

The Government of Mongolia’s Ministry of Social Welfare and Labor (MSWL) introduced the community-based welfare services program in 2005 to provide services based on citizens’ actual demands. The program devolves primary responsibility for the development of social welfare services on the community level where individuals, private entities, or NGOs implement services.

Key points

• Mongolia’s community-based welfare services (CBWS) program provides five types of services: counseling and skills building services, employment opportunities, rehabilitation services, temporary shelter, and home-based care.
• In 2011, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) conducted a qualitative assessment of the impact, operations, and monitoring and evaluation of the CBWS program, and found that coverage is low because of the program’s novelty, poor staff capacity, and lack of standards for contracting service providers.
• The CBWS model of demand-driven services—delivered through a mix of state agencies, nongovernment organizations (NGOs), and private organizations—has the potential to be an effective social welfare program if sufficient staff capacity and improved quality of services are provided.