event 29 May 2018

Urban Nexus // Training and Training of Trainers successfully concluded in Ulan Bator, Mongolia

A workshop to introduce the Urban Nexus approach and specific tools for analyzing urban challenges has been conducted in Best Western Tuushin Hotel on 08-11 May 2018. While the first two days were comprised of an interactive modular training on integrated resource management embedded in the Global Agendas, the last two days consisted of a training of trainers, enabling participants to become trainers themselves in the future replicating the urban Nexus approach.

Workshop urban nexus ulan bataar mongolia may 2018
(C) GIZ

The “Urban Nexus Training Workshop and Training of Trainers” was conducted in the framework of the GIZ “Integrated Resource Management in Asian Cities: The Urban Nexus” project financed by the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and organized jointly with the National Development Agency (NDA) of Mongolia. The workshop was conducted by two trainers from the German consultancy Denkmodell GmbH.

The workshop marks the start of cooperation between the NDA and the GIZ Urban Nexus Project, hence strengthening and intensifying the already existing ties for the mutual benefit of cooperation achieving ecological, social and economic sustainability in Mongolia.

The Urban Nexus Training Workshop was attended by different stakeholders, about 40 participants representing national ministries and agencies, city level agencies as well as international organizations and academia. 16 participants also participated in the training of trainers’ workshop. In the opening speeches Mr. B. Bayarsaikhan, Chairman of NDA and Dr. Christian Glass, Secretary first at the German Embassy, expressed their delight regarding the new cooperation between NDA and GIZ. It builds upon successful cooperation in the past and contributes to a sustainable development of Mongolia. Further, the relevance of the workshop for fulfilling the SDGs, NDCs and Mongolia’s Sustainable Development Vision (SDV) through the Nexus approach was highlighted.

The Urban Nexus Training included an introduction to the Urban Nexus approach, which encompasses the integrated resource management of water, energy and food sectors. It is to be understood within the framework of circular economy and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The linkage to the sustainable development agenda of Mongolia and its current status were presented by Ms. Doljinsuren, Head of Development and Planning Division of NDA.

The training addressed five major urban challenges currently faced by Ulaanbaatar, such as

  • lacking water supply,
  • wastewater & sanitation,
  • energy demand & supply,
  • air pollution in yurt settlements (ger areas),
  • urban development planning.

Those challenges were the basis for the workshop, as the participants were split into groups focusing on one challenge each. The first two days were spent analyzing those challenges, requiring lively involvement by the participants. They were provided with analytic tools to scrutinize their respective urban challenge, with a focus on inter-institutional cooperation both vertically and horizontally.

Participants learned how to identify stakeholders and pursue synergies between sectors, jurisdictions and technical domains, how to increase institutional performance, optimize services quality and contribute to greater resource efficiency in the context of a circular economy. Moreover, participants learned how integrated planning helps to avoid poorly coordinated investments and underutilized infrastructure, as well as the relevance of cities for global agendas.

During the Training of Trainers workshop the participants learned how to become successful trainers themselves. They were provided with techniques for organizing trainings and reflected upon what makes for an ideal trainer. Further, they practiced those skills, such as successfully moderating discussions involving appropriate gestures and active listening. They were provided with visualization techniques and learned how to deal with difficulties normally being faced by trainers.

The workshop was meant not to be a singular event but the beginning of a training on integrated resource management to be replicated by the trainees in the near and far future.The participants gave a positive feedback on both parts of the workshop and expressed that the new perspectives and skills gained were of great value for their daily work.

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