LocationsWhy an integrated, multi-sectoral, area-based approach is Somalia’s choice
A Call for Somali-led Integrated, Multisectoral Approach
August 4, 2024
With the reconstruction of roads, sports center, market place and other small infrastructures, the town of Hudur has seen improved social contract between the people and the local government.
Photo: Hudur District
The context in Somalia is very complex. The country has faced decades of prolonged armed conflict, social and political instability and the negative impacts of climate change. At this point in its development trajectory there is a consensus between the Federal Government and development partners that if Somalia wants to catch up with the rest of the world, it cannot be business as usual. There is a need to break away from protracted crises and fragility and a reliance on humanitarian assistance that provides relief but does not address the root causes of the problems. Rather we need to invest in resilient communities, systems and institutions that will be able to thrive without partners’ inputs or resources. An approach that promotes Somali-owned, Somali-led, integrated interventions is essential.
The ongoing armed conflict is one factor that shapes Somalia’s specific development needs. The current government has launched a military offensive liberating a number of geographical areas from Al-Shabaab control. This has created the need to ramp up stabilization efforts and to strengthen Government presence in newly liberated and fragile areas to consolidate the social contract, deliver services and support people's livelihoods.
At the same time the effects of climate change in Somalia have been very disruptive and have affected millions. The country has been affected by a series of severe droughts, most recently in 2022 prompting a level-three emergency. Just a year later, in December 2023, the country faced the worst flooding recorded in the past 100 years. Some communities have been affected by both drought and flooding, with compounding effects because they have not been able to recover from one crisis to another. Climate change is also exacerbating conflicts, violence and displacement creating a threat to both human and national security. Somalia has about 3.8 million internally displaced people that are mostly congregating around major cities and towns, making it one of the fastest urbanizing countries in the world.
Addressing these issues is all the more complex because the state building process in Somalia is still ongoing. There is not yet an accepted federal model in place that reflects a national agreement on power and resource sharing between the federal government and the federal member states. The federal member states have their own political dynamics, challenges and constraints that create a fluid and complex context for development.
A view of the town of Hudur from above. The only access to this town in the South West State of Somalia is via Air.
Photo: Google Earth
In such a complex environment UNDP sees an integrated multi-sectoral area-based approach as the obvious choice. This is why we have implemented Area Based Integrated Programs (ABIP). The core of the ABIP is to strengthen the connection between people and government - the social contract - by enhancing security, fostering accountability, delivering essential services, empowering and engaging women, youth, and civil society and supporting livelihoods and job creation. This area-based integrated approach is particularly well suited to newly liberated and fragile areas where state control remains weak or where communities are struggling to get back on their feet in the aftermath of conflict and displacement. It is equally essential in the areas most affected by climate change, and the towns receiving internally displaced people that are overwhelmed because their services and resources are overstretched.
The area-based approach has been particularly useful in Somalia because it allows us to design strategies that are responsive to the needs of the communities in a particular geographical area, district, or town, and respectful of local norms. We use political economy analysis to identify local power structures and power dynamics, to ensure that interventions are not only technically sound but also strengthen social cohesion and are politically viable. We also use a tool called conflict navigator to establish critical conflict baselines that inform local reconciliation plans by addressing root causes of conflict such as resource scarcity or climate change. In addition, we have established regular surveys to collect beneficiary feedback to understand how communities perceive the support they receive and the impact on their lives, to ensure we are responding to their needs and to improve our delivery where necessary.
In Somalia the area-based approach of the ABIP has been further strengthened by the adoption of adaptive management approaches that made it possible for our programs to adapt to the rapidly changing environment and political dynamics. We revised how we design, implement and monitor projects to create a continuous process of learning and adaptation. We brought different thematic teams together to exchange ideas and co-create program activities. This has meant stepping out of our comfort zone to listen to local perspectives, question our assumptions, put agility and responsiveness to context at the center of how we work, learn collaboratively throughout the project cycles and adapt activities or make other changes in the project when the situation warrants it. We can already see clearly that adaptive program management has been beneficial given the extremely fluid and dynamic nature of the Somali context. It has allowed our programs to be more relevant and more impactful and we are seeing positive results, not just through our eyes, but really from the key stakeholders on the ground.
More specifically, the combination of an empowered Somali-owned, Somali-led ABIP governance structure with enhanced monitoring has incentivized all key stakeholders to regularly reflect on the extent to which proposed interventions are actually working. Periodically joint reviews allow to assess whether we are effectively addressing root causes of core issues and whether we are on track to achieving the desired outcomes. It has enabled us to shift focus from activity-based immediate results e.g. training sessions or number of trainees, to seeking evidence based transformational changes e.g. measurable changes attributed to trainees’ application of their newly acquired skills. This approach offers opportunities to change course if and when required. This is a powerful compass to ensure collective stewardship of projects and optimal use of scarce resources for greater impact.
Above all, both the area-based and adaptive management approaches recognize the key role of local governments and communities in leading development in a collaborative and pragmatic way. The ABIP invests in building local systems, institutions and capacities that can continue to function after the program ends. This is an approach that the government is really interested in and has been well received by communities.
For me it has also been an interesting learning. I've been familiar with area-based development approaches for many years but it's the first time that I’ve experienced this with adaptive management to respond to such a dynamic, fragile context. The combination of deeply understanding local contexts, pragmatically adapting programs as situations change, and investing in local communities, institutions and capacities to drive progress in the long term is a powerful tool to equip UNDP to effectively play its role as an integrator in the humanitarian-development-peace nexus (HDP Nexus).
Lionel Laurens is the Resident Representative for UNDP in Somalia. Follow him on X @LionelLaurens_