Somaliland Planning and Coordination Policy STA

PROJECT: Technical Assistance and Partnership Facility [NDICI Africa/2023/451-029]

for a specific assignment: Preparation and Development of a Somaliland Planning and Coordination Policy 

DAI is looking to recruit: Senior Technical Advisor (STA) for Preparation and Development of a Somaliland Planning and Coordination Policy 

BACKGROUND 

The European Union funded Technical Assistance and Partnership Facility (TAPF) is a five-year initiative designed to support the European Union Delegation (EUD) to Somalia / Somaliland’s engagement in, and cooperation with Somalia and Somaliland, and to expedite progress towards achievement of the UN 2030 global Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The project is being implemented through a service contract, signed between the EUD and DAI Global Belgium, and operates from DAIs offices in Brussels, Nairobi and Mogadishu.

The project duration was initially scheduled to run for 36 months, from 1st January 2024 through to 31st December 2026, but this was subsequently extended to 31st December 2028.

OBJECTIVES 

Project objectives
 The TAPF has three main result areas:

I. Strengthening the capacity of the Government at all levels, and in particular Ministries of Planning, to deliver on their mandate, with respect to national development plans and the wider development agenda.

II. Strengthening identification, formulation, implementation and monitoring of European Union funded programmes in Somalia / Somaliland, covering renewable energy, the environment, climate change adaptation and natural resources management, amongst other topics.

III. Enhancing partnerships and facilitation of policy dialogue on key topics for EU-Somalia / Somaliland cooperation.

Specific Assignment Objectives

The Somaliland Ministry of Planning and National Development (MoPND) is the lead government institution responsible for coordinating development planning, overseeing development cooperation, registering and coordinating development projects, monitoring project implementation, evaluating development outcomes, and ensuring the alignment of all development interventions with Somaliland's identified priority strategies and development objectives. In consequence, MoPND will take the lead in developing the proposed “National Planning and Coordination Policy”.

Development of the “National Planning and Coordination Policy” will require specialist technical expertise, extensive stakeholder consultations, comparative analysis of international best practice, and a highly participatory process of stakeholder engagement involving government institutions and development partners. Given the strategic importance of this reform, and the limited technical and financial resources available within the Ministry / Government, support has been sought from the EU Technical Assistance and Partnership Facility (TAPF) to facilitate the development, validation and adoption of the new policy.

Against this background, the overall purpose of the assignment is to develop a comprehensive National Planning and Coordination Policy that will establish a harmonised framework for stakeholder engagement, collaborative planning, development management, coordination, implementation oversight and accountability, across Somaliland.

Assignment objectives will comprise the following:

• To assess and analyse existing planning and coordination systems, institutional arrangements, legal frameworks and planning practices across government institutions.
• To develop a comprehensive National Planning and Coordination Policy that establishes a coherent framework for stakeholder engagement, planning, coordination, development management and accountability, across all strata of government.
• To define and strengthen institutional roles, responsibilities, governance structures, and vertical and horizontal coordination mechanisms among government institutions, development partners, local authorities and other stakeholders.
• To establish national standards, principles and procedures for strategic planning, operational planning, annual work planning, results-based planning, coordination, reporting, and implementation processes, across government institutions.
• To promote stakeholder participation, national ownership, policy coherence and alignment of development interventions with Somaliland's national priorities, and capacity development, through consultation, validation and awareness-raising processes.

SCOPE 
General: Experts implementing the assignment are expected to employ a participatory and consultative methodology involving key stakeholders in the policy formulation process. The selected methodology should include:

• Desk reviews;
• Institutional assessments;
• Key Informant Interviews (KIIs);
• Focus Group Discussions (FGDs);
• Stakeholder consultations;
• Comparative policy analysis and benchmarking;
• Technical Working Group meetings;
• Validation workshops.

The selected participatory and consultative methodology will include representation from the following key stakeholder MDAs:

• The Planning and Coordination Department (MoPND);
• The Monitoring and Evaluation Department (MoPND);
• Central Statistics Department;
• Ministry of Finance and Economic Development;
• Civil Service Commission;
• Presidential Delivery Unit;
• Selected sector ministries;
• Selected development partners.

Target Groups

The assignment will adopt and utilise a highly participatory and consultative approach to document development, involving multiple stakeholders:

• Government ministries and agencies;
• Independent public institutions;
• Regional administrations;
• Development partners;
• Civil society organisations;
• Academia and research institutions

Direct Beneficiaries

• Ministry of Planning and National Development.
• Government Ministries and Agencies.
• Planning Departments and sections.

Indirect Beneficiaries

• Development Partners.
• Civil Society Organisations.
• Private Sector.
• Citizens of Somaliland.

Specific Activities

Key activities to be undertaken by the technical team to develop the National Planning and Coordination Policy will comprise the following tasks:

• Inception and Assignment Planning
• Assessment of Existing Planning and Coordination Systems
• Stakeholder Consultations
• Development of the National Planning and Coordination Policy
• Validation and Finalisation
• Awareness Raising and Policy Dissemination

The Senior Technical Advisor (STA) for Preparation and Development of a Somaliland National Planning and Coordination Policy should possess the following qualifications and experience:

• A university degree (a master’s is preferred but not required) in one of the following fields: Public Policy or Strategic Policy Development, Project Planning or Management, Public Administration, Public Sector Reform, Monitoring and Evaluation, Development Studies, Economics or a related field.
• A minimum of eight (8) years practical work experience in a senior advisory or management capacity, as a consultant with an international development organisation, private sector company, non-governmental organisation or government institution, including at least two (2) previous assignments developing national, state or company level strategic plans, policies, or planning, management and coordination frameworks, or similar.
• Previous work experience as a TA or CTA (technical assistant / chief technical advisor), embedded within a host government department, leading development programmes, and / or drafting policies or planning documents.
• Previous experience (in at least two (2) major work assignments) conducting high level, comprehensive stakeholder consultation and / or training workshops, inclusive in-depth knowledge and use of relevant information technology software and data management tools.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• Excellent written and spoken / verbal communication skills in English, and the Somali language where possible).
• Strong organisational and analytical skills.
• Extensive knowledge of the local (Somaliland) development context, and the current “development” situation, as defined in the Somaliland Development Plan III.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and to manage work-related stresses.

Female professionals are strongly encouraged to apply.

A maximum of 55 working days, delivered over an indicative period of no more than five (5) calendar months (subject to operating conditions).

The role is expected to commence ASAP (subject to continued need and resource availability), and to be implemented as a single, continuous assignment, counting from the date of first deployment of the expert.

The assignment will be implemented from the MoPND office in Hargeisa, capital city of Somaliland.

Travel to selected locations within Somaliland (such as Berbera and Burao) may be required, to conduct consultations, engage with stakeholders and collect information, subject to relevant security protocols and security assessments.

The TAPF Administrative Assistant, based in Mogadishu, and the DAI Project Manager and Project Director, based in Brussels, will support the “Planning and Coordination Policy” STA with operational and administrative issues, as required.

Deadline for submission of CVs: not later than 22nd of September 2026

Please note that only short-listed candidates will be contacted.