FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OF SOMALIA

                    MINISTRY OF INTERIOR, FEDERAL AFFAIRS AND RECONCILIATION

BULSHO PROJECT - Strengthening Community Institutions for Social Cohesion, Inclusion and Resilience. 

REQUEST FOR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST (REOI) 

Individual Selection of Consultant

Country: Federal Government of Somalia

Project ID No. P508408

Name of the Project: Bulsho Project - Strengthening Community Institutions for Social Cohesion, Inclusion and Resilience

Consulting Service: Local Government and Community Development Specialist  

Individual/Firm: Individual

Ref No: SO-MOIFAR-498742-CS-INDV

Duty Station: Mogadishu

Deadline: 19th November, 2025

1.         BACKGROUND OF THE PROJECT

The Bulsho Project – Strengthening Community Institutions for Social Cohesion, Inclusion and Resilience (P508408) is under the lead of the Ministry of Interior, Federal Affairs and Reconciliation – MoIFAR of the Federal Government of Somalia and responsible for the national program called Bulsho, the Somali word for society. The Bulsho Program puts citizens and communities at the center of the government’s action.  The Bulsho Program is a Somali government-led initiative designed to strengthen community and local institutions, fostering social cohesion, inclusion, and resilience. As Somalia continues its recovery from two decades of civil war, the program places a strong emphasis on enhancing service delivery, rebuilding the social contract, and promoting community-centered governance. This uniquely Somali-owned and -driven initiative underscores government ownership and leadership at federal, member state, and district levels, ensuring institutional sustainability and the realization of key policy outcomes.

The Ministry of Interior, Federal Affairs and Reconciliation of the Government of Somalia has established the Bulsho Program Steering Committee (PSC), chaired by the FGS Minister of Federal Affairs and Reconciliation. The PSC is composed of senior level representatives (ministers or deputy ministers) from relevant FGS ministries (i.e. Finance, etc.) and FMS MoI. The PSC’s primary role is to make strategic decisions related to the program planning and implementation, including approving this project operations manual (POM) and subsequent substantial revisions (POM approval can be exercised virtually) and addressing disputes related to district eligibility, participation and suspension.

MoIFAR, FGS has established a Project Coordination Unit – PCU headed by a National Project Coordinator, which has the overall responsibility for the day-to day management of the WB-funded Bulsho project. FMS MoI have established Project Implementation Units - PIUs, headed a State Project Managers, which have the responsibility for the activities that take place in their states.

The Project Coordination Unit - PCU is responsible for: (i) preparing procurement plans, including consolidating procurement plans from FMS; (ii) carrying out procurement for FGS-level activities and overseeing FMS procurement; (iii) preparing quarterly narrative and financial reports for the overall project, based on inputs from FMS; (iv) providing quality assurance and technical backstopping to FMS (this includes preparation of training curricula and training of trainers); (v) preparing and implementing the E&S plan (this includes verifying FMS E&S appraisal of local investments); (vi) consolidate FMS sustainability plans; (vii) preparing security management plans and oversees FMS security management (this includes reporting security incidents directly affecting project staff, contractors and assets) and (viii) carrying out general oversight, supervision and field monitoring (this could be joint monitoring mission) at all project locations with the support of the MoIs FMS..

The MOIFAR, FGS is seeking to use a portion of the Bulsho Project to finance the recruitment of a Project Local Government and Community Development Specialist as a part of National Project Coordination Unit - PCU.

2) Responsibilities: For Local Government and Community Development activities, the Local Government and Community Development Specialist will work under the overall supervision of the National Project Coordinator and in close consultation and coordination with the National Project Coordination Unit – PCU and the Project Implementation Units – PIUs at the FMS level.

The Local Government and Community Development Specialist will provide overall coordination, oversight, and quality assurance for the implementation of Bulsho’s participatory planning and community-driven development processes across all Federal Member States. He/she will ensure that the Local Social Contract Platforms, Citizens’ Charters, service delivery and Matching Grants are implemented in compliance with the Project Operations Manual (POM), financing agreements, and World Bank Environment and Social (E&S) standards specifically:

1.     Provide overall technical guidance on the design and implementation of the Local Social Contract Platform (LSCP), Citizens’ Charters, and Matching Grants mechanism, ensuring consistency across Federal Member States.

2.     Develop and update tools, templates, training curricula, and guidelines on community mobilization, participatory planning and monitoring, community procurement, social accountability, overall multi-stakeholder engagement and sustainability measures, in collaboration with the Local Government Institute (LGI).

3.     Work with MoIFAR colleagues to support institutionalization of the Bulsho approach and tools in government policy and processes

4.     Review and consolidate PIU reports on community-driven processes, verifying compliance with the Project Operations Manual (POM), financing agreements, and World Bank regulations.

5.     Ensure that sustainability and accountability mechanisms (O&M plans, PPPs, citizen scorecards, grievance redress systems) are consistently applied across all participating districts.

S/he will undertake all the other specific tasks detailed in the Terms of Reference (TOR) that can be found at the following www.somalijobs.com or can be provided upon submission of application (in person or by E-mail).  

3) Selection Criteria: The selection shall be based on qualification, experience and skills of the candidate and followed by an interview. The qualifications, experience and competencies include:

1. Educational Background

-          A Master’s degree in social sciences, governance, public administration, Peace, development studies, or a related field, professional trainings relating to the local governance, governance, social reconciliation will be considered an added advantage.

1. Professional Experience

-          Minimum of 8 years of relevant experience in local governance, community-driven development, decentralization, community participation, gender mainstreaming on local governance specially women and youth or participatory planning.

-          At least 7 years’ experience providing technical assistance, oversight, or quality assurance for donor-funded local governance, decentralization, service delivery or community development projects/programs.

-          Demonstrated experience working with government institutions at national and state level, preferably in fragile or conflict-affected settings.

1. Skills and competencies

-          Strong capacity to provide technical guidance, quality assurance and oversight of complex multi-stakeholder programs especially local governance, service delivery, inclusion and women participation in local governance.

-          Demonstrated professional knowledge of the Federal Member States and Local Governments including their structures, functions and operational frameworks.

-          Excellent facilitation and communication skills, with the ability to engage effectively with government, donors, and communities.

1. Knowledge

-          Good understanding of Somalia’s governance structures, decentralization policy, and local government systems.

-          Familiar with the Federal Government relating policies such as National Decentralization Policy, Federal & State Local Government’s laws.

-          Familiarity with World Bank and other international development partner approaches to community-driven development, participatory governance, and social accountability.

-          Knowledge of cross-cutting issues such as gender, inclusion, resilience, and sustainability in community development programming.

1. Language skills/requirement.

-          Excellent command of Somali language, e.g., reading, writing and presenting is essential

-          Excellent command of English language, e.g., reading, writing and presenting is essential.

3. REPORTING

The Local Government and Community Development Specialist will report to the National Project Coordinator at the National Project Coordination Unit - PCU.

4.         TIMING Duration of Assignment:

The Local Government and Community Development Specialist shall be contracted for up to 12 months with 3 months of probationary period) and renewable upon satisfactory performance.

The Ministry of Interior, Federal Affairs and Reconciliation – MOIFAR, FGS now invites eligible Individual Consultants to indicate their interest in providing the above-mentioned services. Interested consultants must provide the following (i) Curriculum Vitae (CV) with 3 reference persons; (ii) copies of certificates of academic qualifications; and (iii) cover letter indicating that they are qualified to perform the services.

5.         SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

The attention of interested Consultants is drawn to section III, para 3.14,3.16 & 3.17 of the World Bank’s Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers: Procurement in Investment Projects Financing Goods, Works, Non -Consulting and Consulting Services, July 2016, revised November 2017, August 2018, November 2020 and September 2023 (“Procurement Regulations”), setting forth the World Bank’s policy on conflict of interest.  

A Consultant will be selected in accordance with the Individual Consultant method set out in the World Bank Procurement Regulations. 

Interested candidates should submit their applications, including a detailed updated CV and cover letter, outlining their experience and qualifications in relation to the role marked with the subject title of the position by the following email address: [email protected]  and copy to [email protected] latest by 19th November, 2025 at 4:00 PM Mogadishu time.

Attention:

Bulsho Local Government and Community Development Specialist

Ministry of Interior, Federal Affairs and Reconciliation

Federal Government of Somalia

Mogadishu, Somalia