Issue #2 July 2017

Puntland State of Somalia Ministry of Planning and International

Cooperation (MoPIC)

Newsletter (January-June 2017)

MoPIC Puntland is successfully implementing the Puntland Development

Forum (PDF) since January 2017. The PDF is the development/aid

architecture for the Puntland State of Somalia, tasked with eliminating the

challenges of overlap and duplicity with respect to projects/programs, and

to improve effectiveness, efficiencies, better communication, and

coordination. It is an all-inclusive platform for all stakeholders to shape

and guide Puntland’s development to reduce poverty and improve

livelihood. It also functions as the implementation mechanism for the

Revised Puntland Development Plan (2017-2019), which clearly

articulates the priorities and needs of the Puntland State.

The coordination structure is both vertical and horizontal. The PDF is

composed of six sectoral working groups; governance, social,

infrastructure, justice, security and livelihood, aligned with both the

National Development Plan (NDP) Pillars and the Sustainable

Development Goals (SDGs). The institutional arrangement of the PDF

consist of the Ministerial steering committee, the technical coordinating

committee and the sector working groups.

The six PDF working groups have all been inaugurated; every sector has

elected its chair and co-chair, endorsed their respective terms of reference,

and six-month calendar. The elected chair is the lead Ministry of that

sector, while the elected co-chair is the lead development partner agency

for that sector. In addition, MoPIC has established an effective secretariat

to support the implementation of the PDF.

This new initiative of the Ministry of Planning & International

Cooperation has been widely lauded by all stakeholders of Puntland’s development, both national and international.

Puntland Development Forum (PDF)

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Overall objective: To create

more effective and all – inclusive

coordination structure to realize

state development plans in line

with national development goals

through improved aid

effectiveness and accountability

in partnership with national and

international development

partners

The Overall Objectives of PDF

The Structure of PDF

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Lorem Ipsum Dolor Spring 2016

Puntland Development Forum-Infrastructure Sector Working Group

Meeting Progress:

The Infrastructure sector of the PDF is one of the most important sectors for Puntland’s development. Strong infrastructure is a prerequisite for sustained

economic growth. The PDF infrastructure sector has managed to build a solid foundation for future

technical work. The sector endorsed its terms of reference, six-month calendar, and Puntland MoPIC

disseminated concept note templates to all the member institutions.

The members of this sector, mostly engineers and other technocrats, constantly debate amongst

themselves with regard to discovering technical solutions to the priorities and needs outstanding in this sector. The sector has developed and endorsed

one full project proposal titled ‘Puntland Fishery Industry Catalyst Project (PFICP).” PFICP is a project that aims to construct 10 jetty ports and 10 fishing cooling plants at 10 key strategic locations

across the Puntland coastline with the objective of catalysing the Puntland economy through

investments in the fishery sector.

The sector has also forwarded a concept note based

and the achievement of the sector’s priorities and

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Infrastructure SWG Meeting

Finland Ambassador to Somalia visit in Puntland

On 29th

March 2017 MoPIC Minister H.E Shire Hajji Farah met

with Finland Ambassador Tarja Fernandez at MoPIC during her visit

to Puntland State of Somalia.

During the meeting Amb. Fernandez and Hon. Minister Shire

discussed the developmental support that the Finnish Government

provides to the Puntland people and how they want to maintain their

cooperation, and strive towards success in all their projects, aligned

with the Revised Puntland Development Plan (2017-2019). The

Minister affirmed the good relations between Finland and Somalia.

Ms Fernandez affirmed Finland's commitment to the rebuilding of

Somalia and the importance of Somali ownership and leadership in

its development. She also said she was pleased with the strong

cooperation between the Somalia Government and Finland

Government; Ms Fernansez committed to continue working closely

with Puntland and Somalia in general. She concluded by speaking on

the Finland Government’s initiative to return health professional

expatriates to contribute their knowledge back to their country of

birth.

Finally, H.E Shire gave an overview of Somalia's Security Plans and

how they are fighting with the terrorism groups. Both parties

expressed their satisfaction in the cooperation between Finland and

Somalia.

MoPIC Minister H.E Shire with

Finland Ambassador Fernandez

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Lorem Ipsum Dolor Spring 2016 MoPIC Retreat, Improving Performance “Working as One”

The Ministry of Planning and International

Cooperation (MoPIC) in partnership with

UNDP-Strengthening Institutional Performance

(SIP) Project organized a two-day retreat 18-19

April 2017 at Hido-raac Resort, Garowe. The

retreat brought together Ministry’s leadership and all the staff to review the performance of the

Ministry.

The overall objective of the staff retreat was to

improve the performance of the Ministry in

delivering its mandate and specifically, to

achieve a common understanding of the

functional structure and programmatic and

operational processes of the Ministry; producing

a clear roadmap with action points and building

cohesion between leadership and staff to

improve their teamwork.

The retreat participants familiarized themselves

on key findings and recommendations of the

performance report; reviewed factors affecting

delivery of quality work and attainment of

Ministry’s mandate.

The sessions were very interactive and the

facilitator used mixed methodologies including

Substantive presentations, Breakout group

sessions, plenary sessions, Q&A sessions with

presenters and Senior Management and

referencing available administrative information.

The retreat was an honest reflection of the past

and present performance of the Ministry of

Planning and International Cooperation, and

strategy was developed towards the realization of

the Ministerial objective targets in the future.

The retreat outcome was very useful, where the

Ministerial achievements, challenges and

solutions were presented and thoroughly

discussed.

The working groups proposed strategies of

improving staff performance and team work. The

suggested key strategic areas of improvement

include: confidence building by boosting the trust

between leadership, management and staff; clear roles

and responsibilities by clarifying the hierarchical roles

of staff and clarifying the mandates of different

departments; information and knowledge sharing by

improving communication and collaboration amongst

the departments, staff and governmental inter-

ministerial coordination and information sharing; work

ethics /code of conduct by improving employees

professional conduct including confidentiality; good

working environment, including recognition and

rewarding of staff who perform excellenct in their job

descriptions and provide support mechanism for those

who underperform; promoting the support of positive

ideas; engaging employees to open lines of

communication with the leadership and management

without overstepping the line of order of the Ministry.

In addition, two training sessions were conducted for

the staff namely, coaching and mentoring and work

ethics. Furthermore, a capacity assessment

questionnaire was distributed and findings presented for

discussion.

From Right: MoPIC Minister, State Minister and Director

General

Podium: UNDP-SIP Project Manager

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Lorem Ipsum Dolor Spring 2016 State and District Planning Harmonization Discussions

On December 2016 MOPIC and UN-JPLG launched a consultancy on

harmonization of planning in Puntland’s tiers of government. The

consultancy had a duration of 3 months with the objective of identifying

challenges to Puntland harmonization planning and producing relevant

options of overcoming these challenges. The consultancy was also

tasked with defining the respective roles of line ministries in delivery of

basic services.

This consultancy initiative is progressing well and is currently at final

stages. The recruited consultant after conducting desk study carried out

fieldwork with the purpose of capturing the opinions and concerns of the

stakeholders. He had interviews with 7-line Ministries, PSAWEN and 3

districts. The first draft of the consultancy report was submitted to

MOPIC and UN-JPLG in March 2017. Feedback and comments from

stakeholders were submitted and subsequently incorporated into the

report. In early April, the consultant presented the second draft of his

report to a preliminary consultation meeting held at MOPIC. Concerned

actors participated in the meeting and thoroughly discussed and refined

the report. The last step of finalization of the report is currently being

prepared where a validation workshop shall be held with over 100

attendants comprising the stakeholders.

Business English Training Program for MoPIC Staff

Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation with the support of

UNDP-SIP (Strengthening Institutional Performance) Project designed

a training course for the Ministry’s staff. The aim of the course is to develop the trainees’ (Ministry Staff) abilities to communicate

effectively in English, both orally and in writing, on business related

topics.

The purpose of the training is to help trainees to use the language

freely and fully in a working environment. The business English

course covers many different topics such as Business Correspondence,

Globalization, Advertising, Business Meetings, Telephoning, Making

Presentations, Describing Statistics, Diagrams, Trends and Graphs,

Negotiation, Solving Business Problems, Socializing and Small Talk

with Business Partners.

Business English trainees will gain a broad perspective on the business

world today, while at the same time developing fluency in English.

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Lorem Ipsum Dolor Spring 2016

The Project aims to enhance the performance in

terms of efficiency and effectiveness of the

partner government institutions through three

key components of support aimed at overall

gender mainstreaming and institutional capacity

development of the government institutions.

On 14th

June 2017, a quarterly Project

Component Board Meeting for UNDP

Strengthening Institutional Performance (SIP)

Project was held at MoPIC. The meeting was

Co-chaired by MoPIC State Minister H.E

Ahmed Awale Ibrahim and attended by all the

beneficiary institutions leadership such as H. E

Abdirahman Sheikh Ahmed Minister of Labor,

Youth and Sports (MoLYS), H.E Anisa

Abdulqadir Mumin Minister of Women

Development and Family Affairs (MoWDAFA),

Chairman of Good Governance and Anti-

Corruption Bureau (GGBACB) and Chairman of Puntland Civil Service Commission (PCSC).

The main agenda of the meeting was to discuss the Capacity Development Programme, highlights of Key

Achievements (2016), discussion on Project Challenges and Partnership reinforcement and discussions on

Work-Plan for Jan-Dec 2017 as well as, in encouraging a honest discourse with regards to possible ways

forward with respect to those challenges, noting positive outcomes for future replicability and durability

and learning from failed initiatives in order to better plan for future success.

Project Board Meeting for the UNDP- Strengthening Institutional Performance (SIP) Project in Puntland

On 23rd

of April 2017 Puntland Capacity Injection

Beneficiary Institutions Technical Implementation

Committee (TIC) Coordination meeting was held

at the Ministry of Labor Youth and Sport.

The Director General of Ministry of Planning and

International Cooperation Hussein Abdi Jama

chaired the meeting and thanked the attending

government officials on the progress of the CIP

activities, with particular focus on the key civil

service reform activities.

World Bank Capacity Injection Project (CIP) Update on

Puntland Monthly TIC Coordination Meeting The monthly meeting provides a platform for the

Beneficiary Institutions (BIs) leadership to coordinate,

assess monthly progress, plan, and share

challenges. The meeting covered the following major

topics:

Update on CIM 2nd

Wave recruitment-(Phase I

Critical Positions)

Development of ToRs for the CIM 2nd

Wave

recruitment

Update on the Civil Service Reform activities

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2. Outcome: Stability programming, in Puntland

under government leadership, is more conflict

sensitive, better targeted, appropriate to the context,

and stronger relationships with communities and

local government are built.

3. Stabilization Impact: Strengthened local

institutions and relationships between community

and government contribute to a decrease in extremist

activity and enhanced state functioning.

The Launching Ceremony of Puntland Non-Tarmac District Stability Assessment Project in support of MoPIC

On April 2017, the Transition Initiative of

Stabilization Plus (TIS+) launched the Puntland

Non-Tarmac District Stability Assessment Project

in support of the Ministry of Planning and

International Cooperation at Garowe.

The project will support a stability assessment of

districts in Puntland that are not on the tarmac

roads to better understand the threats and

opportunities facing these communities in terms of

Countering Violent Extremism (CVE), enhancing

long term stability including through building

local good governance, and peace building.

Objectives:

1. Output: A comprehensive Stability

assessment with a CVE lens will be carried

out and a final report providing analysis

and recommendations.

Appeal for Participation in Inter-Agency Joint Assessment for Strategic Early Recovery and Resilience

On May 29th, 2017, the Inter-Agency Joint Assessment for Strategic Early Recovery and Resilience Planning

Consultation Meeting was held at Ministry of Planning & International Cooperation - Puntland (MoPIC) in

Garowe.

The meeting was attended by a wide plethora of Puntland Government partners, from UN Agencies working in

both the Humanitarian and Development Arenas, as well as International and Local NGOs, and other

Humanitarian partners.

The initiative was conceived and supported by the Puntland Drought Committee in collaboration with MoPIC

and HADMA. The initiative is the first step in Puntland’s drive to build drought resilience measures and institute early recovery strategies.

The discussions were constructive, participative and all welcomed the initiative and the lead role taken by

MOPIC Puntland. While participants commended the emergency response that the international community

and local NGOs provided during the last drought, all agreed that the aftermath of the drought persists and

affected people are still in dire need of assistance. This is because 80% of the livestock population of the

pastoralist community of Puntland were annihilated.

The meeting, after exploring viable options and possible durable solutions to the recurrent droughts, agreed on

the following:

The meeting established that HADMA and OCHA, mandated to humanitarian relief delivery, should

continue their efforts in assisting affected people

A rapid assessment on drought resilience and recovery should be launched in June 2017. It was decided

that the proposed rapid assessment should also explore the extent of impact of the last drought, which

will serve as a baseline for resilience and recovery strategies.

The rapid assessment should target the type and nature of these recurrent droughts and come up with

practical options and/or strategies on resilience and recovery for these recurrent droughts

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MoPIC Statistics Department

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The Ministry of Planning and International

Cooperation (MoPIC) Departments of Statistics

with the support from UNFPA Somalia and

Statistics Sweden conducted multiple activities

between January-June 2016.

Main Achievements

1. Department website developed and updated

2. Quarterly CPI produced and disseminated

through the website

3. Youth analytical report drafted

4. Gender booklet is under development

5. Dissemination policy drafted

6. DQAF Template drafted

7. Monthly and annual CPI and Inflation data

introduced

8. PL Lower Level Estimate / District

Population Computed

9. Staff Assessment is carried out

10. 75% of Facts and figures data book collected

11. 16 Districts Digitized

12. SHDS preparations

13. 5 newly staff recruited

14. Trainings in the followings was conducted:

I. GIS

II. National Accounting Systems

III. CPI

IV. Gender Statistics

V. Index Theory, Sampling and

Measurement

VI. GDP

VII. Quality Assurance

VIII. Development Methodology and

Guidelines for Interviewers (CPI)

IX. Web Development

X. Survey Management using mobile

data

15. Workshops and Meetings

January: CPI Development and

Harmonization Meeting via video

conference

January: Joint High-Level Statistics

Forum in Nairobi

May: SHDS project document

review in Kigali

May: SCB Coordination Committee

Meeting

World Bank SCORE Project: Somali Business

Catalytic Fund

Cooperation project Somali Statistical Authorities-Statistics Sweden annual review meeting in Kigali, Rwanda

SAP Committee

On 3rd

May 2017 MoPIC held the second Small

and Medium Enterprise Advisory Panels (SAP)

Members meeting to discuss and review the

World Bank funded SCORE Project, The

Somali Business Catalytic Fund (SBCF),

designed to invest in the establishment and

expansion of profitable small and medium

enterprises (SMEs).

The SAP consists of Ministers and

representatives of the civil society, chaired by

the Ministry of Planning and International

Cooperation (MoPIC) H.E Shire Hajji Farah.

The Main objective of the meeting was for the

SAP committee to review the group B list of

the grant applicants.

Opening Ceremony of EUCAP-Somalia Office in Puntland

On 7 March EUCAP Somalia – formerly known as EUCAP

Nestor – hosted a ceremony to officially open the Field Office

in Garowe. The event was also an occasion to communicate to

the Puntland partners and the public about the new, broadened

civilian maritime security mandate of EUCAP Somalia. This

was presented to the Puntland Authorities and the media

present by the European Union External Action Service

Civilian Operations Commander, Mr. Kenneth Deane and

EUCAP Somalia Head of Mission (HoM), Mrs. Maria-

Cristina Stepanescu. During this occasion a Cooperation

Arrangement between the Mission and the

Puntland Government was signed.

The Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation, represented by the State Minister of Planning and

International Cooperation, Mr. Ahmed Ibrahim Awale, signed on behalf of the Puntland Government. The Vice-

President of Puntland, Hon. Abdihakim Abdullahi Hajji Omar attended the official event and together with Mr.

Deane ‘cut the ribbon’, marking the opening of the new Mission Field Office.

The EUCAP Somalia Mission, after a period of considerable joint planning with the Puntland counterparts

(which was covered in the previous newsletter) has commenced the implementation of activities and projects

that comprise of daily strategic level advice to stakeholder ministries and more ‘hands-on’ capacity building activities such as regular workshops.

The Mission Maritime Adviser has commenced the implementation of a project called ‘Joint Maritime Information and Coordination Centre’, which has started since early February 2017. This project seeks to establish an information and coordination centre that has the decision support tools to provide key decision

makers with timely and accurate information to support their ‘cross-ministerial’ decision making processes, those that will address maritime crime and concern maritime incidents and accidents response options. The

focus of effort will be initially in Garowe and Bosasso with the aspiration to also include other coastal locations

in 2018.

Supporting activities will consist of continuous mentoring on maritime conventions, regulations and other

international agreements that must be understood and applied during the conduct of the so-called normal suite

of Coast Guard Functions. The primary beneficiaries in Puntland are the Ministry of Maritime Transport, Ports

and Maritime Crime Prevention; and the Bosasso Port Police. Where possible, such activities will be executed

in close cooperation with EU NAVFOR Atalanta and UNODC.

The Mission Police Adviser will cooperate closely with the UNSOM ROLSIG Police Advisers in the area of the

implementation of the so-called New Police Model across the whole of Somalia.

The Mission Legal Adviser will also build the capacity of Puntland judges, prosecutors and police investigators

in investigating, prosecuting and adjudicating maritime crime. This will be done through mentoring, advising,

training and workshops in close cooperation with the Police and Maritime Advisers.

The Mission Legal Adviser will focus on assisting in developing clear legal frameworks under which different

maritime law enforcement agencies operate. This will be achieved by building general law drafting capacity

within Puntland ministries and providing advice on drafting and reviewing particular pieces of maritime

legislation.

All the Mission activities are listed in the Joint Puntland – EUCAP Somalia Work Plan 2017.

MoPIC State Minister H.E Ahmed Awale Officiall signing in a cooperation Arragnement between the Missin and Puntland Government

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This Newsletter is published by the Ministry of Planning and International

Cooperation with the support from the United Nations Development

Program (UNDP) Strengthening Institutional Performance (SIP) Project

Funded by: UK-DFID, EU, Norway and Sweden

MoPIC Contacts

To Contact MoPIC, kindly provide any comments or

suggestions, as well as short submissions for the next newsletter

to MoPIC Development Communication Specialist, Suad Salah

Nour at the following email address: suad.snour@gmail.com

with cc to mopic@plstate.so

Hussein Abdi Jama

Director General of Ministry of Planning and International

Cooperation

Email Address: d.general@mopicplgov.net

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