TERMS OF REFERENCE

Senior Non-key Expert

Drafting a National Transformation Plan Execution Strategy

for the Federal Ministry of Planning, Investment and Economic Development (MoPIED)

Pillars 2 & 4: “Sustainable Economic Development” / “Environment and Climate Resilience”

Project              EU – Somalia Technical Assistance and Partnership Facility [NDICI Africa/2023/451-029]

Start date and duration          The role is expected to commence in June 2025 and to be implemented as a single, continuous assignment, counting from the date of first deployment of the expert (extendable, subject to project need / requirements and resource availability).

Inputs A maximum of 35 working days, delivered over a period not exceeding three (3) calendar months.

Location and travel    The main place of assignment shall be Mogadishu, capital city of Somalia.

Travel within the country will be required and will be subject to relevant project and EU rules and regulations, including security protocols and the outcome of contemporary security assessments.

Supervision    The role will be answerable to the Director General (DG) of the Somali Federal Ministry of Planning, Investment and Economic Development (MoPIED) and will be supervised by the TAPF Team Leader, in close collaboration with the TAPF KE2 / Partnership Advisor.

Time sheets will be approved by the TAPF Team Leader and the EU Delegation (EUD).

1. BACKGROUND

The European Union – Somalia Technical Assistance and Partnership Facility (TAPF) is a three-year initiative designed to support the European Union Delegation (EUD) to Somalia’s engagement in and cooperation with the Federal Republic of Somalia, and to expedite progress towards achievement of the global 2030 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 Mogadishu and Nairobi.

The project duration runs for an initial total term of 36 months, from 1st January 2024, through to 31st December 2026.

It is resourced and implemented by a Key Expert 1 / Team Leader (with an allocation of 660 working days) and a Key Expert 2: Partnership Advisor (660 working days), complemented by seven State Level Coordinators (each with 660 days: 4,620 days in total), and three Senior Technical Advisors (1,500 working days in total).

In addition, the project has an allocation of (respectively) 850 Senior and 1,000 Junior Non-key Expert days, to fulfil demand-driven tasks in accordance with the project’s overall Terms of Reference and in line with its “facility” modus operandi.

Key experts are supported by in-country administrative staff in Mogadishu (and in Nairobi, if required), responsible for local administration, operational logistics and financial management, while overall project delivery is underpinned and supervised by DAI’s backstopping team and support service, based in Europe.

2.   OBJECTIVES

2.1 Project Objectives

The TAPF has three main result areas:

I.            Strengthening the capacity of the Government of Somalia, at both Federal and State levels, and in particular the Federal Ministry of Planning, Investment and Economic Development (MoPIED), to deliver on its mandate, with respect to the National Transformation Plan (NTP).

II.           Strengthening identification, formulation, implementation and monitoring of European Union funded programmes in Somalia, 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 cooperation.

The project is expected to deliver a range of technical support activities structured around these result areas, in relation to both Federal (FGS) and Member State (FMS) institutions, selected non-state actors, and the EUD itself. Deliverables may include multi-stakeholder engagement activities, including community consultations, planning, project and programme design, technical studies and analyses, policy formulation and advisory support, cross-cutting thematic analyses, and monitoring and evaluation activities.

2.2 General Assignment Objectives

Somalia’s first national development plan comprised a five-year programme launched soon after independence in 1960 and covered the period from 1962 to 1967. The purpose of the National Development Plan was to define national development objectives and to formalise the planning process in the context of contemporary institutional architecture.

The first national development plan was followed by two three-year plans from 1968 to 1970 (NDP 2) and 1971 to 1973 (NDP 3).

Another five-year plan was prepared and implemented from 1974 to 1978 (NDP 4), followed by a three-year plan from 1979 to 1981 (NDP 5) and two five-year plans from 1982 to 1986 (NDP 6) and 1987 to 1992 (NDP 7), the latter of which was unworkable and largely ineffective, because of the prevailing security situation at that time.

After a long break due to the civil war, the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) prepared its first new development plan in 25 years (NDP 8), covering the four-year period from 2016 to 2019, after which the country introduced a five-year plan (NDP 9), which ran from January 2020 until the close of 2024.

Over the last five years, NDP-9 has been the primary instrument through which to facilitate strategic alignment between sectoral plans and the overarching national development strategy; for supporting Federal Member States (FMS) to create state-level strategic plans consistent with national priorities, i.e. translating national plans into actionable regional / state-level policy interventions and investments, and for empowering FMS ministry-level planning, through coordinated engagement, ensuring effective policy development and seamless implementation.

Among its achievements, NDP-9 helped Somalia qualify for debt relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative in December 2023 (with support from IMF and World Bank).

MoPIED was in advanced stages of developing the next five-year strategic plan (NDP-10) when the focus was changed to formulation of a National Transformation Plan (NTP). The NTP is the mechanism which will act as a roadmap for the implementation and delivery of Somalia’s Centennial Vision 2060 (as prepared by the National Economic Council (NEC)), in line with the international development agenda, including the 17 Sustainable Development Goals adopted by UN member states in 2015, to achieve peace and prosperity for humanity and sustainable development for the planet by 2030. 

The main difference between the two models (NDP and NTP) is that the NTP represents a departure from “business as usual” and a move away from crisis management.

In general terms, the NTP is designed to better coordinate government approaches to state building and to secure support from the international community. In particular, it seeks to shift the focus away from humanitarian relief and to transition into development, to build resilience to climate shocks and to build collaboration with the private sector, as an answer to the many existing challenges, including insufficient resources (particularly finance and skilled workers), weak institutions at national and state level, and the relative absence of infrastructure that have prevented the country from fully achieving the goals set out in the various previous national plans.

The National Transformation Plan (NTP) focuses on four (4) priority sectors or pillars:

-             Governance (including security and the rule of law, decentralisation and democratisation);

-             Sustainable economic development (including private sector-led inclusive economic growth and productive sector development);

-             Social and human development (including education, health, social protection and water);

-             Environment and climate resilience (including environmental protection, climate adaptation, mitigation and resilience).

The plan is expected to provide a roadmap for economic growth, service delivery, peacebuilding and climate resilience, and was informed by sectoral assessments, robust stakeholder consultations and detailed data analysis.

The NTP was approved by the Somali National Assembly in February (2025) and has, therefore, moved from a formulation to an implementation phase. In this context, the federal MoPIED wishes to prepare a national NTP execution strategy that will facilitate plan implementation.

To support this process, two TAPF Non-Key Experts (NKEs) will be recruited to conduct a gap analysis of ministry / institutional weaknesses; to design and install institutional arrangements for coordinating implementing partners; for monitoring implementation and data collection, and to assess if goals and results can be expected to align with relevant local / state goals, based on milestones, outputs and indicators drawn from the current structure of the NTP.

The execution strategy will focus on key priorities for the first one year of implementation.

Each NKE will be responsible for two pillars, in which subject areas they should possess detailed knowledge and extensive past experience.

Specialisms will be combined as follows:

-             Governance (including security and the rule of law, decentralisation and democratisation) and social and human capacity development (including education, health, social protection and water).

-             Sustainable economic development (including private sector-led inclusive economic growth and productive sector development) and environment and climate resilience (including environmental protection, climate adaptation, mitigation and resilience).

2.3 Specific Assignment Objectives

The specific objective of the assignment is to develop a realistic plan execution strategy for the Sustainable Economic Development Pillar of the NTP and a separate Environment and Climate Resilience Pillar execution strategy that will be integrated into an overall National Transformation Plan execution timetable, covering the period from 2025 until 2029 but with focus on the year 2025 -2026.

As noted, the Sustainable Economic Development Pillar focuses on private sector-led economic development, while the Environment and Climate Resilience Pillar focuses on climate adaptation, mitigation and resilience, etc. The execution strategy for both components should outline individual, time-specific implementation proposals, to be achieved through a consultative and participatory process that actively involves all the relevant stakeholders at both federal and state level.

The combined Sustainable Economic Development / Environment and Climate Resilience Pillar Non-key Expert (NKE) will work closely with a MoPIED assembled Task Force or Working Group made up of the DG, departmental Directors, etc. and the (TAPF provided) MoPIED Senior Technical Advisor (STA), to plan activities, collect and review data, and formulate specific Sustainable Economic Development and Environment and Climate Resilience Sector Implementation / Execution Plans.

Additionally, the NKE will collaborate with the Ministerial Working Group to ensure that the two sector execution strategies align with other sector execution plans (for Governance and for Social and Human Development), ultimately contributing to create an overall National Transformation Plan 2025–2030 Execution Strategy.

Formulation of the Sustainable Economic Development and Environment and Climate Resilience Pillar execution strategies will pass through a number of plan review, preparation and drafting phases, including organisation of four (4) regional and sectoral consultation workshops, which will be convened and conducted in the four states and regions whose state development plans will most closely align with the NTP, namely Galmudug, Hirshabelle and Southwest States, and  Banadir Region / Greater Mogadishu, and a final validation workshop that will be conducted in Mogadishu, to enhance inclusivity and promote ownership. The sectoral Non-key Expert will incorporate feedback gathered during these various consultation and validation workshops into the evolving plan execution strategy.

Amongst other issues, the Sustainable Economic Development and Environment and Climate Resilience sector implementation NKE should:

-             Participate in / conduct a gap analysis of ministry / institutional weaknesses and their likely impact on the efficacy of implementation of the National Transformation Plan;

-             Articulate desired goals / future status of governance, and social and human capacity development, highlighting where the sectors should be after five (5) years’ and how to get there (defining principal means and actions by which stated objectives may be realised);

-             Identify the institutional preconditions and arrangements that are needed to achieve set objectives and devise / design and recommend structures for coordinating implementing partners, monitoring implementation and collecting data;

-             Assess if goals and results can be expected to align with relevant local / state goals, based on milestones, outputs and indicators drawn from the current structure of the NTP;

-             Highlight cross-cutting issues and strategies within the “sustainable economy” and “environment and climate resilience” sectors; establishing investment needs for programme implementation and specifying what is to be done, why, how, when and by whom within the sector;

-             Propose a monitoring framework that is results-based, management compliant, and fully aligned with NTP goals, SDGs and Somalia’s other international obligations.

The finished Sustainable Economic Development, and Environment and Climate Resilience Sector execution strategies should also contain comprehensive resource mobilisation strategies with domestic and foreign resources components, in line with sector investment needs and cognisant of the macro-economic and fiscal constraints affecting Somalia, and emphasising public / private partnerships for future development of each sector.

3.   SCOPE

3.1 General

Working closely with appropriate authorities at FGS and FMS level (the MoPIED senior management and ministerial working groups, state Ministries of Planning), and with TAPF Key Experts (KE1 and KE2) and Non-key Experts (the MoPIED STA and State Level Coordinators), and coordinating between the federal MoPIED, state ministries and other ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs), the NKE will assist in the design, preparation (through data analysis), draft formulation and subsequent validation of a Sustainable Economic Development, and Environment and Climate Resilience NTP “execution strategy”, thus helping to generate a comprehensive, inclusive and fully formed plan implementation blueprint.

3.2 Target Groups

The work of the TAPF benefits Somali citizens through increasing the effectiveness of EU cooperation with Somalia, including (in this case) support for the national transformation plan implementation process.

The Senior NKE will work with, and be based in, the Ministry of Planning, Investment and Economic Development in Mogadishu, but will liaise and coordinate with relevant FGS and FMS institutions. The NKE will also interact with non-state actors, such as civil society organisations and interest groups (women, youth, private sector and the business community), facilitating their participation in policy implementation dialogue activities, e.g. federal and state development / transformation Plan consultations and validation events.

3.3 Specific Activities

The Expert is expected to undertake and complete the following tasks:

•            Under the direct supervision of the office of the MoPIED DG, with support from the TAPF STA and the BRA, Galmudug, Hirshabelle and Southwest State SLCs, and in conjunction with the TAPF Team Leader and Key Expert 2, pro-actively assist, contribute to, and where required “drive”, the preparation and formulation of the Sustainable Economic Development and Environment and Climate Resilience Pillar components of the National Transformation Plan, 2025-2029, Execution Strategy, through direct engagement and in coordination with state government counterpart MDAs. Specifically:

-             Propose a process methodology to be used to compile a plan execution strategy and to verify and approve its content.

-             Coordinate subject-specific inter-governmental and inter-ministerial dialogue, and design and implement inclusive pillar-based consultation processes involving a diverse range of actors.

-             In collaboration with government counterparts and development partners, including business enterprises, civil society organisations, non-state actors, academic institutions, women’s groups, youth organisations and community representatives, convene and facilitate sectoral working group discussions and identify gaps, challenges and opportunities and ministry / institutional weaknesses and their likely impact on implementation of the National Transformation Plan, going forward.

-             Based on the NTP, articulate key goals / the future status of economic and productive development and environmental management, climate mitigation and resilience promotion, highlighting where the sectors should be after five (5) years’ and how to get there (defining principal means and actions by which stated objectives may be realised).

-             Identify the institutional preconditions needed to achieve set objectives and devise / design and recommend structures for coordinating implementing partners, monitoring implementation and measuring progress against the achievement of agreed objectives.

-             Review the NTP against the goals and objectives of state development / transformation plans and assess if projected results are expected to align, based on current NTP milestones, outputs and indicators.

-             Develop initial drafts of the respective NTP sector implementation plans, outlining strategic objectives, sector priorities, implementation frameworks, and monitoring indicators.

-             Highlight cross-cutting issues within the economic and productive development and environmental management and climate mitigation and resilience sectors, establishing investment needs for programme implementation and specifying what is to be done, why, how, when and by whom within the sector.

-             Propose a monitoring framework that is results-based, management compliant, and fully aligned with NTP goals, SDGs and Somalia’s other international obligations.

-             Liaise with relevant research institutions and the National Economic Council to ensure harmonisation of the objectives of the NTP with sector goals defined in the Centennial Vision 2060 (CV2060) document.

-             Produce final, comprehensive, sector implementation plans, based on stakeholder feedback, working group discussions and technical reviews, and that align with the national vision, SDGs, and financing frameworks.

-             Organise and conduct / facilitate a final Execution Strategy Validation Workshop, involving key stakeholders from state and federal levels, civil society and the private sector.

-             Work closely with fiscal planning experts to develop a realistic costing of NTP implementation.

-             Build staff capacity in the use of methodologies and tools utilised during the execution strategy development phase and provide mentoring and training to sectoral staff and junior professionals during the entirety of the execution plan formulation process.

•            Prepare and submit an end-of-mission narrative report summarising activities undertaken, progress made, and lessons learned during commission of the assignment.

4.   DELIVERABLES AND REPORTING

The following deliverables will contribute to and result in successful implementation of the “Drafting an NTP Execution Strategy” technical assistance assignment:

•            Preparation of an assignment methodology road map, in the form of an “inception report”, summarising the process selected for development of the NTP implementation / execution strategy.

•            Conducting a gap analysis (challenges, strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) in existing ministry and institutional structures and their likely impact on future implementation of the National Transformation Plan.

•            Convening and facilitating four (4) distinct state-level consultation workshops, each engaging with government and community leaders, business enterprises, civil society organisations, non-state actors, academic institutions, women’s groups, youth organisations, and community representatives, in Galmudug, Hirshabelle and Southwest State and in Banadir Region / Mogadishu, to review the NTP against the goals and objectives of state development / transformation plans, milestones, outputs and indicators.

•            Provision of workshop facilitation or co-facilitation services, in relation to targeted stakeholder consultations and execution strategy validation events.

•            Developing and compiling initial drafts of NTP execution strategy sectoral implementation plans and frameworks.

•            Organising and conducting / facilitating a final “strategy validation workshop”, involving key stakeholders from state and federal levels, civil society and the private sector.

•            Revising initial document drafts based on stakeholder feedback, working group discussions, and technical reviews.

•            Producing final, comprehensive, sector-specific NTP execution plans that align with the national vision, SDGs, and financing frameworks.

•            Preparing and submitting an end-of-mission narrative report and timely handover of Execution Strategy documents (and other relevant materials) to DAI administrative support staff for uploading to the TAPF internal SharePoint platform.

5.   SUPERVISION

The Sustainable Economic Development and Environment and Climate Resilience Execution Strategy NKE will be answerable to the Director General (DG) of the Federal Ministry of Planning, Investment and Economic Development (MoPIED), working in collaboration with the TAPF MoPIED STA (and SLCs at state level), and will be supervised by the TAPF Team Leader, in close collaboration with the TAPF KE2 / Partnership Advisor.

Time sheets will be approved by the TAPF Team Leader and the EU Delegation (EUD).

6.   LOGISTICS

The assignment will be implemented from the MoPIED office in Mogadishu.

Travel to selected districts within Somalia will be required, to conduct consultations and other interactive undertakings, subject to relevant project and EU rules and regulations, including security protocols and the outcome of contemporary security assessments.

The TAPF Office Manager, based in Mogadishu, and the DAI Project Manager, based in Brussels, will support the NTP Execution Strategy NKE with operational and administrative issues, as required.

The working language of the assignment and contract will be English, and all communication and reports will be submitted in English.

7.   EXPERT QUALIFICATIONS / SELECTION CRITERIA

The Sustainable Economic Development and Environment and Climate Resilience Execution Strategy Non-key Expert (NKE) should possess:

•            A university degree, preferably a Master’s, in one of the following fields: Business Administration, Economics, Public Administration, Statistics, Public Policy Development, International Development, Environmental Studies, Political Science, or a related field.

•            12 or more years of practical work experience in a senior advisory capacity with an international development organisation, private sector company, non-governmental organisation or government institution, including at least three (3) previous assignments as a development planner, preparing regional, organisational or company-level strategic plans.

•            Previous work experience as a TA or CTA (technical assistant / chief technical advisor), embedded within a host government department, inclusive mentoring and capacity development experience, guiding development programmes and / or the implementation of policies, strategies and operational plans.

•            Previous experience (in at least three (3) work assignments) of workshop organisation and facilitation, inclusive in-depth knowledge of and familiarity with focus group discussions and other interactive data collection methodologies, preparation of PowerPoint presentations and handouts, and moderating workshop plenaries.

•            Strong communication, negotiation and interpersonal skills.

•            Strong organisational and analytical skills.

•            Excellent written and spoken / verbal communication skills in both English and Somali.

•            Extensive knowledge of the local (Somali) development context.

•            Specialist technical knowledge of one or more sectors comprising the foundation pillars in the current development planning framework. These are:

Compulsory (in this case):

-             Sustainable economic transformation: macro-economic stability, private- sector-led, inclusive economic growth, and productive sector development;

-             Environment and climate resilience: environmental protection, renewable energy, disaster risk reduction, climate adaptation and mitigation, and resilience.

Optional:

-             Governance transformation: rule of law and security, public sector reforms, and inclusive governance.

-             Social and human capital transformation: education, health and nutrition, social protection, water and inter-sectoral themes.

•            Ability to work in a fast-paced environment, managing multiple priorities effectively.

How to apply

https://phf.tbe.taleo.net/phf04/ats/careers/v2/viewRequisition?org=DAINC&cws=48&rid=9423