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Building Stronger Public Institutions in Somalia
FIKIR Institute · 3 August 2026 · 6 min read

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Somalia's reform agenda has advanced steadily over the past decade, yet institutional capacity remains the binding constraint on translating policy commitments into delivered services.
Where progress has been made
Public financial management systems, revenue administration and civil service structures have each seen incremental improvement, supported by federal-state coordination mechanisms.
Where gaps persist
Human resource continuity, inter-agency coordination and local government capacity remain uneven across federal member states, limiting the reach of national reforms.
Recommendations
Sustained investment in institutional continuity — rather than periodic capacity-building projects — offers the most credible path to durable governance improvement.
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