Building Resilient Public Institutions

This brief examines the institutional capacity constraints limiting reform delivery in Somalia and proposes measures to strengthen continuity and coordination.

Institutional capacity, rather than policy design, remains the primary constraint on effective governance reform in Somalia.

A decade of reform has produced steady but uneven institutional progress, with capacity gaps most pronounced at the state and local level.

Staff turnover, weak inter-agency coordination and inconsistent local government capacity limit the reach of otherwise sound national policies.

• Establish multi-year institutional capacity programmes rather than short-term projects.
• Strengthen federal-state coordination mechanisms with clearer mandates.

• Prioritise continuity of technical staff over rotation-based appointments.
• Institutionalise coordination mechanisms in law rather than informal practice.

Durable governance improvement depends on sustained investment in institutional continuity, not episodic capacity-building.