Human Capital Development Strategy for Somalia

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Human Capital Development Strategy for Somalia

The last 20 years have been characterized by slow but steady recovery and a modest reconstitution of state institutions, including the adoption of a contested and unsettled federal governance structure. There is much to be optimistic about Somalia�

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The last 20 years have been characterized by slow but steady recovery and a modest reconstitution of state institutions, including the adoption of a contested and unsettled federal governance structure. There is much to be optimistic about Somalia's recovery despite the protracted instability. This human capital development strategy is anchored on Somalia's fragile realities and its success hinges upon the ushering in of a conducive enabling environment. The human capital development strategy aims to provide a framework to transform the knowledge and skills of the Somali workforce and help to develop an empowered and healthy Somali population with the necessary skills and attitudes for productive sector driven and sustainable economic development. Download the full report here

Foreword

A consortium comprising the Heritage Institute for Policy Studies (HIPS) and City University of Mogadishu,

with the support of more than 20 distinguished academics, researchers and consultants undertook a

multi-sector human capital development baseline study for Somalia – with a special focus on the health,

labor, education, fisheries, livestock and agriculture sectors.

The primary purpose of this initiative was to produce the first-ever comprehensive human capital

development strategy (HCDS) for Somalia. We specifically looked at how a skilled and healthy population

could emerge as a catalyst in harnessing the country’s abundant natural resources for more sustainable

development. We also examined how best to stimulate, advance and synchronize the efforts of human capital

development stakeholders, particularly the federal government, the federal member states, educators at all

levels and the private sector.

Over 1000 human capital development stakeholders from both the public and private sectors contributed

to this pioneering research work, making it the most authoritative human capital development study and

strategy ever produced for Somalia. In fact, after reviewing the preliminary findings of the baseline study, the

Federal Ministry of Planning designated human capital development as a national priority.

It would not have been possible to complete this initiative without the considerable support of the federal

government and all of the federal member states. The federal Minister of Planning, Gamal Hassan, and the

then Minister of Labor and Social Services, Salah Jama, played a pivotal role in moving this project forward.

Many federal officials helped the project come to fruition, including Minister of Education, Abdullahi Godah

Barre, and his predecessor, Abdirahman D. Osman; the Minister of Labor, Sadik Warfa; Vice Minister of

Health, Mohamed Said; Finance Minister, Dr. Abdirahman Beileh and his Vice Minister, Dr. Abdullahi

Sheikh Ali. Likewise, current and former leaders of the federal member states all supported the human

capital development assessments in their respective regions.

A core output of this undertaking is the national human capital development strategy as well as sector

specific interventions available at HIPS website or this dedicated website, www.humancapital.so. The

strategy identified key recommendations including the harmonization of the efforts of the human capital

development stakeholders, the establishment of a National Qualifications Framework (NQF) and the

adaptation of national values and mind-set conducive to Technical and Vocational Educational and Training

(TVET) and productive sector development.

This research exercise was not only immensely educational but also humbling. The baseline studies laid

bare the enormous developmental challenges Somalia faces. As part of the leadership of Somalia’s higher

education and research institution, we assumed we knew the depth and breadth of the country’s human

capital challenges. However, the findings convinced us that we had a great deal to learn. We are, therefore,

confident relevant stakeholders who read these baseline studies and this accompanying strategy will agree

that the implementation of the strategic interventions outlined in this document should become a national

priority.

Prof. Abdullahi Barise

President,

City University of Mogadishu

Over 1000

human capital

development

stakeholders from

both the public

and private sectors

contributed to

this pioneering

research work,

making it the

most authoritative

human capital

development

study and strategy

ever produced for

Somalia

Abdirashid Hashi

Executive Director

Heritage Institute for Policy Study (HIPS)

6 Heritage Institute City University

Acknowledgements

We are profoundly grateful to the over 1000 Somali individuals we consulted in the production of the six

baseline studies that accompany this national human capital development strategy (HCDS), without whose

participation and support this research would not have been possible.

This initiative benefited from the support, guidance and contributions of six key federal ministries and their

leaders: Minister of Planning, Investment and Economic Development, Ambassador Gamal Hassan, and

his team; the former Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Salah Jama (currently Constitution Minister) and

the former Labor and Social Affairs Minister, Sadik Warfa, and his team; the former Minister of Education

Abdirahman Dahir Osman and his team; the Minister of Health Dr. Fawziya Abikar and Vice Minister

Mohamed Said and their team. We are thankful to the ministry of Education leadership: Minister Abduallahi

Godah Barre, State Minister Abdirahman Mohamud Abdulle (Jabir), Vice Minister Faysal Omar Guled,

Director General Ahmed Yusuf, Director of Planning and Budget Khadija Abdullahi Jimale, Director of

TVET Abdiaziz Nor Mohamed and senior advisors Ibrahim Ahmed Mohamed and Dr. Abdullahi A. Omar.

Special thanks also goes to the Federal Vice Minister of Finance, Dr. Abdullahi Sheikh Ali "Qaloocow” for

his support of the consortium’s work as well as his participation in the Human Capital Development Multistakeholder Forum held in Mogadishu on 29 April 2019.

We also extend our appreciation to all former and current Federal Member State presidents who supported

and facilitated access for human capital development field research in their respective states. These include

the current Southeast State President Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed Laftagren and the former President Sharif

Hassan Sheikh Adan; the President of Puntland Said Abdullahi Deni and the former President Dr. Abdweli

Ali Gaas; the President of Jubaland Ahmed Mohamed Islan; the President of Hirshabelle Mohamed Abdi

Waare and the Deputy President Ali Abdullahi Guudlaawe; and the former head of the Galmudug cabinet

Sheikh Shakir Ali Hassan. President Abdiweli Gaas of Puntland was gracious enough to invite consortium

researchers to address his cabinet on the importance of human capital development.

We are profoundly grateful to senior ministers who attended the HIPS Annual Forum for Ideas (AFI 2019)

held in Djibouti in December 2019 where human capital development was the main theme. The Minister

of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Ahmed Ise Awad, and the Minister of Finance, Abdirahman Duale Beileh,

served as keynote speakers. We are also thankful to the Ministers of Constitution and Education Salah Jama

and Abullahi Godah Barre for their endorsement of the human capital development initiative.

We are thankful to all the senior officials at the Planning, Investment and Economic Development ministry

led by Permanent Secretary Abdikadir Adan. We are also grateful to the planning ministers of the Federal

Member States, particularly former Jubaland Minister of Planning Adam Ibrahim Aw-Hirsi; the Southwest

Minister of Planning Ahmed Madoobe Nunow; the Puntland Minister of Planning Shire Haji Farah; the

Hirshabelle Deputy Minister of Planning Abdihamid Mohamed Ali; and the Galmudug Minister of Planning

Abdikafi Mohamud.

7 Heritage Institute City University

Ministers from the regional education, labor, health and women’s affairs ministries helped with the research

and participated in the multi-stakeholder forum in Mogadishu. We are thankful to Jubaland Minister of

Health Mursal Mohamed Khalif; Galmudug Education Minister Ahmed Deeq Falko; Jubaland Education

Minister, the late Mohamed Ibrahim Mohamud; Southwest Education Minister Abdirahman Osman;

Hirshabelle Deputy Minister of Education Moumin Tourre Abdullahi; former Southwest Minister of

Education and current Minister of Interior Mohamed Abokar; and former Southwest Minister of Interior

Mohamednor Madowe Nunow.

Special thanks go to Federal Member State ministers who participated in our inaugural multi-stakeholder

forum in Mogadishu: Jubaland Minister of Education (the late) Sheikh Mohamed Ibrahim; the Hirshabelle

Deputy Minister of Women and Human Rights, Halima Ali Said; the Southwest Minister of Labor Faisal

Abdullahi Ibrahim; the Hirshabelle State House Minister Abdullahi Mohamed Addow; the Hirshabelle

Deputy Labor Minister Abdikarim Mohamed Dirie; the Southwest Vice Minister of Women Shamso

Mohamed Yarow; and the Puntland Vice Minister of Health Abdinasir Haji Yusuf. We are also grateful to the

Jubaland Minister of Women Qamar Deeq Haji Khalif, whom we interviewed in Kismayo and the former

Puntland Vice Minister of Women’s Affairs Maryan Ahmed Ali.

Representatives of Somalia’s civil society, private sector and academia were instrumental to our data

collection. We are grateful to Hormud Group CEO Ahmed Mohamud Yusuf (Ahmed-Saudi) for an extended

discussion on job creation and challenges facing the private sector. Chambers of commerce at both the

national and regional levels were also supportive of our efforts and we express our appreciation to the Vice

President of the Somali Chamber of Commerce Abdirashid Ainanshe; Chairperson of the Puntland Chamber

of Commerce Mohamed Aided; Chairman of the Southwest Chamber of Commerce Haji Ahmed Isak;

Chairperson of the Hirshabelle Chamber of Commerce Xaliima Fiidow; and Deputy Chair of the Jubaland

Chamber of Commerce Mohamed Sharif.

We also are grateful for the support of our academic partners, particularly those from universities in

Mogadishu, Kismayo, Baidoa and Garowe. These included Abdulkadir Hikam, the former President of

Kismayo University; Mohamed Haji Hussein, the President of the University of Southern Somalia, Baidoa;

and our colleagues at Puntland State University (PSU), East Africa University, Mogadishu University, City

University of Mogadishu and Banadir University. We would also like to thank the leaders of Mogadishu’s

education umbrella organizations particularly Professor Abdulkadir Hassan Ahmed (Kadle) for providing

invaluable inputs throughout workshop discussions, secondary data collection and validations.

Representatives and advocates for people with special needs also played an important role in this research

project. We are thankful to: Mohamed Harun Mohamoud, who was a consultant for the consortium and has

written extensively on disability issues; prominent disability issues activist Abdirahman Mohamed Farah

(Lunge); and Ahmed Mohamed, the Special Needs Director of the Galmudug Ministry of Education who

offered valuable insights and contributions to this study.

8 Heritage Institute City University

The project was both conceived and funded by the Somalia Stability Fund (SSF) and would not have been

possible without the support and leadership of the entire SSF team, particularly investment managers

Ibrahim Abdi and Fatuma Abdullahi and SSF team leader Vishalini Lawrence. We are also thankful to SSF

consultant and human capital development expert Lee Sorensen who supported the consortium in every

stage of the development of the baseline study. Lee authored the rationale section of the HCD that focused on

global benchmarks and lessons learned from other contexts.

We are very thankful to our HIPS’ core funders SIDA (Sweden) and SDC (Switzerland) without whose

support the institute would not have been able to contribute to the transformation of the policy environment

in Somalia.

Special gratitude also goes to the government of Djibouti, especially H.E. President Ismail Omar Guelleh,

who sponsored the 2019 Annual Forum for Ideas where human capital development was the key theme and

preliminary results of the baseline studies were presented.

Last but not least, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to all the HIPS and City University of Mogadishu

researchers, academics and support staff whose dedication and service was instrumental to the completion of

this project.

Professor Abdi Mohamed Kusow

lowa State University and Senior

HIPS Research Methodology Fellow

Abdulkareem H. Jama

Vice President and Provost

City University of Mogadishu

HCD Project Director

9 Heritage Institute City University

Executive Summary

This report is the result of a two-year collaborative project aimed at assessing the state

of human capital development in Somalia and creating an inclusive, indigenous and

sustainable national human capital development strategy.

A consortium comprising the Heritage Institute for Policy Studies (HIPS) and City

University of Mogadishu (CU) produced five baseline studies (education, health,

labour, agriculture/livestock and fisheries) and developed strategies to improve the

state of human capital development in the country. Key ministries of the Federal

Government of Somalia (FGS) and the Federal Member States (FMS) assisted us by

granting our researchers unfettered access to their data, particularly the ministries

of planning, labor, education and health. Other national and regional government

entities, education sector stakeholders, major employers and chambers of commerce

at the FGS and FMS level also supported the research by providing data and

participating in interviews and focus group discussions.

Research objectives

The research sought to accomplish the following four key objectives:

(a) Conduct comprehensive baseline studies on education, labor, health, and

productive sectors (agriculture, fisheries and livestock)

(b) Develop a Somali-led national human capital development strategy

the success of the human capital development strategy

(d) Secure endorsement and support from key stakeholders for the development of a

human capital strategy, its inclusion in the National Development Plan (NDP-9),

and the adoption of human capital development as a national priority.

A consortium

comprising the

Heritage Institute

for Policy Studies

(HIPS) and

City University

of Mogadishu

(CU) produced five

baseline studies

and developed

strategies to

improve the state

of human capital

development in the

country

10 Heritage Institute City University

Guiding Principles of the Research

The last 20 years have been characterized by slow but steady recovery and a modest

reconstitution of state institutions, including the adoption of a contested and unsettled

federal governance structure. There is much to be optimistic about Somalia’s recovery

despite the protracted instability. This human capital development strategy is anchored

on Somalia’s fragile realities and its success hinges upon the ushering in of a conducive

enabling environment. The human capital development strategy aims to provide a

framework to transform the knowledge and skills of the Somali workforce and help to

develop an empowered and healthy Somali population with the necessary skills and

attitudes for productive sector driven and sustainable economic development.

Human Capital Development Core Values

Inclusive and Equitable Human Capital: The human capital development strategy

aspires towards ensuring equity in education and employment opportunities for

all Somalis regardless of their geographical location (urban or rural), gender or

socioeconomic status.

Quality and Excellence: The strategy aims to provide quality education and training

in all fields with results that can be measured through national qualifications standards

to ensure quality and competitiveness.

Relevance: The HCD strategy urges relevant stakeholders to prioritize education and

training programs that are responsive to labor market needs, productive --sector

growth, and the overall economic development of the country.

"Somalinimo”: The HCD strategy should be anchored on a shared and inclusive

national identity, strong moral values, equity and civic pride in pursuing the nation’s

development goals.

The HCD strategy

urges relevant

stakeholders to

prioritize education

and training

programs that

are responsive to

labor market

needs, productive

sector growth,

and the overall

economic

development of the

country.

11 Heritage Institute City University

Research Design

The data collection phase included quantitative surveys and qualitative data collection

including key informant interviews, focus group discussions, expert forums and direct

observation. The research process was divided into three phases: 1) secondary data

collection, 2) primary data collection and 3) multi-stakeholder workshops.

In the secondary data collection phase, a team of researchers systematically reviewed

policy documents, reports and data on issues pertaining to educational enrolment,

labor dynamics, health indicators, agriculture, livestock, fisheries, infrastructure and

skills training gaps. The primary data collection and multi-stakeholder workshops

- held across the country between July 2018 and November 2019 - included 190 key

informant interviews, 80 focus group discussions and six expert workshops, totaling

1,000 participants.

Definition of Human Capital

Human capital is a broad concept that includes not only education and training but

also many other aspects of human development such as the health of the population

and their talents, habits and attitudes towards work. According to the World

Economic Forum’ 2016 Human Capital Report, ‘A nation’s human capital endowment

- the knowledge and skills embodied in individuals that enable them to create

economic value - can be a more important determinant of its long-term success than

virtually any other resource.’

Human capital is

a broad concept

that includes not

only education

and training but

also many other

aspects of human

development such

as the health of

the population and

their talents, habits

and attitudes

towards work

12 Heritage Institute City University

Human capital is one of the five core capitals described in the UK Department for

International Development (DFID) Sustainable Livelihoods Framework:

1. Human capital- the amount and quality of knowledge and labor available in a

household

2. Natural capital- the quality and quantity of natural resources, ranging from fisheries

to air quality

3. Financial capital- savings and regular inflows of money

4. Physical capital- the infrastructure, tools and equipment used to increase

productivity

5. Social capital- social resources including networks for cooperation, mutual trust

and support

13 Heritage Institute City University

Key Baseline Findings

Education

Education is one of the most important determinants of an individual’s productivity

and future success, and is also a key driver of economic development. High

illiteracy, low school enrolment and a low quality education systems all have serious

implications for the development of the education sector.

The study findings include:

• National education data indicates that nearly half of the Somali population

cannot read or write, which makes Somalia one of the world’s least literate

countries. Literacy is essential for social and economic development and is the

gateway to human capital development.

• In 2019, the gross enrolment rate in primary education was approximately 32.7%,

meaning that roughly 67% of the country’s school-age population were out of

school. The gross enrolment rate in secondary education was even lower at 18.4%.

A relatively small number of students (13,071) are currently enrolled in TVET

programs.

• Overall, the country’s education system continues to be of poor quality, hampered

by lack of qualified teachers, resources and the absence of demand-driven

curricula and substandard infrastructure.

Health

Somalia has some of the lowest health and well-being indicators in the world, with

women and children most affected. The findings of this study show that healthcare

services in Somalia are appalling, and the healthcare workforce lacks the skills,

knowledge, medical equipments and instruments and the necessary resources to do

their jobs.

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Human Capital Development Strategy for Somalia

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