The proposed programme is a result of a longer dialogue between the Swedish Embassy and Diakonia Somalia Country Office on how Diakonia can further contribute to the Swedish strategy for development cooperation in Somalia 2018-2022. The programme builds on previous Swedish experiences in funding the Somalia civil society, as well as on Diakonia’s experiences in the Somalia and beyond.
The goal and objective of the programme are in-line with the Somalia National Development Plan (NDP) 2017 – 2019, which has a policy priority that seeks to “develop a solid federal political and executive framework that empowers the federal member states to deliver services and economic opportunities to the citizens of Somalia in a secure environment” and seeks to have “more resilient communities that can withstand internal and external shocks including cyclical droughts and other natural disasters through integrated approaches towards risk management and development” . The goal and objective are aligned to the Puntland Development Plan 2017-2019, which includes inclusiveness and engagement; and district-led development as key guiding principles. In addition, the goal and objective are in-line with the South West State Strategy Plan 2017-2019, whose Pillar 3 objective is to increase the effectiveness and efficiency in public institutions of governance at the state, regional, and district levels. Further, the goal and objective contribute to the Swedish Embassy Somalia Strategy 2018 – 2022 which addresses human rights, democracy and rule of law in Somalia, as well as resilience. Lastly, the goal and objective contribute to the democracy and human rights themes in the Diakonia 2016-2020 strategy
The proposal has been developed in close consultation with key Puntland and South West States civil society actors and complements other ongoing CSO support such as the Civsam funded civil society support. The proposed action further takes into account lessons learnt from earlier interventions, including the mid-term evaluation and the end of term evaluation of the Puntland Democratic Governance Programme (PDGP) 2016-2019.