Project Title: Empowering CSOs and communities as leading actors and participants in social change and building capacities of local authorities to deliver transparent, accountable people-centered social services
Project Location: Awdal, Maroodijeex, Sahil, Togdheer, Sool and Sanaag Regions
Project Period: January 2023- December 2025
Donor: European Union
Project Objectives: To strengthen Somaliland CSOs to be independent actors in the promotion of transparent, accountable, and inclusive local governance in their own right
Target Groups: CSOs, Youth, Women, PWD, Vulnerable/ Marginalised Communities and, Local Authorities, Government Institutions, Government Representatives, Members of Parliament, Academia, and the Somaliland population
Activities
i) provision of capacity enhancement on participation, planning, decision making, inclusivity will lead to improved capacity for planning, decision making and inclusivity addressing local needs,
(ii) capacity building on the promotion of transparency and accountability mechanisms leading to entrenched accountability framework at the local authorities and increased public participation in accountability and transparency,
(iii) Establishment of CSO and Local Government Development Forums leading,
(iv) Support to develop policy frameworks (collaboration and implementation of development projects) resulting in the development of policies and frameworks,
(v) carrying out a study on evidence-based advocacy and/or participatory community monitoring of public services at local level leading to a presentation of study findings and recommendations to improve participatory community monitoring,
(vi) undertake capacity Assessment and roll out institutional tailored capacity strengthening resulting in improved/ strengthened institutional capacity to deliver on their mandate,
(vii) awareness raising campaigns, community conversations, advocacy and lobbying to challenge rigid cultural norms resulting in change in perceptions towards rigid cultural gender norms,
(viii) Training of trainers, community conversation and radio talk shows aimed an increased citizen participation in governance
(ix) develop a participatory and integrated community planning tool/ framework to improve participatory planning at local levels,
(x) provision of grants to CSO leading to the identification and addressing of community needs and
(xi) Lobbying, advocacy and awareness campaigns, including use of media on gender equality and environmental stability resulting in sustained advocacy on gender equality and environmental stability through enhanced capacity or women led CSOs.