Parliamentary Support Project

United Nations Development Program

in Somalia PSP NEWSLETTER

PARLIAMENTARY SUPPORT PROJECT

Volume 7/2015 Date: July 15, 2015 INSIDE THIS EDITION

 LoA Implementation: NFP, PL, and SL HoRs Dear Reader,  Strengthening the Administrative Capacity of the Secretariat Staff It again has been a busy month for the project with a variety of activities being implemented in parallel in cooperation with the three parliaments ranging from support to legislative work, capac-  Young Graduate Training Needs Assessment ity building for the administrative/finance staff, working with parliamentary committees, efforts to Conducted re-establish the NFP legislative archive, M&E training activities, and workshops to enhance the  M&E Training for NFP Staff Conducted in Moga- skills of the SL constituency office staff. Highlights of the past four weeks were the various over- dishu sight missions conducted by the HoR in Puntland and Somaliland and the tabling of the draft Rules  Legislative Support to NFP of Procedures for the PL HoR.  Project Consultant George Crawford Worked Considering that this newsletter is already the eighth edition since Dec 2014 it has been decided to with three NFP Committees give the cover page a bit of a face lifting.  Progress on Legislative Archives Let me take the opportunity - on behalf of the project team - to wish you all Eid Mubarak  Puntland HoR Commences 35th Session

 Ad-hoc Committee of the Puntland HoR Sub- mits Draft Rules of Procedures to the Plenary  Jubbaland Constitution Drafting Process  Oversight Missions Conducted by the Puntland HoR Visiting Three Regions  Four Committees Undertake Oversight Missions in Somaliland Regions  Somaliland HoR Constituency Offices Staff Trained  Introducing PSP Consultants

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 NFP session closes on 27Aug 2015  Puntland HoR session closes on 30 July 2015  Somaliland HoR session scheduled to 22 July—22 Sep 2015 SL HoR Environmental committee taking water samples during their oversight mission to the region  Upcoming project board meeting: Somaliland HoR The UNDP Parliamentary Support Project (PSP) provides support to the NFP, and the Parliaments of  CTA meeting with representatives of the Juba- Puntland and Somaliland in order to capacitate them to operate as inclusive, transparent and effec- land assembly and the central region assembly tive law-making, oversight and representative bodies. The project provides technical assistance to  Conduct of ICT needs assessment NFP and Punt- land HoR 1. enact quality legislation and to maintain effective oversight over the government 2. establish effective institution, with a functioning administration and infrastructure  UNDP provided the NFP Budget & Finance Com- mittee an expert assistance re Draft Procurement 3. empower MPs to represent and remain accountable to the people and to provide leadership Law The Project is supported by the European Union, Norway, Sweden, the United Kingdom and UNDP.  PSP consultant supported NFP committees in The total budget for 2013-2016 is 11.7 million USD. public hearing and/or public consultation Follow us: www.so.undp.org

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PSP Update on LoA Implementation NFP, Puntland HoR, Somaliland HoR

National Federal Parliament tionery and media); reviewed, revised Committee and their Functions and printed RoP; refurbishment of NFP used LoA funds for the payment  Management of Record and Fill- parliament office is partially complet- of the following parliament expenses: ing System Manual ed. Ongoing activities of parliament Young graduates salaries covered are resolution of local disputes and  Organizational chart of the House from LoA funds; internet fee for Office development of parliament website. of the Speaker and parliament offices The house also completed the collec- covered; recruitment of technical advi- Somaliland House of Representa- tion of plenary minutes and printed six sors for Office of Speaker is under tives years verbatim report of the house. process; catering of costs related to Somaliland HoR has completed the LoA funds also covered operational provision of training (M&E training for process of hiring a local firm to sup- costs (i.e. rent of the premises, inter- parliament staff); recruitment of na- port and train the staff on manage- net fee, water and electricity) for five tional consultant to conduct ICT ment of finances, human resources constituency offices. Printed pre- needs assessment of federal parlia- and procurement according to inter- numbered financial/procurement doc- ment is in advanced stage; payment national standards and UNDP Harmo- uments (i.e. Payment Vouchers, Re- for office renovation work of the par- nized Cash Transfer system. The ceipts, Delivery Note, Purchase Or- liament. HoR printed and distributed a number ders etc). The newly hired firm devel- Puntland House of Representatives of recently developed manuals to all oped a number of template agree- departments of the house as follows: ments for personnel, company and Puntland House of Representatives construction works. (PL HoR) used LoA funds in the fol-  Accounting/Procurement Manual lowing ways: Conducted one constitu- Finally, from LoA funds the committee  Committee Verbatim Reporting ency visits and one oversight mission oversight missions to four regions of Guideline to Puntland regions (costs of Somaliland were covered. transport, DSA for participants, sta-  Roles and Responsibilities of the

PSP Strengthening the Administrative Capacity of the Secretariats (NFP, SL HoR, PL HoR)

Implementation of institutional capaci- consultants, the three parliaments  Puntland MoCFAD: procurement ty building (CB) at the National Feder- and the MoCFAD have started a pro- officer and cashier recruited; em- al Parliament (NFP), the Somaliland cess to strengthen Secretariat admin- ployee background check policy House of Representatives (SL HoR), istrations: introduced. the Puntland House of Representa-  NFP: recruitment of a local ad-  Somaliland HoR: development of tives (PL HoR) and Puntland Ministry ministrative reform expert ongo- a number of policies, vouchers of Constitution, Federal Affairs and ing and guidelines, such as account- Democratization (MOCFAD) is ongoing manual completed; special- ing. The objective of the CB activities  Puntland HoR: local expert of ad- ized company contracted. is to address financial management ministrative reform recruited; or- and internal control deficits of these ganizational restructuring com- Mr. Warsame Hassan, UNDP national institutions identified through micro menced; internal audit strength- expert, is coordinating the efforts to capacity assessments conducted by ened; employee background strengthen the Secretariats’ capacity ABRIMO in 2014/15. With the assis- check policy introduced. and to achieve synergy. tance of UNDP and Project staff and PARLIAMENTARY SUPPORT PROJECT

The UNDP Parliamentary Support Project is supported by the European Union, Norway, Sweden (Sida), the United Kingdom (DFID), and UNDP , and is managed by the United Nations Development Programme in Somalia.

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PSP Young Graduate Training Needs Assessment Conducted

Responding to the findings of a DFID with respect to certain types of func- initiated third-party–monitoring of the tions including legal analysis and NFP Young Graduate Programme, drafting, legislative/legal research, the UNDP Parliamentary Support Pro- administrative and finance skills, par- ject (PSP) has carried out a capacity / liamentary oversight skills and data training needs assessment exercise management. Based on findings and regarding the NFP Young Graduates. recommendations resulting from the Using a questionnaire filled in by 23 assessment, future training programs YG the project gathered data to deter- will respond to the skill gaps identified mine what training needs exist so that in order to enhance the capacity of future training programs can be devel- the NFP Secretariat by creating the oped in line with identified gaps. The required skills and knowledge needed Training Needs Assessment Discussion assessment found skill deficiencies by the Young Graduate staff. With Young Graduates

PSP M&E Training for NFP Staff Conducted in Mogadishu

As part of the overall capacity building methods of monitoring, evaluation activities for PSP national counter- and data collection in order to enable parts, the PSP M&E officer, Mr. Jibril them to monitor and document Nour has provided a training on mon- achievements and progress made by itoring and evaluation on 15th -17th NFP against its Strategic Plan (2012- and 23rd-25th June 2015 in Mogadishu 2016). During the training, partici- in which 44 (8 women and 36 male) pants realized the need to elaborate of National Federal Parliament staff a monitoring plan for the NFP Strate- participated. The objectives of the gic Plan — a proposal which still training were to train key parliamen- needs to be endorsed by the NFP NFP Staff in M&E Training tary staff on the main principles and senior management.

PSP Legislative Support to NFP

A series of consultations with several Draft-Law on Anti-money Laundering sultant Mr. Dahir Warsame to assist committees of the NFP took place in and Counter Terrorism Financing the NFP/Finance & Budget Commit- Mogadishu to provide assistance as (AML-CFT), Draft-Law on Establish- tee on the Draft-Law on Public Pro- they continue their work on high prior- ing the Constitutional Court. curement. Work will start shortly after ity items that are scheduled to be con- Eid. The project in close cooperation with sidered by the NFP in the 6th and 7th UNODC committed to work with the session. Specifically, project staff met respective Committees to facilitate with the Finance & Budget-, Judicial & workshops on CT and AML-CFT draft Religious Affairs-, and the Interior -laws. Committee to discuss current progress on key draft legislation, such as The UNDP Parliamentary Support Draft-Law on Counter-Terrorism (CT), Project furthermore contracted a con- Project Meets With Interior Committee

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PSP Project Consultant George Crawford Worked with Three NFP Committees

A series of consultations with three tion. George Crawford together with port to the work of the committees in NFP committees took place in Moga- UNDP staff met with the staff of the order to facilitate the implementation dishu to provide assistance as they Finance and Budget-, the Judicial and of their work plans. continue their work on high priority Religious Affairs- and the Interior items scheduled to be discussed by Committee to discuss current pro- the NFP in the 6th and 7th sessions. gress on key draft legislation, public consultations and oversight. In addi- Many of these issues, such as the tion to engaging in a lively give and Boundaries and Federation Commis- take on the actions that Committees sion, Anti-Terrorism Legislation, es- can engage in prior to the formal sub- tablishing the Constitutional Court, mission of draft legislation from the election and political party law, and Council of Ministers, the interlocutors the review of the Provisional Constitu- outlined their needs for subject matter tion are fundamental to strengthening expertise as well as assistance so as democracy in Somalia. Action by the to be able to engage in public dia- NFP on these and other items is en- logue around Somalia. UNDP, PSP Consultant Meeting with NFP Interior Com- shrined in the Provisional Constitu- mittee Staff through a LoA provides funding sup-

PSP Progress on NFP Legislative Archive Reestablishment

An extensive search for the missing NFP committee staff during the re- Over all, the outcome of the meeting pre-1991 Somali legislation records is cess of the National Federal Parlia- was an important step forward in the underway in USA public libraries. ment. project’s quest to search for missing Similarly, a search for missing vol- On the other hand, as part of a com- volumes. The Library of Congress umes is expected to start locally in prehensive quest to find out / secure agreed to provide the NFP whatever Somaliland and Puntland in Jul/Aug missing legislation records in the Somali legislation records available in 2014. USA, UNDP consultant Mr. George their libraries provided that NFP Given the fact that in the last couple Crawford has met with representa- would in return give the Library rec- of decades both Somaliland and tives of the United States Library of ords that are available in the NFP Puntland have been more stable than Congress; the research library that collection but missing in the Library southern/central Somalia, it is as- officially serves the United States of the Congress. The Legal and Leg- sumed that some parts of the missing Congress. islative department of the National legislation could be found in these At the meeting, they informed him that Federal Parliament is similarly willing regions. Therefore, PSP teams in So- the Library of the Congress holds sig- to exchange copies of its existing rec- maliland and Puntland are requested nificant parts of Somali legislation that ords for the missing volumes. are available on Microfiche but at the to investigate the availability of past Mr. Crawford will continue to link up same time they believe that certain legislation in those project sites. with the Library of Congress during volumes are missing from their collec- Similar activities are also planned to the coming weeks. be implemented in Mogadishu by the tions.

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PSP Puntland HoR Commences its 35th Session

untland State Parliament has tary forces, international relations, HoR would commit to provide expert P commenced its 35th session on and investments. HE Mr. Shire further advice and assistance to support the Monday 15 June 2015 in Garowe. reiterated the president’s speech and emerging parliaments. High-ranking officials from the govern- informed the plenary that UNDP had UNDP offered its continuous assis- ment, UN organizations, the Ethiopian supported the first constituency over- tance to support the PL HoR to enact consulate, CSO, and the media as sight missions to Bari, Mudug, Sool, quality legislation, maintain effective well as traditional and religious lead- and Sanaag regions in which the oversight of the executive, build the ers attended the session. HoR carried out monitoring of those capacity of its institutions, and reach projects that the government imple- H.E President Abdiwali Mohamed Ali out to PL citizens in order to ensure ments in these regions with the sup- officially opened the 35th session giv- representation and accountability of port of aid and development organiza- ing his constitutional address to the MPs. tions. He stated that PL MPs would parliamentarians. President Abdiwali continue such oversight missions among others commended the role of whereby MPs would visit their constit- UNDP towards the development of uencies to assess the availability of the state. basic services and to report on the H.E Saed Hassan Shire, the Speaker situation, concerns, and needs of the th of the PL HoR stated that in this 35 communities. This way, they would session, the HoR plans to approve a hold the government accountable and number of bills on strengthening state make it more responsive. Finally, HE security, economic growth, the mili- Mr. Shire informed the plenary that PL Commencement of PL HoR 35th Session

PSP Ad-hoc Committee of the Puntland HoR Submits Draft Rules of Procedures to the Plenary An ad-hoc committee of the Puntland vised text into Somali.  enhanced powers of Parliamen- House of Representatives with assis- tary Committees Comprehensive Rules of Procedures tance of the UNDP Parliamentary and a detailed code of conduct are  emphasis on strengthening over- Support Project during the past cornerstones of democratic govern- sight powers months has produced new compre- ance and an essential step forward hensive Rules of Procedures and a  prerequisites of non-confidence & towards MPs’ accountability when revised Code of Conduct, which shall impeachment vote amended performing their tasks of representa- enable the HoR to conduct its busi- tion, legislation and oversight of the  clearer rules for legislative pro- ness in accordance with international executive. cess, the election of the Speaker standards and global best practices. and the election of the President The review and restructuring of the The ad-hoc committee has in June  conflict of interest norms tight- RoP has benefited from technical as- submitted the final draft of the Rules ened, prohibition of vote peddling, sistance provided by an international of Procedures to the plenary for de- limits of MP’s immunity defined consultant, Mr. David Payne, who bate and approval during the 35th worked with the ad-hoc committee for session which commenced on 15th  security directives prohibiting several months in 2014/2015 while June 2015. Key improvements of the weapons in the Parliament build- the parliament was in recess. UNDP draft compared with the current RoP/ ing; obligatory search procedures also arranged translation of the re- CoC are: for all on entering Parliament

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PSP Jubbaland Constitution Drafting Process

ubbaland Constitution drafting August 2012 and be subject to its ments before final adoption. J process reaches an important provisions. So far the Jubbaland Drafting Com- milestone at the end of July. A Con- It is not the end of the process. After mittee, 15 persons drawn from civil stituent Assembly composed 300 civil that point the recently convened society throughout the region, has society delegates will be convened to Regional Assembly of clan-selected completed two months of intensive discuss and adopt what is known as a representatives will create a parlia- discussion which is going to terminate Provisional regional Constitution of mentary Constitution Review and in mid-June with a series of public the new State of Jubbaland. Implementation Oversight Committee. consultations in regional towns. The Members of the Drafting Commit- The latter will have the responsibility The project supported the drafting tee have declared publicly that the of reviewing the Provisional Constitu- process in the form of an international Provisional Constitution will fully tion within three years . After public constitutional expert who provides conform to the federal Provisional consultations, further deliberations assistance and advice. Constitution that was adopted in would proceed to include amend-

PSP Oversight Missions Conducted by the Puntland HoR Visiting three Regions

Using funds provided by the project cation, access to water and economic other key institutions of the public and through a Letter of Agreement, two development.. The MPs met clan el- private sectors to gain an understand- delegations of the Puntland House ders and religious leaders, women ing of the practical problem faced by of Representatives consisting of 10 representatives, youth, minority people in various sectors. UNDP pro- MPs and 4 staff of the secretariat con- groups and visited regional and dis- vided training, logistics and financial ducted, 7-13 June, oversight mis- trict offices, hospitals schools and support to the preparation of both sions in Bari, Mudug and Sanag re- oversight missions in order to enable gions of Puntland state. These were parliamentary committees to conduct the first missions of their kind since effective oversight over the executive the establishment of Puntland House branch, to strengthen good govern- of Representatives in 1998. ance and bring the parliament closer to the community. The delegation has met constituency representatives in Bosaso, Ufeyn, MPs plan to present their findings to Galkio Galdogob & Buhodle districts the plenary during the current HoR’s to introduce parliament’s work to the 35th session. Similar oversight mis- people and to collect information sions are planned to take place in the about the situation in the districts with other parts of Puntland during the PL HoR meet with their communities respect to security, health care, edu- upcoming months.

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PSP Somaliland HoR Constituency Office Staff Trained days, the HoR staff were provided between elected members and citi- In Somaliland, the project provides support to cover operational costs of information on the strategic planning zens is reinforced in three years”, was the five Somaliland HoR constituency concept and conducted an analysis developed by the staff and the follow- based on SWOT methodology. Partic- ing key values were identified during offices. In order to enhance the ca- ipants then developed action plans for the workshop: pacity of the staff working in these 2015-2016 and presented it to MPs offices the project consultant Ms.  Respect all citizens and without Soulef Guessoum conducted a three- on the third day. They presented discrimination based on gender, SWOT analysis triggered a fruitful day workshop in Hargeisa from 13 to religion or clan, and frank discussion re how to make 15 June 2015. The training focused  Avoid being politically biased and the offices more effective. MPs during on enhancing staff knowledge on support all MPs from all political the training encouraged the constitu- strategic planning and to prepare an tendencies equally, action plan for the local offices in the ency office staff to liaise with them in order to prepare their visits and their  Avoid tribalism, be honest and regions (Aanaag, Sool, Togdheer, activities at the constituency offices. respect the law. Sahil, Awdal). During the first two The overall objective, “Relationship

PSP Four Committee’s Undertake Oversight Missions in Somaliland Regions

The project through a LoA has pro- benefit from services in the region’s the quality of the water. vided the Somaliland House of Repre- capital city with respect to health, Members of the Security Committee sentative with funds to conduct over- commerce and education. visited the coastal region of Berbera sight visits to the regions. During the The Justice and Human Rights Com- where a number of Yemeni refugees month of June four HoR committees mittee learned from prisoners that arrived recently. with a total of 38 persons (30 MPs they hardly receive any legal support and 8 from the Secretariat) visited The committee evidenced the need to from the government or the legal aid Awdal, Sahil, Togdheer and Sool, four improve the police presence in the centers. Committee members re- of the five regions of Somaliland for region and to upgrade transport and ceived requests to enhance the ca- oversight purposes. The committees equipment for police operations in pacity of the regional courts including consisted of the Public Works, Justice order to enable them to continue pa- more judges and paralegals, to reha- and Human Rights, Environmental trolling the coast. bilitate the existing court building and and Natural Resources, and the Se- the prisons in the region. The committees are expected to pre- curity and Intelligence Affairs Commit- sent their findings to the plenary of The Environmental Committee en- tee. The purpose of the missions was the house during the next session. to assess the current situation in the countered a number of environmental constituencies and the level of service degradation problems in one of the delivery particularly conditions of regions. During its mission the com- roads, justice execution, security, live- mittee witnessed far reaching soil ero- lihoods and environmental situation. sion, appropriation of public pas- tureland by individuals which is threat- During the mission, Road Committee ing the livestock and creating tensions members found a number of issues in the region. The committee also vis- including the need to improve roads ited the region’s water reserves Environment Committee Chairperson to enable people in remote villages to (Barka and Shallow Wells) to assess Meets the Governor

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PSP Introducing Consultants Dahir Warsame and Warsame Hassan

Continuing our series to introduce consultants working for the WBG as operations officer and also has 10 years of the Parliamentary Support Project we present in this edi- working experience with public sector institutions. tion two Somali experts. Their particular advantage of course is the in depth understanding of the challenges and Mr. Warsame Hassan is a national expert based in Ga- rowe with 14 years of working experience with state and their possibility to work with the Parliament counterparts in local government administrations. He was contracted by Somali language. the project in 2014 to provide professional advice and

technical assistance to the three parliaments and the Mr. Dahir Warsame is a Somali/Djiboutian expert with Puntland MoCFAD. Within the PSP team, Mr. Warsame is 37 years of procurement experience in both public and coordinating the support that the project provides in re- private sector. He has been recruited by the project to pro- sponse to the findings of the ABRIMO capacity assess- vide in July/August technical assistance to the NFP Budg- ments conducted in 2014/15 of the three parliaments and et and Finance Committee to discuss and revise the draft the MoCFAD. procurement law. He will commence his work shortly after His work aims the Eid holiday. at developing In his capacity as procurement expert, Mr. Dahir has been staff-, adminis- supporting the procurement team of the World Bank trative- and Country Office in Kenya in providing procurement advisory finance capaci- assistance regarding to the Bank’s lending operations in ty of these in- Kenya, Rwanda, and Eritrea. He further supported the stitutions by Kenya Private Sector Association (KEPSA) in contract coordinating management and selection of consultants for World Bank- and mentoring funded projects. the work of national ex- Between 1997 and 2012, he worked with the World Bank perts and/or Group (WBG) as a procurement specialist during which he Mr. Warsame Hassan specialized supported over 100 company that have been contracted by the respective par- projects in all phases liaments. He shall furthermore create synergies between of procurement the three parliaments and facilitate knowledge transfer throughout the entire regarding how to enhance the internal structures and im- projects life cycle. prove or create procedures and processes. During his professional career in the Previously Mr. Warsame worked with Agaasin Consulting World Bank, he re- Services in Minnesota/USA as a consultant between 2007 ceived 16 perfor- and 2013. Simultaneously he had been a senior supervi- mance and spot sor/manager at Hennepin County (Minnesota, 2010-2013). awards for his contri- Mr. Warsame further served as senior case manager and bution to develop- community outreach liaison officer at Hennepin County mental support oper- during 2008-2010. Between 2005 and 2008, he worked as ations. Prior to 1997, Mr. Dahir Warsame executive assistant of the Minneapolis Public Library Mr. Dahir worked for Board.

CONTACT DETAILS PARLIAMENTARY SUPPORT PROJECT (PSP) MAILING ADDRESS: UNDP Somalia Country Office– UN Common Compound, Airport Road, Mogadishu, Somalia | [email protected] TELEPHONE: +252 63 4415717 EMAIL: [email protected]

WEBSITE: www.so.undp.org