Introduction
This meeting is the first joint FGS/Puntland State and World Bank Troika governance projects meeting which is a good sign of strengthened coordination among the projects. The purpose of this joint Troika governance projects meeting was to strengthen the coordination among the projects particularly the inter-related project activities that are complementary to each other as well as to know the overall status of the projects’ progress and achievements, their implementation challenges and their future plans. [See the status of the 3 respective projects here]
The State Minister of the office the Prime Minister (FGS) chaired the meeting which consisted of higher level government officials from both the FGS and Puntland State. The Minister of Planning (FGS) Ministers of Labor (FGS & Puntland), State Minister of Finance (Puntland) and Chairman of Civil Service Commission (FGS & Puntland).
The Bank’s mission team was led by Hugh Riddell, World Bank’s Somalia Country Representative, Gael Raballand (Lead Public Sector Specialist), Geoff Handley (RCRF Task Team Leader), Gregory Kisunko (CIP Task Team Leader), Frederick Yankey (DRM/PFM Task Team Leader) and Lucy Musira (CIP Co-Task Team Leader).
CIM Sustainability
RCRF Project Coordinator, Farahan Mohamed said that the RCRF is the CIM cost centre funding-wise, under the overall implementation policy guidance of the Ministry of Finance. According to the 2018 annual review, another $2.6million will be allocated for the CIM FGS next year exactly like this year and confirmed that the current employees can be sustained until the RCRF project comes to an end in mid 2021. Accordingly, the FGS has halted further CIM employment.
Challenges
The CIP project teama mentioned that there are operational issues due to bureaucracy causing unnecessary delays requests that the bank improves on this and makes this a priority.
Therefore, the client had proposed to the Bank to agree to making a post-review project procurement process with agreed limitations of threshold so that many small activities can be sped up to be implemented.
Projects’ reviews/re-structuring
The main focus of the restructuring will be completing the CIP project’s remaining major activities that will require time and possible additional funding to implement if gaps arise. The government teams expressed that it is a priority to continue the CIP project for maintaining the foundations laid by the project and also complete the remaining activities of the project for the full realization of the project’s intended objectives.
Key Recommendations, Actions & the Way Forward
- On HRMIS Vs SFMIS: It was agreed that relevant projects teams working on this such as PFM and CIP project and the governments’ relevant institutions such as civil service commissions, Ministries of Labours and Ministries of Finances at both FGS and Puntland State should technically discus on these systems and come up the best way forward recommendations;
- All participants at all levels believed that this meeting was important and fruitful and strongly recommended to be held on a regular basis, bi-annual as proposed and agreed. The next joint Troika meeting is scheduled and agreed to be on the 1st week of December 2019.
