STA - Women’s Leadership and Participation in Local Governance

PROJECT: Technical Assistance and Partnership Facility [NDICI Africa/2023/451-029]

for a specific assignment: Formulation of Training Curricula and Provision of Capacity Development Training for Mogadishu / BRA Staff we are looking to recruit:

Senior Technical Advisor (STA) for Preparation of Training Curricula and Provision of Women’s Leadership and Participation in Local Governance Training for Mogadishu / BRA) Staff

BACKGROUND

The European Union – Somalia Technical Assistance and Partnership Facility (TAPF) is a five-year initiative designed to support the European Union Delegation (EUD) to Somalia’s engagement in, and cooperation with, the Federal Republic of Somalia, and to expedite progress towards achievement of the 2030 global Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The project is being implemented through a service contract, signed between the EUD and DAI Global Belgium, and operates from DAIs offices in Mogadishu and Nairobi.

The project duration was initially scheduled to run for 36 months, from 1st January 2024 through to 31st December 2026, but this was subsequently extended to 31st December 2028.

OBJECTIVES

Project objectives
The TAPF has three main result areas:

I. Strengthening the capacity of the Government of Somalia, at both Federal and State levels, and in particular the Federal Ministry of Planning, Investment and Economic Development (MoPIED), to deliver on its mandate, with respect to the National Transformation Plan (NTP) and wider development agenda.

II. Strengthening identification, formulation, implementation and monitoring of European Union funded programmes in Somalia, covering renewable energy, the environment, climate change adaptation and natural resources management, amongst other topics.

III. Enhancing partnerships and facilitation of policy dialogue on key topics for EU-Somalia cooperation.

Specific Assignment Objectives

Female involvement in urban planning, and public life in general, enhances quality of life by fostering balanced, sustainable development and promoting equitable economic growth. It creates healthier, safer, and more resilient communities through improved social services, including mother-child healthcare, and enhanced social connectivity. Key benefits arising from the increased involvement of women in governance systems include the following.

• Improved policy and service delivery: Women in local government tend to prioritise issues that directly affect daily life, such as social services, education, health care and childcare. Increased female involvement, therefore leads to better-informed decisions on urban planning and infrastructure creation, that considers the safety and needs of all residents, for example, improved public transport and street lighting.
• Enhanced representation and trust: Women’s presence in municipal leadership positions ensures that women’s voices and needs are considered, thereby increasing the legitimacy of democratic institutions. When municipal councils reflect the population they serve, greater public trust in government results.
• Reduced corruption and increased transparency: Studies from across the world suggest that higher numbers of women in leadership positions is associated with higher ethical standards, fairer local governance and lower levels of corruption in public office and budget management.
• Advancement of gender equality and rights: Increased female participation strengthens women's rights and promotes gender-responsive budgeting; which leads, in turn, to more equitable resource allocation and policies that directly address issues like gender-based violence (GBV).
• Stronger community focus: Women often act as effective community mobilisers, using their insight to identify and solve specific local problems through collaborative efforts.
• Decision making: The presence of women, particularly in mayoral positions in towns and cities, accelerates the process of achieving gender equality within municipal structures.
• Community safety: Women leaders frequently champion initiatives that promote safer public spaces.
• Economic development: Through initiatives such as use of gender-responsive budgeting, women leaders tend to ensure that economic resources are allocated more effectively, to support the whole community.

The specific objectives of the “Preparation of Training Curricula and Provision of Women’s Leadership and Participation in Local Governance Training for Mogadishu / BRA) Staff” assignment will be:

1. To articulate and prepare a concise, relevant and well formulated women’s leadership and participation in local governance training curriculum (compiled through stakeholder contact and discussion) suitable for presentation to Banadir Regional Administration female staff (e.g. women department heads) District Women’s Chairs and councillors, and for adoption by the BRA authorities, as a resource material for training future BRA officials (with the aim of promoting women representation in local government, increasing understanding (among men) of the need for greater female representation in planning and administration, and to increase the number of women employed by the administration in positions of authority).
2. To deliver a five-day women’s leadership training course to 50 Mogadishu woman leaders, BRA staff and other city officials, with the objective of increasing understanding of the need for greater female representation in planning and administration (in social services delivery, including healthcare and education, environmental planning, solid waste management, transport provision and regulation, provision of utilities (energy and water supply), etc.).
3. To encourage and promote greater community participation in city management, by women, in particular and the public in general, by ensuring that citizens understand their role in relation to representative government and decentralised decision making, especially in relation to urban, planning, promoting environmentally sustainable practices, etc.
4. To strengthen BRAs institutional and technical capacity by highlighting and clearly defining gender equity and gender balance as an administrative priority and need at regional and district level.
5. To propose and develop a monitoring and evaluation framework to track progress in the achievement of gender equity and to ensure accountability.

SCOPE
General: The scope and purpose of the overall “Formulation of Training Curricula and Provision of Capacity Development Training for Mogadishu / BRA Staff” initiative was first outlined in a DoPIED Concept Note that defines the objectives of the programme and the methodology through which a number of targeted training courses will be implemented among BRA staff and across Mogadishu’s 20 districts.

In line with the proposed methodology, the Senior Technical Advisor (STA) for Preparation of Training Curricula and Provision of Women’s Leadership and Participation in Local Governance Training for Mogadishu / BRA Staff will work closely with DoPIED technical staff (the DoPIED DG, heads of department and DoPIED senior management team) who will play a crucial role in facilitating the STAs work.

Formulation of the Women’s Leadership and Participation in Local Governance Training Curriculum will pass through a number of consultation and drafting phases, including a desk review of relevant documents, before organisation of a single five-day training workshop for up to 50 BRA technical staff and women leaders (to be held in one of Mogadisu’s four administrative “zones”: Bari, Bartamaha, Galbeed or Waliyow-Cadde).

The STA will incorporate feedback gathered during initial consultation meetings into the draft training curriculum, which curriculum will constitute a permanent, key deliverable of the assignment.

The STA will also work closely with sectoral working groups (where they exist) and TAPF Key Experts (KE1 and KE2) and Non-key Experts (the BRA Coordinator – SLC) and will coordinate between the Department of Planning, Investment and Economic Development (DoPIED) and other ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs), thus helping to generate a comprehensive, inclusive and fully formed training blueprint.

Specific Activities

The STA is expected to undertake and complete the following tasks:

Under the direct supervision of the office of the DoPIED DG, with support from the TAPF BRA SLC, and in conjunction with the TAPF Team Leader and Key Expert 2, prepare and formulate a Women in Leadership and Participation in Local Governance Training Curriculum, through direct engagement, and in coordination with municipal and regional government counterpart MDAs, and district authorities. Specifically:

• Prepare a brief and concise sector work plan, in the form of an Inception Report.
• Conduct a desk review of reports, assessments, programme evaluations, sector-specific demographic and performance data and research papers (where they exist), relating to women in leadership roles and gender equity in Mogadishu.
• Briefly assess current institutional data and operational capacity, and identify gaps, weaknesses and constraints, particularly those limiting female public service advancement.
• Engage the BRA leadership, departments and district officials, through a number of targeted interviews and consultations, to identify planning challenges, gaps, opportunities and lessons learned.
• Facilitate technical consultations with other experts, civil society organisations and the private / business sector, to inform strategic direction and propose strategic planning interventions.
• Prepare a comprehensive Women in Leadership and Local Governance Training curriculum, inclusive audio-visual presentations and handouts, sufficient to engage 50+ participants over a five-day period.
• Provide mentoring and on-the-job training to regional staff and professionals during the entirety of the curriculum formulation process and the training workshop, and support institutional learning and the sustainability of planning practices.

REQUIREMENTS:

The Senior Technical Advisor for Preparation of Training Curricula and Provision of ToT Training (on MTP Implementation) for Mogadishu / BRA) Staff should possess the following qualifications and experience:

• A university degree, preferably a Master’s, in one of the following fields: Gender or Women’s Studies, Public Policy Development, Curriculum Development, Tertiary-level Teaching, Project Management, Project Planning, Applied Research, or a related field.
• Eight (8) or more years of practical work experience in a senior advisory capacity as a consultant with an international development organisation, private sector company, non-governmental organisation or government institution, such as a state university or college, serving as a lecturer, including at least three (3) previous assignments as a gender policy or curriculum developer, preparing formal course curricula and training materials.
• Previous work experience as a TA or CTA (technical assistant / chief technical advisor), embedded within a host government department, leading development programmes (inclusive mentoring and capacity development experience), and / or drafting gender policies or training programmes / curricula.
• Previous experience (in at least three (3) work assignments) of workshop organisation and facilitation, inclusive in-depth knowledge of, and familiarity with, interactive data collection methodologies, preparation of PowerPoint presentations and handouts, and moderating workshop tuition sessions and plenaries.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• Excellent written and spoken / verbal communication skills, in both English and Somali.
• Strong organisational and analytical skills.
• Extensive knowledge of the local (Somali) development context, particularly Mogadishu, and current gender “women in development” debates.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment, managing multiple priorities effectively.

The working language of the assignment and contract will be English, and all communication and reports will be submitted in English.

The role is expected to commence in ASAP (subject to continued need and resource availability), and to be implemented as a single, continuous assignment, counting from the date of first deployment of the expert.

Input: A maximum of 23 working days, delivered over an indicative period of approximately two (2) calendar months (subject to operating conditions).

Location: The main place of assignment will be Mogadishu, capital of the Federal Republic of Somalia, and headquarters of the Banadir Regional Administration (BRA).

Travel within the city and Regional Administration will be required and will be subject to relevant project and EU rules and regulations, including security protocols and the outcome of contemporary security assessments.

Deadline for submission of CVs: not later than 6th of July 2026

Please note that only short-listed candidates will be contacted.