CDRD in the Somali Context

In postconflict transitions, CDRD may be used to support the evolution of war-torn areas from conflict to reconstruction and resumption of delivery of basic social services and then to long-term development using demand-led, participatory approaches that increase empowerment and accountability through community ownership over making decisions and allocating resources. CDRD, which is an efficient instrument for addressing  

community needs and promoting empowerment as well as accountability, is particularly suited to the Somali context where both physical and social structures have severely deteriorated. Experience from other postconflict transitions shows that timely and visible recovery of local services and infrastructure can support reconciliation efforts and consolidate peace. While emerging administrations should give high priority to recovering service delivery and be held accountable for doing this by the population, their capacity to deliver services is still weak in most parts of Somalia. So as these administrative bodies begin to develop with the support of donors, they will need to build on the nonstate capacity, which has emerged during the years of statelessness, and on the existing "short accountability route" directly between providers and users. Emerging administrations should primarily focus on setting priorities, coordinating efforts to deliver services, and providing an enabling environment that facilitates the recovery of services, mostly by nonstate participants with direct support from donors.

Experience with this approach speaks in favor of working as closely as possible with government at different levels and giving government strong visibility to support its stability and legitimacy during transition. However in many cases, different types of independent structures may be necessary as long as government is not strong enough to reach the community level effectively itself. There are also good examples of how this approach has become a basis for subsequent decentralization efforts, where project structures have integrated with government over time. The challenge in both cases is that it will take a considerable amount of time before Somali authorities possess the capacity at either central or local levels to manage CDRD, so efforts will need to be made to ensure that independent structures will eventually be incorporated into emerging government structures.

Emerging administrations in different areas of Somalia will gradually be involved in various aspects of the microgrants over time as they develop capacity and accountability mechanisms. To facilitate this gradual evolution, CDRD will develop clear and transparent criteria—minimum qualifying criteria (MQC)—as part of this pilot initiative that will allow administrations to be flexibly involved according to their capacity and local circumstances. In some areas, such as in the northwest, administrations may become strong enough in a relatively short time to take a more active role in a community-driven approach. More centralized and independent structures will be needed for a longer period in other areas of the country.