Every community has knowledge of its own needs. Residents know which road becomes impassable after rain, which well fails during hot weather, how far children walk to school and which market local businesses depend on. This local knowledge should be part of service planning. A project designed without consulting residents may address the wrong problem or stop working when its initial support ends.

Communities involved in planning can help set priorities, choose service locations, monitor the quality of work and agree on maintenance arrangements. This does not mean transferring the responsibilities of government or service providers to residents. Responsibilities should be clear: who builds, who supervises, who maintains the service and how people can report a problem.

The UNDP Somalia Annual Report 2025, published in May 2026, says UNDP programmes reached more than one million people with improved infrastructure and services during 2025 and supported more than 5,000 people with livelihoods, skills and finance. The report also describes work involving community services, water, governance and women’s participation. These figures refer to results reported by UNDP programmes; they should not be interpreted as representing every service across the country.

Communities need access to clear information about project budgets, contractors, schedules, progress and how to report faults. Transparency can reduce misunderstandings and give residents the information they need to ask informed questions about services they share.

Sustainable development requires technical knowledge, investment and community ownership. When local people are heard, a service is more likely to reflect actual needs and to have a community that can help protect its future.

Community participation from planning to maintenance

Residents should be involved before a project location is selected. Meetings, interviews and site visits can identify who will use a service, the barriers they face and groups that might otherwise be left out. Women, young people, people with disabilities, elders and residents of remote neighbourhoods should have meaningful opportunities to contribute. It is important to show how community feedback influenced decisions rather than treating a meeting alone as proof of participation.

Before construction begins, responsibility for operating the service, maintenance and recurrent costs should be agreed. A well, school or health facility without a maintenance plan may stop functioning soon after completion. Transparency means informing residents about the budget, responsible contractor, schedule and progress. Community committees should be fairly represented, but they do not replace the legal responsibilities of service providers. After completion, projects should be assessed to determine who benefits, whether the service works and what needs correction.

Image: A man collects water from a well in Garbahaaray, Gedo Region, 2014. Photo: AMISOM Public Information; CC0 1.0. Image source · Image licence.

The project cycle: from identifying needs to delivering a service

Community participation should begin with identifying needs, before a project or location is selected. Meetings, interviews, site visits and mapping of existing services can help establish who will use a service, the barriers they face and who might otherwise be left out. Women, young people, people with disabilities, older people and residents of remote neighbourhoods should have meaningful opportunities to contribute. The consultation should be reflected in the decision: what was selected, what was not selected and why.

When a project is planned, its objective, budget, schedule, work standards, implementing organisation and supervisory responsibility should be clear. Residents should know how to raise a complaint or report work that does not meet agreed standards. Transparency reduces misunderstandings and gives people information to assess whether the project is progressing as intended.

Meaningful participation and accountability

Meaningful participation is not simply signing an attendance sheet. People need sufficient information, time to understand it, an opportunity to offer ideas and feedback on how their views were used. Community committees should be fairly represented, and safeguards should prevent one group or private interest from controlling decisions. Complaint mechanisms should be safe and confidential for the person raising a concern, with a clear response and follow-up process.

The UNDP, UNICEF and UN-Habitat Dowladkaab Programme is working to strengthen local government and district-level service delivery from September 2024 to August 2029. The programme focuses on local authorities that respond to community needs, citizen participation and accountability mechanisms. It is an example of a specific programme, not evidence that every district in Somalia currently has the same services or institutional capacity.

Maintenance and continuity of services

A well, school, road or health facility needs an operating and maintenance plan. It should be clear who pays recurring costs, who repairs equipment, where supplies come from and how faults are recorded. Without these arrangements, new infrastructure can stop functioning soon after completion. Communities can help monitor conditions and report faults, but the legal and service-delivery responsibilities of government or the relevant provider must remain clear.

Measuring results and learning lessons

A project’s success cannot be measured only by money spent or construction completed. It should be assessed by whether intended users received the service, whether it is functioning, whether vulnerable groups benefit and whether maintenance can be managed. Before-and-after information, resolved complaints, site visits and feedback from users provide a more complete picture. When lessons are documented and shared with other districts, effective approaches can be improved and adapted elsewhere.

Sources and further reading