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About SOMES

A newly established professional body that seeks to strengthen evaluation practice and promote a culture of evidence-based decision-making in Somalia.

Who we are

The Somalia Evaluation Society (SOMES) is a newly established professional body that seeks to strengthen evaluation practice and promote a culture of evidence-based decision-making in Somalia. It was founded through an inclusive and participatory process led by the Ministry of Planning, Investment and Economic Development (MoPIED).

SOMES emerged in response to critical gaps in Somalia's evaluation landscape: weak institutional coordination, limited capacity development, underutilization of evaluation evidence, lack of youth engagement, and absence of regional and global representation.

Guided by our core values, we connect evaluators under a shared ethical and professional framework. The society promotes high standards of evaluation, supports young and emerging evaluators, and encourages the systematic use of evidence in national decision-making.

Vision

A credible, inclusive and professional evaluation community that strengthens evidence-based decision-making and accountability for sustainable development in Somalia.

Mission

To build and promote a strong, ethical and professional evaluation culture in Somalia through capacity development, standard-setting, advocacy and networking for individuals and institutions engaged in evaluation.

Code of values

What members commit to

Every SOMES member signs up to seven value commitments. They form the basis of our ethical framework and of the peer-review process.

Integrity, independence and ethicsUphold honesty, objectivity and impartiality; avoid and disclose conflicts of interest; protect confidentiality, privacy and participant dignity.
Professionalism, competence and youth developmentCommit to high standards, continuous learning, certification and mentorship — actively nurturing young and emerging evaluators and innovation.
Accountability and transparencyTake responsibility for quality and ethics; make methods, decisions and results accessible; support review, feedback and redress mechanisms.
Inclusivity and cultural sensitivityEnsure meaningful participation of women, youth and marginalized groups; respect cultural norms while promoting fairness, gender equality and social inclusion.

Evidence use and continuous learningBase findings and recommendations on credible evidence; disseminate results; promote learning and improvement rather than fault-finding.
Collaboration and partnershipWork with government, academia, civil society and development partners; engage regional and global networks such as AfrEA, EvalYouth and IOCE for mutual learning.
Stewardship and sustainabilityManage institutional and financial resources responsibly; conduct evaluations that support good governance, efficient resource use and sustainable development outcomes.

Rationale

Why SOMES was established

Institutional gap

Somalia currently lacks a legally recognized professional body for evaluators. This absence has led to weak coordination, inconsistent standards and limited visibility of evaluation activities across the country.

Capacity gap

Although universities and public institutions produce graduates with foundational knowledge in monitoring and evaluation, there are no structured professional frameworks for training, mentoring or certifying evaluators. This limits the development of a skilled and credible evaluation workforce.

Policy gap

Evidence generated through evaluations is often underutilized by policymakers and decision-makers. This underuse undermines accountability to citizens, government entities, development partners and funders, while reducing the efficiency and effectiveness of resource allocation and programme implementation.

Youth engagement gap

There is no established pathway to support youth and emerging evaluators in contributing meaningfully to the evaluation field or advancing professionally within it. This limits the growth of the next generation of Somali evaluators.

Regional integration gap

Somalia currently lacks representation in regional and global evaluation networks such as the African Evaluation Association (AfrEA), EvalYouth (the global network of young evaluators) and the International Organization for Cooperation in Evaluation (IOCE). As a result, Somali evaluators miss opportunities for peer learning, collaboration and increased international visibility.

Focus areas

Nine interrelated areas of work

SOMES focuses on nine areas that collectively contribute to building a national evaluation system rooted in professionalism, accountability and learning.

Standard setting and professionalization

Central to the SOMES mandate: ensuring evaluation practice adheres to national and international standards, ethical codes and certification systems, creating a professional community committed to quality and integrity.

Capacity building and mentorship

Enhancing the skills and competencies of Somali evaluators through structured training, mentorship and academic integration, ensuring a sustainable and skilled evaluation workforce.

Advocacy and policy influence

Promoting the institutionalization of evaluation in public systems and encouraging policymakers to use evidence to guide planning, budgeting and accountability.

Knowledge and learning

Generating, documenting and sharing lessons, best practices and innovations to strengthen evaluation culture across sectors.

Networking and partnerships

Enabling collaboration with government institutions, academia, NGOs and regional and global networks such as AfrEA, IOCE and EvalYouth.

Youth engagement and inclusion

Empowering young and emerging evaluators to take active roles in shaping the future of evaluation through mentorship, innovation and leadership.

Quality assurance and ethics

Ensuring evaluations are conducted with integrity, independence and adherence to professional standards, maintaining the credibility of the profession.

Gender and social inclusion

Integrating equity and inclusivity across all evaluation activities, amplifying the voices of women, youth and marginalized groups.

Institutional strengthening and sustainability

Enhancing SOMES governance, financial stability and organizational resilience to ensure long-term impact and continuity of its mission.

Governance

How SOMES is led

The governance structure is designed to ensure effective leadership, accountability and coordination in advancing the organization's mission. This is the temporary structure in place while the founding General Assembly is convened.

PresidentStrategic direction; represents SOMES nationally and internationally

Vice PresidentDecision-making, programme coordination, continuity of governance

General SecretaryDocumentation, communication, meetings and institutional records

TreasurerFinancial management, budgeting and resource accountability

Admin / Office ManagerAdministrative operations, logistics, internal coordination

YEE MemberRepresents young and emerging evaluators on the Board

Board MemberGeneral membership representation

This structured governance model promotes shared leadership, transparency and efficiency, enabling SOMES to function as a credible, professional and well-managed national evaluation body. Financial oversight rests with the Executive Board, supported by an Audit and Compliance Committee of independent members. See policies and financial governance.

Milestones

How we got here

Phase 1
Consultation led by MoPIED
An inclusive, participatory process brought together government, academia, civil society and development partners to define the need for a national evaluation body.
Phase 2
Founding of SOMES
Vision, mission, code of values and the nine focus areas adopted; the temporary governance structure established.
Phase 3
Institutional policies adopted
The Financial Management and Accounting Policy Manual approved by the Executive Board, setting out budgeting, procurement, audit and risk controls.
Phase 4
Membership opens
Student, YEE, professional and institutional categories launched alongside the national directory of evaluators.
In progress
Regional and global affiliation
Applications lodged with AfrEA, EvalYouth and IOCE to close Somalia's regional integration gap.
Next
First National Evaluation Conference
Mogadishu, October 2026 — with national evaluation standards tabled for adoption. Conference site.

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