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Frequently asked questions
Membership, payments, training, certification, the conference, and how the site works.
Joining SOMES
Anyone engaged in evaluation in Somalia or working on Somalia from elsewhere: evaluators, monitoring and evaluation staff, researchers, academics, students, commissioners of evaluation in government and NGOs, and institutions. Membership is open regardless of clan, region, gender or organisational affiliation. Admission is based on professional criteria only.
Student membership is $10 a year, young and emerging evaluator membership is $15, professional membership is $35, and institutional membership is $250 for five named seats. See the membership page for what each tier includes.
By EVC Plus, eDahab, Zaad, bank transfer or card. Mobile money receipts are recorded daily and reconciled weekly under the financial manual.
Write to info@somes.so. A limited number of waived places are available each year for students and young evaluators, funded by donations.
Membership runs for twelve months from the date of approval. The portal sends a reminder 30 days before expiry, and the renewal window is open through the first quarter.
Yes. Institutional membership covers five named staff, a directory listing, free job postings and discounted training. Additional seats can be added.
Learning with SOMES
There are three levels: Associate, Practitioner and Senior Evaluator. Each is assessed on a portfolio of work, an examination on ethics and methods, and peer review. Certificates carry a unique verification code that anyone can check.
Yes. Core courses are delivered in English and Somali, and materials are produced in both. Interpretation is provided in plenary sessions at national events.
Most courses are available online through the learning platform in the member portal. Materials are downloadable so they can be used offline where connectivity is limited.
Complete your profile in the portal and open a mentorship request. The matching tool proposes three mentors based on sector, method, language and region. Cycles run for six months.
Accounts, languages and access
English, Somali, Arabic and French. Use the language switcher at the top of any page. Arabic pages display right-to-left. Your choice is remembered on your device.
Accounts support two-factor authentication, which we strongly recommend enabling. Sessions expire after inactivity, and administrative actions on member records are written to an audit log.
The site is built to be light. Pages are cached for offline reading once visited, resources can be downloaded for offline use, and images are kept small. The high-contrast mode also reduces rendering load.
Use the contact form and select the accessibility topic, or see the accessibility statement. We aim to respond within one working day.
Only what you provide and what is needed to run your membership. You can request a copy, correction or deletion at any time. See the privacy policy.