Standard setting and professionalization
Develop national evaluation standards, ethical codes and certification systems to ensure professionalism and quality assurance.
Ururka Qiimaynta Soomaaliyeed · الجمعية الصومالية للتقييم
Somalia's national home for credible evaluation
SOMES connects Somali evaluators under one ethical and professional framework — setting standards, building capacity, and putting evidence at the centre of national decision-making.
Founded through a participatory process led by MoPIED · Partnered with UEA, Benadir University and CLEAR-AA
9Focus areas in delivery
5National gaps we close
4Working languages
3Global networks joined
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.
The mandate
Nine focus areas, one evaluation system
Together these areas establish SOMES as the cornerstone of a credible and sustainable evaluation ecosystem in Somalia — driving accountability, transparency and learning for national development.
Capacity building and mentorship
Provide structured training, mentorship and academic integration to strengthen evaluation capacity across Somalia.
Advocacy and policy influence
Promote evidence-based policymaking and advocate for institutionalized evaluation practices within government structures.
Knowledge and learning
Generate, share and disseminate evaluation findings and best practices through research, publications and national forums.
Networking and partnerships
Build local, regional and global partnerships with institutions, academia and evaluation networks such as AfrEA, IOCE and EvalYouth.
Youth engagement and inclusion
Empower young and emerging evaluators through mentorship, innovation and leadership opportunities.
Quality assurance and ethics
Establish peer-review mechanisms, uphold ethical standards and ensure integrity in all evaluation processes.
Gender and social inclusion
Promote gender-responsive and inclusive evaluations that amplify the voices of women, youth and marginalized groups.
Institutional strengthening and sustainability
Enhance SOMES governance, financial sustainability and organizational credibility for long-term impact.
Why SOMES exists
Five gaps in Somalia's evaluation landscape
SOMES was founded in direct response to specific, documented weaknesses. Each gap has a corresponding programme of work.
| Gap | What it looks like today | Our response |
|---|---|---|
| Institutional | Somalia lacks a legally recognized professional body for evaluators, leading to weak coordination, inconsistent standards and limited visibility of evaluation activity. | A registered national association with published standards and a code of ethics. |
| Capacity | Universities produce M&E graduates, but there are no structured professional frameworks for training, mentoring or certifying evaluators. | Accredited training pathways, mentorship matching and academic integration. |
| Policy | Evaluation evidence is underutilized by decision-makers, weakening accountability and the efficiency of resource allocation. | Advocacy for institutionalized evaluation in public planning and budgeting. |
| Youth engagement | No established pathway supports young and emerging evaluators to contribute meaningfully or advance professionally. | The YEE programme — mentorship, micro-learning and a seat on the Board. |
| Regional integration | Somalia is absent from AfrEA, EvalYouth and IOCE, so Somali evaluators miss peer learning and international visibility. | Formal affiliation with African and global evaluation networks. |
Evaluation is not an audit of the past. It is how a country learns what works, and decides what to do next. SOMES founding statement
Membership
Join the professional community
Membership gives you a verified professional profile in the national evaluator directory, discounted or free access to accredited training, the Somali Journal of Evaluation, the jobs and consultancies board, and a vote at the General Assembly.
Student & YEEFrom $10 a year — full learning access
Professional$35 a year — directory listing, voting rights, certification track
Institutional$250 a year — five named seats and partner visibility
Building the profession
Evaluation capacity, built in Somalia, by Somalis
SOMES works with government, universities and development partners to train evaluators, set national standards and open a professional pathway for the next generation. Our partnerships span MoPIED, Benadir University, the Uganda Evaluation Association and CLEAR-AA.
Latest from SOMES
All updates
Partnerships and milestones
Announcement
SOMES–YEE Interim Committee Framework unveiled
On 30 July 2026, SOMES unveiled the Framework of the SOMES–YEE Interim Committee. The milestone followed a transparent, rigorous selection process — application reviews, shortlisting and interviews — that identified talented Somali youth with strong potential in evaluation. Heartfelt congratulations to all selected members who will help shape the future of youth-led evaluation in Somalia.
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Partnership
SOMES explores collaboration with CLEAR–AA at Uganda Evaluation Conference
During the 9th Uganda Evaluation Conference, the SOMES President met Dr. Takunda Chirau, Director of CLEAR–AA, to explore a partnership strengthening evaluation skills, professional standards and evidence-based decision-making in Somalia.
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Partnership
SOMES meets MoPIED’s Monitoring & Evaluation Department
SOMES held a coordination meeting with MoPIED’s M&E Department in Mogadishu, agreeing on monthly coordination, joint support for Young and Emerging Evaluators, and cooperation on the draft National M&E Framework.
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Partnership
SOMES joins the NTP 2025–2029 M&E Framework consultation
SOMES took part in MoPIED’s consultative meeting on the M&E Framework of the National Transformation Plan (NTP 2025–2029) in Mogadishu on 7 June 2026, contributing technical recommendations on results measurement, data quality and accountability.
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Partnership
Collaboration agreement between the Uganda Evaluation Association and SOMES
SOMES, in collaboration with the Ministry of Planning, Investment and Economic Development, commenced a comprehensive five-day MEAL capacity-building programme in Mogadishu to strengthen national expertise in monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning. The programme is designed to enhance the evaluation capacities of M&E practitioners drawn from government institutions, academia and youth groups.
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Institutional
Official meeting: SOMES and Benadir University
An official meeting was held between SOMES board members — led by the President, Mr. Mohamud Ali, and the Secretary-General, Dr. Abduljalil Abdullahi Ali — and Benadir University, represented by the Rector, Prof. Dr. Mohamed Mohamud Hassan (Biday). Discussions covered a Memorandum of Understanding between the two institutions and the strengthening of evaluation education and research.
Read more9th Uganda Evaluation Conference
The President of SOMES held a side meeting with Dr. Takunda Chirau, Director of the Centre for Learning on Evaluation and Results for Anglophone Africa (CLEAR-AA). CLEAR-AA is a global initiative dedicated to enhancing the capacity of developing countries to conduct effective monitoring and evaluation and performance management. Discussions focused on collaboration to strengthen evaluation skills and professionalism in Somalia.
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What's on
Full calendar
Upcoming events and training
12Aug 2026
Foundations of evaluation: five-day certificate course
Mogadishu · In person and online · Members free, non-members $75
03Sep 2026
Webinar: using evaluation evidence in federal budget planning
Online · In partnership with MoPIED · Free and open to all
21Oct 2026
First Somalia National Evaluation Conference
Mogadishu · Two days · Abstract submissions close 15 August 2026
Knowledge
Recent publications
PDF
Open
Somali Journal of Evaluation, Volume 1 Issue 1
Peer-reviewed articles on evaluation practice in fragile and conflict-affected settings.
PDF
Open
National Evaluation Standards for Somalia — consultation draft
Open for member comment until 30 September 2026.
XLSX
Open
Evaluation capacity mapping — dataset
Institutions, evaluators and training providers by federal member state.
SOMES Insights
Announcement
Partnership
Governance
News and announcements
Call for abstracts is open
Submit for the First Somalia National Evaluation Conference by 15 August 2026. Four thematic tracks, with a dedicated YEE stream.
SOMES pursues AfrEA and IOCE affiliation
Applications lodged to close Somalia's regional integration gap and open peer-learning routes for members.
Financial Management Manual adopted
The Executive Board approved the accounting policy manual covering budgeting, procurement thresholds, audit and whistleblowing.
Partners
Working with government, academia and global networks
MoPIED
AfrEA
EvalYouth
IOCE
Somali universities
Development partners