July 2019

A vibrant civil society is essential to the sustenance of any nation’s development. In Puntland State of Somalia, the role of civil society groups has been vital in the political, social and economic development of the country. Civil society organizations (CSOs) have assisted in improving the life’s quality of the people of Puntland, ensuring good governance, developing the capacity of the government to apply the principles of accountability, transparency and openness; and working towards sustainable development of the region and state. The CSOs have also played an important role in delivering humanitarian assistance, while they fill the void created by the collapse of the government. The major objective of this study was to understand the current environment for civil society’s operations and to recommend actions for effective and coordinated work of CSOs in Puntland. Twenty three organizations in Galkacyo and Garowe cities participated in this study through in-depth interviews on issues of structure, functionality, goals and objectives to examine their challenges and strengths. The research sought to understand civil society’s creative power and collective action, while they attempt to stay sustainable and relevant to the needs of the citizens, who depend on their local CSO to solve their social problems.

This paper summarises the key lessons drawn from a study that examined how different people responded to and survived the recurrent shocks during the 2011–2016 period; the drivers of marginalisation or exclusion and how these are maintained; the influence that external actors had on the coping strategies used by different communities; and the apparent effectiveness of chosen strategies. The study sought to understand how livelihood and coping strategies are changing as a result of the frequency and severity of local conditions in Somalia, and local community perspectives on vulnerability and livelihood objectives. It also explored how access to aid and other external resources influenced livelihood and coping strategies, and how local communities’ resilience and livelihood strategies related to the objectives and practices of humanitarian agencies.