Field Visit to Identify Innovative Initiatives for Somalia, 2017
Somalia, an African nation known mostly for its armed conflicts and famine, is desperately trying to rebuild itself. It looks forward to other developing nations for technical assistance. The ministries and directorates of the Somalian government were convinced that public service innovation was the way to go when their representatives had witnessed some examples first hand during their visit to Dhaka at the 1st international event of the South-South Network for Public Service Innovation (SSN4PSI) on 9-11 December 2017. The representatives from the Ministry of Planning, Investment & Economic Development and Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management from the Federal Republic of Somalia saw benefits in replicating some of the Bangladesh government’s a2i Programme’s initiatives in their own country.
The workshop aimed to identify quick-win innovations that could be tested quickly. Initiatives were identified on connecting government offices over a single platform; applying for passport online; tracking postal delivery in real time; registering business enterprises and NGOs online with e-payment facilities; bridging skills development with job opportunities; providing validated information service on religious, social and ethical affairs; making healthcare solutions available for all; developing a national database on important statistics; and registering vehicle, property, national identification and birth certificate online.