Power, Trust, and Pre-Cooked Programmes: The Accountability of ‍‍‍‍‍‍‍Social Assistance in Somalia

Social assistance in Somalia has become deeply embedded in the country’s political economy and struggles with systemic diversion and corruption, which negatively affects how programmes on accountability of aid function in practice. This paper examines systems for accountability of social assistance in Somalia. It explores how and why accountability outcomes and pathways are not working for people, particularly for marginalised groups. It is based on consultations with people receiving social assistance, community representatives and leaders, community-based organisations, local authorities, local and international non-governmental organisations, United Nations agencies, international donors, and the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs. The report examines opportunities for strengthening accountability capacities and pathways based on community-generated suggestions and feedback from social assistance decision makers.