AU Delegation Visits Somalia to Evaluate the Impact of Quick Impact Projects on households

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Mogadishu, 3 June 2018 – A delegation from the African Union is in Somalia to evaluate Quick Impact Projects (QIPs), implemented by the AU Mission in the country.

The projects, funded by the Crisis Management, Post Conflict Reconstruction and Development Division of the African Union Commission, are implemented in recovered areas by the African Union Mission in Somalia, (AMISOM).

While in the country, the team of experts, will tour projects already implemented in the regions, to assess whether the implementation followed laid down procedures, in line with the African Union Quick Impact and Peace Strengthening Projects (QIPS/PSPs).

The team is focusing on six projects implemented in 2017, with funding from the African Union, and will assess their benefit to targeted populations.

“What are the success stories that we can enhance, for future implementation, design or monitoring; and what are the challenges that have been encountered on the ground?”, posed Mr. Mike Bugason, the leader of the delegation, during a meeting with senior AMISOM officials, in Mogadishu today.

“We want to take note of the good practices, the lessons learnt, so that we are able to recommend how we can do it better and more quickly in future,” he added.

The delegation toured a clean water project constructed in May 2017, for the out-patient department of the AMISOM Hospital community in Mogadishu.

The project which benefits 76-households with 400-people, was prioritized by the community after the completion of two other projects – the provision of electricity in the community and construction of a primary school. Both projects were successfully implemented.

“We want to assist the communities to lead better lives, but also by doing so, we want to improve the relationship between the communities and the leadership of AMISOM and also the operations of the military,” remarked Bugason, while emphasizing that the need to ensure the have the desired impact, on communities who are benefitting from them.

The delegation was received at the AMISOM Force Headquarters by the Deputy Force Commander of Operations and Plans Maj. Gen. Tai Gituai, who underscored the importance of the projects, in providing linkages between troops and local communities.

“They are very crucial to us, in winning the hearts and minds of the local people, and therefore they create an enabling environment for our soldiers,” Gen. Gituai said.

Projects under evaluation include a school project in Ceel Jaale, the refurbished police station in Kismayo, in Jubbaland state; a rehabilitated Mother and Child Hospital in Marka, and the support provided by AMISOM to the local administration in Afgoye district, in Lower Shabelle region.

AMISOM has implemented 107 Quick Impact Projects to date, including 23, whose implementation is ongoing.