Name of the Project: Bulsho Program – Strengthening Community Institutions for
Social Cohesion, Inclusion and Resilience.
Project ID: P508408
Position Title: Bulsho PIU Public Financial Management – PFM Specialist
Reporting to: PIU Bulsho Project Manager
Type of Appointment: Individual Consultant
Duration: 12 months and renewable upon satisfactory performance.
Duty Station: Baidoa, South West, Somalia (with potential travel to the target Districts and Cities of Bulsho Project)
- Background
The Public Financial Management – PFM Specialist is required to support the Ministry of Interior, Local Government and Reconciliation of South West State in the implementation of a World Bank-financed Bulsho Project – Strengthening Community Institutions for Social Cohesion, Inclusion and Resilience (P508408). The Bulsho Project provides three years of initial anchor financing to the government’s multi-year Bulsho Program, the main objective of which is to strengthen community and local institutions for improved social cohesion, inclusion, and resilience. The Project effectiveness was by August 8, 2025. To lead the Bulsho Project Implementation Unit (PIU) the Ministry of Interior, Local Government and Reconciliation of South West State is seeking to hire a State PIU Public Financial Management – PFM to support the implementation of Bulsho activities of South West State PIU.
The PFM Specialist shall ensure that Bulsho financial management and procurement systems at the state level are fully harmonized with the Ministry’s institutional frameworks, including the Decentralization Policy, Wadajir Framework, and the Ministry’s Financial Management Manual. The role shall also promote institutional linkages between the PIU, MoF, and EAFS to ensure transparent, accountable, and sustainable fiduciary management.
The PIU Public Financial Management – PFM Specialist will coordinate and work closely with the Procurement Specialist and Financial Management Specialist at the Project Coordination Unit – PCU in MOIFAR, FGS for oversight, guidance, and quality assurance.
- Project Overview
Under the lead of the Ministry of Interior, Federal Affairs and Reconciliation – MoIFAR of the Federal Government of Somalia and in coordination and collaboration with the Ministries of Interior – MoIs of the Federal Member States – FMS, the Federal Government of Somalia has designed a national program called Bulsho, the Somali word for society. The Bulsho program puts citizens and communities at the center of the government’s action. The Bulsho Program is a Somali government-led initiative designed to strengthen community and local institutions, fostering social cohesion, inclusion, and resilience. As Somalia continues its recovery from two decades of civil war, the program places a strong emphasis on enhancing service delivery, rebuilding the social contract, and promoting community-centered governance. This uniquely Somali-owned and -driven initiative underscores government ownership and leadership at federal, member state, and district levels, ensuring institutional sustainability and the realization of key policy outcomes.
The Bulsho Program will be anchored in the government’s “triple-nexus” objectives, focusing on three interrelated policy priorities:
- Supporting the realization of the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) and Federal Member States’ (FMS) Decentralization Policy and Local Government laws/Wadajir Framework, which aim to strengthen the roles of community institutions and local governments.
- Advancing the National Stabilization Strategy (NSS) policy objectives by prioritizing stabilized districts, including those with interim or permanent district councils.
- Contributing to the revised National Reconciliation Framework, focusing on social reconciliation, restoring the social contract, rebuilding trust between people and the government, promoting social recovery, and fostering environmental peacebuilding
The development objective of the Bulsho Program is to reinforce community and local institutions for improved social cohesion, inclusion, and resilience. The program will contribute to:
- Social cohesion: Enhancing the citizen-state social contract.
- Social inclusion: Empowering marginalized groups, including women and youth.
- Social resilience: Strengthening collective capacity to respond to local conflicts and climate-induced shocks.
The Bulsho Program operates within a “continuum” framework, spanning recovery, stabilization, reconciliation, and sustainable local governance. This phased approach ensures seamless transitions from immediate recovery efforts to long-term governance and institutional strengthening. The program prioritizes hard-to-reach and remote districts but remains inclusive of all regions to ensure comprehensive national coverage and impact.
