Somalia: Properly staffing the public administration

[Deeq A.]

This is a brief account of past administrations’ staffing policies along with some comments on and ideas for the current administration. On independence and unification, the Somali authorities viewed public administration as an institution requiring knowledge and competence by those to be appointed to run it and the transfer from the old colonial system to the new integrated South-North management with some adjustments was entirely staffed by motivated Somali nationals and recruitment was largely based on merit and career rather than political connections. But, for the purpose of balancing the budget and aligning revenue with expenditure the government in early 60s, had to reduce the integrated payroll of the civil servants to get rid of redundancy by handing each of the fired employees a red envelope (busta rossa), a formal notice of employment termination. The taker-over from the colonial system was smooth and successful and the government implemented programs of training to strengthen the professionalism of the civil service at home and abroad giving special consideration to the foreign service.

Source: Hiiraan Online