As outgoing Country Director, I am pleased to present our 2011 Annual Report. For UNDP Somalia, 2011 was a year of significant change and progress, and I wish all my colleagues all the best as they continue to roll out the new, and I believe more focused and synergized, country programme.

In 2011, we commenced the first year of the 2011-2015 Country Programme Strategy for Somalia. It was an important foundational year for setting key strategic priorities, and emphasis was placed on rolling out the United Nations Somalia Assistance Strategy 2011-2015 (UNSAS) and UNDP Country Programme Document 2011-2015 (CPD), based on the articulation of five-year outputs, baselines and indicators - setting the foundation for a stronger M&E structure and results-based planning for the Country Office.

Stronger internal systems were also introduced, such as quarterly reporting and reviews, and CPD-based workplanning, to ensure accountable, transparent and high quality programme delivery.

Recommendations stemming from the Assessment of Development Results, an independent country-level evaluation of UNDP programmes undertaken in 2010, in support of the development of the new CPD, were also implemented. These included a series of alignments across the Country Office to ensure the objectives set out in the CPD can be met, such as the merger of the Governance and Rule of Law programmes into a combined unit, and the Recovery and Sustainable Livelihoods Programme and the Human Development and Economics Unit into the Poverty Reduction and Environment Protection (PREP) programme.

UNDP and UNPOS also established a Joint Constitution Unit to ensure more harmonized provision of technical support under the overall political leadership of UNPOS. In terms of consolidating the mergers, much of the work initiated in 2011 will continue into 2012 and informs some of the key priorities around finalization of programme documents, building up of our gender and peacebuilding portfolios, and continuing to strengthen internal systems to support the results-based focus in our work.

One of the key management priorities in 2011 was also to upgrade the existing accommodation facilities in Mogadishu to help the UN Country Team to meet the demands of the crisis unfolding in the Horn of Africa and in particular in south central Somalia, including the capital. Safe accommodation and armored transport allows UN staff to operate more from Mogadishu. Despite security and logistical challenges, UNDP procurement ensured that comfortable, secure facilities were provided and vehicles delivered within 12 weeks.

In Hargeisa, UNDP also continued to improve the security and the overall infrastructure of the common compound and services, and in Garowe, UNDP has committed to double the capacity of the common premises and accommodation space through joint management with UNPOS.

In response to the famine, declared in July 2011, UNDP proved itself to be an important partner on the Humanitarian Country Team, helping boost government coordination efforts to promote resilience in drought-affected areas and enhancing protection of vulnerable groups such as IDPs in Mogadishu and other newly-recovered areas. In 2012, UNDP will be a lead player in reconstruction efforts in Mogadishu and will aim to support similar stabilization efforts in newly liberated areas.

Finally, I would like to say thank you to all of our government partners in Mogadishu, Puntland and Somaliland, to our development partners, NGOs and all Somalis for making my experience with the Somalia Country Office so enriching and rewarding.

Alvaro Rodriguez
Country Director
United Nations Development Programme Somalia