Background

The Somalia National Bureau of Statistics (SNBS) is the central statistical authority of the Federal Government of Somalia, mandated by the Statistics Act of 2020 to collect, compile, analyze, and disseminate all official statistics. Its mission is to provide reliable, timely, and high-quality statistical data and services to support evidence-based decision-making, policy formulation, and the monitoring of national development plans, including the National Transformation Plan (NTP) and the Centennial Vision 2060. As the cornerstone of the national statistical system, SNBS is responsible for producing key economic and social indicators, conducting national censuses and surveys, and coordinating statistical activities across all government entities to ensure data quality and coherence.

To enhance its institutional capacity and ensure it can effectively meet the growing demand for credible data from both national and international stakeholders, SNBS plans to conduct a comprehensive functional review and skills assessment of its staff. This exercise is critical for aligning staff competencies with the strategic objectives of the Bureau, identifying capacity gaps, and informing the development of targeted training and professional development programs. This will ultimately strengthen the Bureau’s ability to deliver on its mandate and support Somalia’s development agenda.

Terms of Reference (TOR) for the Institutional Capacity Assessment Consultant of the Somalia National Bureau of Statistics (SNBS) would be detailed in an official document, a possible and comprehensive TOR would generally cover the following areas based on the typical needs of a National Statistical Office (NSO) in a fragile context like Somalia.

In order to achieve this objective, SNBS is seeking to hire an individual consultant to outline the processes, management and coordination mechanisms of the Somalia National Bureau of Statistics. The Terms of Reference (ToR) set out the objective of the consultant’s assignment, scope of work, schedule of deliveries and institutional and organizational arrangements in line with suitable Somali Statistics Act.

Objectives

The overall objective is to conduct a functional review and skills assessment of the staff in the Somalia National Bureau of Statistics (SNBS) to identify the scope and quality of the functions performed and to map the existing skills against the Bureau’s strategic needs. The assessment will form the basis for developing a comprehensive, actionable, and inputs for the development of complete skills sector policy that articulates a long-term vision of skills development.

The findings of the review will highlight critical issues, challenges, and gaps in their operational/functional frameworks, which will inform the development of targeted interventions to improve the operational efficiency and effectiveness of the Bureau.

The specific objectives of this consultancy assignment are:

1. Evaluate skills and competencies to inform Human resource policies and decision-making.
2. Assess staff readiness and focus on core mandates and priorities.
3. Develop performance management/measurement systems for optimized staff capacity.
4. Recommend enhancing overall staff capacity and operation efficiency.
5. Assess organization adequacy of the current structure.

Scope of Work

The assignment will cover all staff within the Somalia National Bureau of Statistics (SNBS). The consultant will review existing organizational structures, departmental mandates, job descriptions, and strategic documents to understand the functional requirements of the Bureau. The assessment will also involve direct engagement with staff and management to validate findings and build consensus on the way forward.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the direct supervision of the Director-General of SNBS, the consultant will be responsible for the following:

• Functional Review: Analyze the current organizational structure, functions, and workflows of SNBS departments and units to assess efficiency, clarity of roles, potential overlaps or gaps, and alignment with the national statistical strategy and international best practices.
• Skills Assessment: Develop and implement appropriate tools (e.g., competency frameworks, surveys, structured interviews, focus group discussions) to systematically assess the technical and professional skills of all SNBS staff against their current and future roles.
• Gap Analysis: Conduct a thorough gap analysis to identify discrepancies between the existing skills and the core competencies required for SNBS to effectively perform its functions, including survey design, data collection, statistical analysis, data management, and dissemination.
• Reporting: Prepare a comprehensive report detailing the findings of the functional review and skills assessment, including a clear analysis of capacity gaps at both individual and institutional levels, and provide actionable recommendations for organizational and human resource development.
• Map the scope of functions that are being performed by the Bureau and the departments, units, and at what level.  Map out the interaction (collaboration and/or coordination) that is taking place between the departments and units and with the Ministry.

Specifically, the Individual Contractor will produce the following:

1. Description of the overall mandate of the Bureau and a precise summary of the functions and resources assigned to the National Bureau of Statistics and its six directorates and units to fulfil this mandate. 
2. Collect and analyse relevant examples of best practice that can be used to inform the design of practical interventions to address priority issues identified through the analysis. This research should include the identification of contact persons and useful resources from the proposed best practice sites to provide on-the-job support and capacity building to the Bureau and the directorates and units during the implementation stage.
3. Develop an integrated set of practical templates, realistic interventions to address the identified issues that can serve as a model, which will help the Bureau to get the administrative data from MDAs and FMS, including a results-based data sharing mechanism.

Duration of the Assignment

The assignment is expected to be completed within 3 months from the date of contract signing.

Duty Station

The consultant will be based in Mogadishu, Somalia. The assignment will be conducted at the SNBS headquarters.

Institutional Arrangement

The consultant will report directly to the Director-General of SNBS. The SNBS will provide the consultant with office space, access to relevant documents, and facilitate access to staff members for interviews and assessments. The consultant is expected to use their own laptop and other necessary equipment.

Qualifications and Experience

• Education: a Master’s degree in Statistics, Economics, Public Administration, Human Resource Management, Organizational Development, or a closely related field is required.
• Experience:
  • A minimum of 7 years of progressive professional experience in organizational development, institutional capacity assessment, or human resource management, preferably within the public sector or with international organizations.Demonstrated hands-on experience in conducting functional reviews and skills assessments for government institutions.A strong understanding of the functions, operations, and challenges of a National Statistical Office is essential.
  • Familiarity with the Somali public sector context is a significant advantage.

Language: Full professional fluency in spoken and written English is required.

Corporate and Functional Competencies

• Corporate Competencies:
  • Demonstrates integrity by modeling international and national values and ethical standards.
  • Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of SNBS.
  • Displays cultural, gender, religious, racial, and age sensitivity and adaptability.
• Functional Competencies:
  • Excellent analytical skills to review, triangulate, and synthesize information from various sources to formulate a clear and implementable set of interventions.
  • Strong communication and interpersonal skills, including the ability to conduct interviews, facilitate workshops, and present findings to senior management.
  • Strong organizational and problem-solving skills, with the ability to manage complexities and deliver high-quality outputs on time.

Scope of Price Proposal and Schedule of Payments

The professional fee shall be converted into a fixed output-based contract. Payments will be made in Dollars upon satisfactory completion and acceptance of the deliverables by SNBS, according to the following schedule:

• 30% upon submission and acceptance of the Inception Report.
• 40% upon submission and acceptance of the Draft Functional Review and Skills Assessment Report.
• 30% upon submission and acceptance of the Final Report and the Capacity Development Plan.

Deadline for Applications

Applications for this position should be addressed and submitted to: snbs@nbs.gov.so, with a copy sent to dg@nbs.gov.so. Please include your CV and cover letter before October 21, 2025, at 16:00 hours (Mogadishu Time). Ensure that the subject line reads “Institutional Capacity Assessment of the Somalia National Bureau of Statistics“.