The programme aims to strengthen Somali citizen engagement in governance, conflict prevention and management. To achieve this goal, the programme focused on contributing towards 1) increased citizen participation and ownership of governance processes in Somalia and Somaliland; 2) enhanced inclusion of women, youth and marginalised groups in governance, conflict prevention and management; 3) ensured sustainable conflict transformation at the community and state levels; and 4) ensured regional and international strategies for peace and development are more informed by evidence of effective peacebuilding practices and resilience. Some of the key results realised by the programme included:

• Through technical support provided to electoral management bodies, such as the Transitional Puntland Electoral Commission (TPEC) and Somaliland National Electoral Commission (NEC), and civic education conducted through Somali CSOs, a strong foundation for citizen engagement in the democratisation process was established. This resulted in successful local government elections in 33 districts in Puntland, the first one-person-one-vote elections in over 5 decades. In locations where the programme conducted voter and civic forums through CSOs, there was a higher public turnout for the voter registration exercise and during the actual voting day as opposed to districts that did not receive any voter education.
• Through the citizen forums facilitated by CSOs supported by the programme, the linkages between the decision makers in government and their constituents were strengthened towards promoting inclusive decision-making processes, especially in Somaliland, Galmudug, Puntland and Benadir. This promoted participatory governance and supported the broader ongoing statebuilding processes.
• At least 10 key research reports were produced by the consortium’s CSOs, in which citizen priorities were documented and then communicated back to the relevant authorities. Dissemination of the research through facilitated forums created a communication and feedback loop between the various community stakeholders and decision-makers, especially at the district level. The research contributed to various policy actions, such as adopting consultative procedures during budget development at various district levels.
• Provided mediation support that resulted in the signing of 4 peace agreements in various programme locations. The peace agreements provided an enabling environment for government actors and security agencies to resume service provision to the public, contributed towards the cessation of violence and the resumption of community life.