Governance and Accountability: An Assessment of the European Union's Role in Strengthening the Somali Education Sector's Institutional Capacity

Abstract

This article critically assesses the European Union's role in strengthening governance and accountability within Somalia's education sector, with a focus on institutional capacity building. Employing a qualitative document-based review methodology, it synthesizes evidence from scholarly literature, donor reports, and policy assessments. The evaluation covers EU contributions to policy harmonization, teacher training, curriculum reform, technical advisory support, and institutional governance. Findings indicate that EU interventions have made significant contributions to institutional strengthening and governance reforms in Somali education. However, persistent challenges relate to the sustainability of these gains, donor dependency, and limited national ownership of reform processes. The paper concludes with recommendations to enhance Somali-led accountability systems, strengthen collaboration between federal and state-level education authorities, and ensure that capacity development initiatives are designed for long-term impact and local institutionalization.