On 17 February, the President of Somaliland appointed the Head of Government Priorities and Service Delivery Unit for the Presidency following his decision to formally establish a Delivery Unit within the Office of the President. The creation of this Unit represents a significant governance innovation in Somaliland, aimed at strengthening coordination, accountability, and results-based implementation across government.
The concept of a “Delivery Unit” originated in the United Kingdom under Prime Minister Tony Blair, who established the Prime Minister’s Delivery Unit (PMDU) in 2001. The UK Delivery Unit was designed to improve government performance by focusing on a limited number of priority areas.
The Somaliland Delivery Unit, established through a Presidential Directive (Xeer Madaxweyne), is mandated to coordinate government priorities, support problem-solving across ministries, and empower the Presidency with evidence-based analysis and data-driven insights. By placing emphasis on monitoring, performance tracking, and cross-ministerial coordination, the Unit seeks to move beyond policy formulation toward measurable implementation outcomes.
The Head of the Delivery Unit reports directly to the President, underscoring the strategic importance of the office within the executive structure. Notably, the President appointed an individual from academia and the development sector to lead the Unit-signalling a commitment to technocratic leadership, analytical rigor, and evidence-informed governance.
The establishment of the Unit and the appointment were broadly discussed and welcomed across segments of the Somaliland public, particularly among those advocating for improved service delivery, institutional reform, inclusive and more accountable governance. If effectively institutionalised, the Delivery Unit has the potential to strengthen executive coordination, enhance performance management, and embed a culture of results within Somaliland’s governance architecture.
