Liaison Officer-Jubbaland — Building Opportunities and Outcomes in Social Protection and Youth Employment

EQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST (REOI) COUNTRY: Federal Republic of Somalia (FRS) PROJECT ID: P507443 Project Name: Building Opportunities and Outcomes in Social Protection and Youth Employment Post Title: Jubbaland State Liaison Officer Reference No.: SO-MOLSA-566399-CS-INDV Duty Station: Kismayo, Jubbaland, Somalia Background Jubbaland State Liaison Officer is required by the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) to support implementation of a World Bank-funded project, Building Opportunities and Outcomes in Social Protection and Youth Employment (BOOST You) (P507443). The selected candidate will work for the government’s National Social Protection Program (Baxnaano), established in 2019 and housed at the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs (MoLSA). Project Overview The project development objective of Building Opportunities and Outcomes in Social Protection and Youth Employment (BOOST-YOU) is to enhance economic opportunities and strengthen resilience of the poor and vulnerable. The project directly contributes to strengthening Somalia’s social protection system, expanding coverage through its support to the jobs agenda and building greater resilience to shocks through robust adaptive social protection mechanisms. The project applies an integrated approach that moves beneficiaries along a continuum from protection to production. The project aims to support the poor and most vulnerable of the population by providing targeted interventions to improve their resilience and prepare for better jobs tomorrow, while providing job opportunities now by addressing key barriers to better income-generating opportunities. The project will reach about 206,000 households in particularly climate-exposed areas, which is equivalent to over 1.2 million individual beneficiaries. SELECTION CRITERIA Selection shall be based on the qualification and experience of the candidate and followed by an interview. The qualifications, experience and skills should include: Academic Qualifications Bachelor’s degree in one of the following areas: development studies, social work, management, public administration or business administration or any other relevant fields; Professional Experience Five (5) years of relevant working experience at the national or international level in project/program coordination and management areas including humanitarian organizations, international NGOs, and government. Demonstrated knowledge of the Somalia development agenda, mechanisms and principles of social protection, Safety net programs and intra-governmental processes; Proven skills and ability in effectively communicating with and coordinating across diverse groups of stakeholders, including project staff, partners, government authorities, private sector, communities as well as beneficiaries; Demonstrated experience in stakeholder engagement, community mobilization, or participatory development approaches. Excellent communication (spoken and written) skills in Somali and English, including the ability to communicate proactively with key stakeholders, correctly interpret messages from others and respond appropriately. DURATION: The successful candidate will work under a one (1) year renewable contract based on competence and approval by MOLSA, Jubbaland state. REPORTING OBLIGATIONS The State Liaison Officer will directly report on a day-to-day basis to the Project Manager, Baxnaano through the Operations Team Lead. He/she will be expected to closely work with other Baxnaano PIU members for a smooth run of project operations. The Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, Federal Government of Somalai now invites eligible Individual Consultants to indicate their interest in providing the above-mentioned services. Interested consultants must provide the following: (i) Curriculum Vitae (CV) with 3 references; (ii) copies of certificates of academic qualifications; and (iii) cover letter indicating that they are qualified to perform the services. SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS The attention of interested Consultants is drawn to section III, para 3.14,3.16 & 3.17 of the World Bank’s Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers: Procurement in Investment Projects Financing Goods, Works, Non -Consulting and Consulting Services, July 2016, revised November 2017, August 2018, November 2020, September 2023 and February 2025 (“Procurement Regulations”), setting forth the World Bank’s policy on conflict of interest. A Consultant will be selected in accordance with the Individual Consultant method set out in the World Bank Procurement Regulations. Interested applicants may refer further information including a detailed Terms of Reference in Annex I. Deadline : Expressions of interest and CV must be delivered to this email procurement@baxnaano.gov.so and dg-mole@jubalandstate.so, copy the following emails as well Info@molsa.gov.so, dg-mole@jubalandstate.so Fardosa.Ahmed@baxnaano.gov.so and abdisalan.artan@baxnaano.gov.so, on or before 16:00 hours 10th October 2026, with email subject marked clearly as “ Jubbaland State Liaison Officer, REF: SO-MOLSA-566399-CS-INDV Female candidates are encouraged to apply. Annex I: Terms of Reference State Liaison Officer (Jubbaland) Building Opportunities and Outcomes in Social Protection and Youth Employment (P507443) Project Background Jubbaland State Liaison Officer is required by the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) to support implementation of a World Bank-funded project, Building Opportunities and Outcomes in Social Protection and Youth Employment (BOOST You) (P507443). The selected candidate will work for the government’s National Social Protection Program (Baxnaano), established in 2019 and housed at the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs (MoLSA). Project Overview The project development objective of Building Opportunities and Outcomes in Social Protection and Youth Employment (BOOST-YOU) is to enhance economic opportunities and strengthen resilience of the poor and vulnerable. The project directly contributes to strengthening Somalia’s social protection system, expanding coverage through its support to the jobs agenda and building greater resilience to shocks through robust adaptive social protection mechanisms. The project applies an integrated approach that moves beneficiaries along a continuum from protection to production. The project aims to support the poor and most vulnerable of the population by providing targeted interventions to improve their resilience and prepare for better jobs tomorrow, while providing job opportunities now by addressing key barriers to better income-generating opportunities. The project will reach about 206,000 households in particularly climate-exposed areas, which is equivalent to over 1.2 million individual beneficiaries. The program supports poor and vulnerable households through following components: Component 1: Connecting Youth and Women to Better Jobs Today: Supports 28,000 youth (60% women & 5% disable persons) in urban areas with limited job opportunities and prolonged periods of inactivity, benefit from economic inclusion activities (wage and self-employment activities). contributing directly creating jobs and strengthening households’ resilience. C o mponent 2: Investing in People for Better Jobs Tomorrow: The component will deliver regular cash transfers to 50,000 of the poorest households to meet basic needs, enhance climate-challenged food security, and prevent negative coping strategies during climate shocks, which in turn helps safeguard the human capital necessary for productive participation in the labor force. Approximately 10,000 shock affected poor and vulnerable households will be supported with emergency cash transfers as part of a contingent financing arrangement in case of climate shocks. 30,000 pregnant women and mothers with children under two will receive health- and nutrition-linked co-responsibility cash transfers (CCTs) to promote maternal and child health, reduce malnutrition, and improve early childhood development, strengthening the human capital necessary for future workforce productivity whilst mitigating adverse climate impacts. An early response-Health and Nutrition CCT will support 83,000 shock affected households with pregnant women and mothers with children under two to reduce the prevalence of significant acute malnutrition and infant mortality in drought affected prioritized districts. An education CCT program will target 5,000 children from the poorest and most climate-affected households, helping build the foundation required for long-term employability by increasing school enrollment and attendance. Component 3: Adaptive Social Protection Systems and Project Management: Supports enhancement of an adaptive social protection system, the National Socio-Economic Survey and project management including institutional capacity building for MoLSA. The objective of this support is to create a robust, efficient, and responsive social protection infrastructure. By strengthening institutional capacity, enhancing data management, strengthening the delivery system and registering the population in the USR, this component lays the foundation for sustainable and effective social protection and multisectoral poverty targeted investments. Under this component National Socio-economic Survey (NSES) will register 12 million people in Somalia in the USR collecting socio-economic data to inform targeting for pro-poor programs in the country. The component also provides support for effective project management, capacity building and oversight of project activities. OBJECTIVE AND SCOPE OF WORK: The State Liaison Officer will report to the Operations Team Lead and will be responsible for the implementation and delivery of all activities supported under the project. The State Liaison Officer must ensure compliance with operational protocols in the Baxnaano Operations Manual and accompanying guidelines, ensuring close coordination with relevant ministries, authorities, agencies and departments on day-to-day operational issues. The Liaison Officer will help to coordinate the implementation of project activities at the State level between the PIU of the MoLSA, WFP and the relevant representatives of the Federal Member State (FMS), as well as other consultants (individuals and firms), hired under the project to facilitate effective delivery of project activities to achieve the overall project objectives. The Liaison Officer will work closely with the MOLSA PIU team and other implementing partners. Under the leadership of the Operations Team Lead, duties of the State Liaison Officer will include: Serve as a primary point of contact and sensitize the relevant representatives at counterpart ministries at the FMS level, community-based organizations (CBOs) and other social partners on social protection to create support for the project at the FMS level Facilitate cooperation between the MoLSA/FGS and the relevant representatives at counterpart ministries at the FMS level on project activities and communicate priorities and concerns of the represented State to the PIU at the FGS level; Coordinate with the relevant representatives at counterpart ministries at the State, the PIU/MoLSA, and field teams of WFP, as well as the CBOs and other social protection partners to support the implementation of the project in his/her state; Attend and organize relevant meetings to support the implementation and coordination of Baxnaano activities, as requested by the representing State and the PIU/MoLSA Prepare briefing notes, debriefs, reports necessary for the implementation and coordination of Baxnaano activities etc. and ensure follow-up on the represented State progress, as required; Notify the PIU/MoLSA of pending and important issues to be raised during social protection meetings Represent PIU at meetings, conferences and other relevant events at FMS level. Present PIUs position and safeguard its interest while coordinating with different stakeholders, in a professional manner. Share feedback and reports with PIU after attending the meetings/ events. Recommend responses and action plans as a result of interacting with the project’s field team and the local community Enable the flow of information between all relevant parties, particularly the relevant representatives at counterpart ministries at the represented State, including on potential risks and reporting immediately to the PIU/MoLSA complaints related to the Baxnaano in line with BOOST YOU complaints procedure for the PIU/MoLSA to respond as necessary; Act as the State-level focal point for the project Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM), ensuring timely, transparent, and accountable handling of complaints Maintain proper documentation and reporting of grievances, ensuring confidentiality and data protection. Support implementation and operationalization of the GRM in line with project procedures, including intake, registration, tracking, resolution, and feedback to complainants. Maintain strict confidentiality of SEA/SH cases and ensure information is shared only on a need-to-know basis in accordance with established protocols. Facilitate immediate referral of SEA/SH survivors to appropriate service providers (health, psychosocial, legal) in line with the project’s referral pathway. Immediately escalate high-risk complaints (including SEA/SH, fraud, or serious social conflict) to PIU following established protocols. Assist PIU in organizing and coordinating USR survey related meetings, workshops and training sessions at FMS level. Ensure affective planning in consultation with PIU and WFP teams to ensure execution of smooth USR survey activities in the FMS. Affectively coordinate with concerned FMS ministries and district administration to streamline the field activities of USR survey. Coordinate deployment of survey teams in the field with concerned stakeholders including facilitation in provision of any approvals, field security and help in arrangement of logistics. Collaborate with third party monitoring firms (hired by MoLSA) Assist the Operations Team Lead in preparing periodic reports on the field activities and progress of surveys. Assist in improving communication and information sharing between different stakeholders. Liaise and coordinate with third party monitoring teams and ensure that all activities are carried out as per program design. Oversee the activities of third party Beneficiary Communication and Outreach firm in liaison with PIU to ensure that the campaign is conducted as per the agreed SOPs. Facilitate third party firms to complete their activities avoiding potential bottlenecks. Suggest improvements to PIU, based on lessons learned in the field. In collaboration with relevant representatives at counterpart ministries at the represented State, the PIU/MoLSA, and field teams of WFP, organize and participate in community sensitization and outreach activities to raise awareness to develop greater understanding of BOOST YOU and enhanced community partnership/commitment for the Baxnaano program; Ensure that community engagement processes are culturally appropriate, accessible, gender-sensitive, and conflict-sensitive. Facilitate regular community consultations, focus group discussions, and outreach sessions to enhance transparency and accountability of project interventions. Monitor and report on stakeholder engagement activities, including participation levels, key concerns raised, and responses provided. Compile and share reports about particular incidents, events, or updates on important issue for the project Participate in trainings, workshops, supervision and implementation support missions conducted by the World Bank, and ‘learning-by-doing’ opportunities related to the BOOST YOU, as requested by the PIU; Perform any other duties as required by PIU/ Operations Team Lead or Project Manager and/or represented FMS authority. STATEMENT OF QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE: The candidates should have the following desired qualifications: Bachelor’s degree in one of the following areas: development studies, social work, management, public administration or business administration or any other relevant fields; Five (5) years of relevant working experience at the national or international level in project/program coordination and management areas including humanitarian organizations, international NGOs, and government. Demonstrated knowledge of the Somalia development agenda, mechanisms and principles of social protection, Safety net programs and intra-governmental processes; Proven skills and ability in effectively communicating with and coordinating across diverse groups of stakeholders, including project staff, partners, government authorities, private sector, communities as well as beneficiaries; Demonstrated experience in stakeholder engagement, community mobilization, or participatory development approaches. Excellent communication (spoken and written) skills in Somali and English, including the ability to communicate proactively with key stakeholders, correctly interpret messages from others and respond appropriately. The candidate will demonstrate openness in sharing information; CONDUCT OF WORK: Reporting: The State Liaison Officer will directly report on a day-to-day basis to the Project Manager, Baxnaano through the Operations Team Lead. He/she will be expected to closely work with other Baxnaano PIU members for a smooth run of project operations. Language: Reports and other documents shall be submitted in English. Duration of assignment: The successful candidate will work under a one (1) year renewable contract based on competence and approval by the Ministry. Facilities to be provided: MoLSA will provide the office facilities, essential utilities, office services, stationery and office supplies and use of a computer and a printer. Location of assignment: The duty station is in Kismayo, Jubbaland State of Somalia. The State Liaison Officer will be based at the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs or Baxnaano Offices.