Lul joined the Young Graduates Programme in 2013. She is now a Parliamentary Officer.
Tuesday, May 26, 2015
A lack of trained staff, infrastructure and equipment remains a major hurdle for Somali institutions at every level. In light of this, in 2013 UNDP introduced a Young Graduates Programme to provide training for young Somalis interested in working in Parliament.
Through UNDP support, 45 young Somali professionals – including 5 women – have been integrated into the re-organized administration of the Federal Parliament, through a merit based competitive recruitment. This support has brought about a visible change in the functioning of the administration, becoming the backbone of committee operations, and has been lauded by government partners.
Lul, from Mogadishu, is one of the 45 young graduates. She joined the Young Graduates Programme in 2013, and is now a Parliamentary Officer.
“I was interested to apply for this job in Parliament so I could understand the process, rules and procedures of government,” Lul says. “There are lots of people who don’t know the rules of the government. I have now been trained and have experienced the benefits of parliamentary rules and procedures so I am able to do my administration and committee work very effectively now.”
UNDP provides funding and training to 45 young graduates (5 female and 40 male) who are now the mainstay of the parliamentary secretariat, committee staff and leading technical staff in several departments and units. In addition to operating as the core staff of the Secretariat, some of the Young Graduates have also become part of the top management team, including being employed as the Deputy Secretary General for House Affairs and the Director of the Information Management Department.
“With the support of UNDP, I have been through four training phases in Mogadishu. This includes basic training on how parliament works, the resonsibilites of an MP, rules and procedures and committee reporting,” Lul explains. “My degree is in Business Administration so I work in two departments. I work in the administration section which I like as you learn about all the different parliamentary kinds of work and I am also the clerk to the constitution committee. I really enjoy my job as I feel I am becoming a well informed individual.”
The graduates have breathed new life into the administration of parliamentary work. This support has brought about a visible change in the functioning of the administration, becoming the backbone of committee operations, and has been lauded by government partners.
“My friends who are graduates have great hope for the Parliament. Others with little or no education are not yet convinced,” Lul says. “This is compouded by lack of information about the Parliament. When I explain how progress is being made – where the will of every person in Somalia can be represented through this forum - they listen and are inspired by this.”