About Garaad Institute
Garaad Institute for Social Research and Development Studies is a non-profit, independent research institution that strives to formulate public and private policies based on rigorous research. The institute is headquartered in Mogadishu, Somalia, and has branches in other regions of the country.
The institute was established by a group of Somali scholars, researchers and practitioners with different educational backgrounds and experiences, whose main objective is to solve socioeconomic issues in the country by producing high-quality researches and presenting the research findings to their intended audiences by hosting conferences. The institute also intends to publish the research works as articles, reports and policy briefings. Moreover, the institute is attracting experts from various fields to form a flexible team that can provide consultancy services at the right time.
Methodology
The institute utilizes various research approaches to produce evidence-based researches, which serve its aim of advising the policymakers of Somalia in devising appropriate policies that contribute to the country's political, social, and economic development. Given the competing research methods, studies are conducted at the institute by choosing the right research methodology, irrespective of whether it is a quantitative, qualitative, or mixed method, and the type of method employed depends on the nature of the issue and the research objective being investigated.
Our Vision
Garaad Institute aims to be a leading research centre for social science studies to help Somalians build a better life.
Our Mission
As the leading institute for socioeconomic and research organizations in Somalia, the mission of the institute is three-fold: conducting high-quality researches pertaining to economic, political and social issues in Somalia, disseminating the findings of the researches, and providing training and consultation to public administrators and private organizations.
Focus Areas
___________________________________________Good Governance
Somalia has frequently been appearing in the bottom ranks for all the indicators of political institutions over the past years, and it is still considered one of the fragile states in the world. Despite the efforts of the federal government and the international community to improve the quality of its political institutions, nevertheless, no tangible and significant progress has been achieved so far. Given the importance of good governance for the economic development and well-being of the Somalian people, Garaad Institute is carrying out rigorous research to investigate ways to overcome persistent governance issues that are stalling the economic development of the country, and to propose good governance practices.
Poverty
Somalia is a country with the sixth highest rate of poverty in the region, where nearly seven out of 10 Somalis are living in poverty. Nevertheless, the federal government of Somalia, with the help of the international community, is committed to reducing this poverty rate; hence the mission of the institute is to support these efforts by carrying out a country-level empirical research to document the poverty profile and ways to help the most affected households escape from poverty.
Education
Although the majority of its population is young, Somalia is facing hurdles in building a knowledge hub among these youths. Being a research think tank, the institute is conducting studies to discover the root causes of the hurdles and the implications that can be fixed. This will help the government policy makers in their mission, ranging from the evaluation of institutional capacity to the formulation of strategies, monitoring implementations and making final assessments of the outcomes
Health
As a result of the poor health system in Somalia, the life expectancy of the population is one of the lowest in the region and in the world. It is also counted among those countries with the highest mortality and fertility rates in the region. As an independent research institute, Garaad Institute is conducting studies about the main challenges in the health sector and ways to mitigate these dangers.
Environmental Economics
Climate change is an issue of the 21st century in the world, and Somalia is no exception to that. Climate-related consequences are already appearing in Somalia such as recurrent droughts, famines and floods. These disasters need to be curbed not only to ensure an increase in economic growth, but also to improve security and peace, and reduce poverty and malnutrition. Garaad institute is conducting in-depth researches to find a comprehensive solution to environmental problems by providing consultancy services for concerned parties.
Agriculture
The agricultural sector is the main driver of the economic growth of Somalia since it generates the largest foreign exchange earnings as well as employment. However, the growth of the robust agricultural sector has been hindered by both internal and external shocks such as floods, droughts, trade restrictions, and other challenges. The institute intends to conduct a rigorous research to provide evidence-based advice to policymakers to cope with such problems and induce the growth of the sector.
Financial Inclusion
Financial inclusion enhances the economy in this contemporary era and leads to economic power and self-reliance. It is imperative for any regime to create congenial conditions, which include the accessibility to banking services for individuals, households and private institutions. In the context of Somalia, which is heavily affected by the political instability that engulfed the country’s recent history, financial inclusion is an essential element of its recovery, together with a resilient framework, which includes access to savings, credit, insurance, remittances, and other banking payment services at an affordable cost. Hence, Garaad Institute conducts high quality research to foster financial inclusion in order to reduce poverty and improve the overall economy.
Contact Us
Call: +252615167593
Email: garaadinstitute@gmail.com