Introduction
Governments worldwide are exploring ways in which Artificial Intelligence (AI) can help improve public administration, enhance institutional capacity, and deliver public services more efficiently. AI is creating new possibilities for changing the way governments work, from processing administrative documents to analysing policy options and responding to citizens’ questions.
This transformation is an opportunity and a challenge for Somalia. AI could be a beneficial tool to help modernise public administration as the country continues to build strong public institutions, improve service delivery and pursue its national development priorities. The deployment, regulation, and integration of the technology with existing government systems will determine the benefits.
The question is no longer only whether artificial intelligence can be used in government. The more important question is how Somalia can embrace it responsibly to improve public services, support evidence-based policymaking and build more effective public institutions.
From Traditional to Smarter Government Administration
Public administration requires government institutions to process information, coordinate activities, manage records, prepare reports, monitor performance, and communicate with citizens. Fragmented information, paper-based administrative procedures, and insufficient technological capacity can make it more challenging to fulfil these responsibilities.
Artificial intelligence can help us address some of these problems in a useful way.
For example, AI-assisted tools could assist public officials in summarising lengthy policy documents, organising administrative records, translating government communications, drafting preliminary reports, and detecting patterns in large datasets. Such applications could cut down the time spent on routine administrative work and allow public servants to focus more on planning, coordination, implementation and delivery of services.
AI could also help communication between government institutions, assisting officials to structure outcomes of meetings, monitor agreed actions and prepare follow-up reports. These tools and clear institutional responsibilities and effective performance monitoring systems could contribute to improved coordination and better implementation of government priorities.
But technology alone will not fix administrative weaknesses. Clear procedures, competent staff, reliable information and responsible leadership are still fundamental.
Enhancing the Provision of Public Services
The services citizens receive ultimately reflect the quality of public administration. The government institutions should be able to respond to public enquiries and requests, provide accurate information and maintain transparency in their decisions.
There is a lot that standard artificial intelligence can do to enhance these services in Somalia.
First, citizens could receive answers to frequently asked questions on government services, how to apply, what documentation was required and administrative procedures from AI-supported information systems. Such systems could be designed to communicate in Somali and other relevant languages to make public information more accessible.
Second, institutions could harness AI to manage service requests and track common problems. For example, data on complaints by citizens, if aggregated and made available, could help the responsible agencies identify delays, learn about recurring problems in service delivery and find out where administrative improvements are needed.
Third, AI could help digitise and organise public records, making it easier to retrieve information and helping institutions manage their workloads more efficiently.
These applications could be especially beneficial when citizens have trouble accessing information or carrying out administrative procedures. But digital services should be a service on top of human services, not a substitute for human services, especially for citizens who are not equipped with the internet, electronic literacy, or appropriate devices.
Today’s public administration needs to be open to all, not just the digitally connected.
Strengthening evidence-based policymaking
Effective policymaking depends on accurate information, thoughtful analysis and a sense of public needs. Governments have to assess problems, compare policy options, allocate funds, and monitor the extent to which interventions are producing the intended results.
Artificial intelligence can facilitate these processes by helping analysts structure data, summarise research, identify emerging patterns, and explore potential policy implications.
Such applications in Somalia could contribute to policy analysis in areas like energy, education, health care, local government, employment and economic development.
For example, AI-powered analysis could assist officials in analysing data on the energy sector, classifying information on electricity access, and benchmarking progress in implementing development initiatives. Properly collected local government data could help identify differences in access to basic services across districts.
AI could also support monitoring and evaluation through assisting officials to organise performance indicators, review implementation reports, and identify activities that need followup.
But AI-generated analysis should not be assumed to be accurate automatically. The quality of the outputs depends on the reliability of the information provided, the adequacy of the analytical methods used and the ability of qualified officials to interpret the results.
AI should thus support professional judgement, not replace it. Humans should continue to oversee decisions involving public resources and citizens’ rights, ensuring transparency and established accountability mechanisms.
The importance of institutional preparedness
One of the key questions for Somalia is whether the building blocks for effective adoption of AI are in place in public institutions.
If we do not prepare adequately, introducing advanced technology may create new problems rather than solve existing ones. Institutions need reliable digital infrastructure, secure information systems, trained personnel and clear procedures for managing data.
One beneficial place to start would be to look at the digital readiness level of government institutions and then identify administrative processes where AI could offer real benefits.
Rather than rolling out AI throughout the whole of the public sector at once, the government could start with carefully selected pilot projects. These may range from document management and support to policy research, translation of administrative information, and systems to respond to citizen enquiries, as well as the generation of periodic performance reports.
Every pilot should have a clear purpose, a responsible institution, measurable indicators, a realistic budget and a clear timeframe for evaluation.
For example, a pilot project could test whether an AI-supported document management system saves time when retrieving official records. Another could assess whether a digital inquiry system enhances response times and citizens’ access to accurate public information.
The results should be independently reviewed where appropriate before making decisions to expand the initiatives.
It would also enable institutions to gain practical insights, effectively manage risks, and allocate limited resources to applications that provide clear public value.
Protecting citizens, building public confidence
The use of AI in public administration also raises important questions about privacy, fairness, transparency and accountability.
Government agencies may have access to private information about people, businesses, public workers, and important services. Artificial intelligence systems that process such information without suitable safeguards can lead to violations of privacy, improper disclosure or inappropriate use of personal data of the individuals.
There is a risk that standard artificial intelligence systems might produce inaccurate information or discriminatory results, especially if the data they are trained on is incomplete or unrepresentative.
These risks call for clear protection.
Somalia should establish appropriate regulations on the use of AI in public institutions such as provisions on data protection, information security, oversight by humans, and accountability. Citizens should be able to access information in a format that they can understand about how automated systems are used to deliver public services and how to challenge decisions where necessary.
There must be proper safeguards and meaningful human review before any AI is allowed to make consequential decisions about citizens’ rights, eligibility for public benefits, or access to essential services.
It will be trusted only if it is used fairly, transparently, and responsibly, not just for efficiency.
Investing in Public Employees
Modernising public administration is not only a matter of technology but also of investing in people.
They need to know how to use digital tools correctly, how to judge information created by AI, how to keep sensitive data safe, and how to understand the limits of automated systems. Training is therefore an essential component of any government AI project.
Government institutions may provide practical AI training to Directors General, policy officers, planning departments, monitoring and evaluation teams and administrative personnel. Such training should be focused on real public sector tasks, not just technology.
For example, it could help officials learn how to use AI responsibly in preparing policy briefs, summarising consultation findings, organising performance information, and drafting administrative documents. They need to know how to vet AI-generated output, identify potential bias and not dump classified government information into unauthorised places.
Crucially, AI should not be viewed simply as a means of replacing workers but rather as a tool to augment the capabilities of public servants.
Used responsibly, technology can enable public employees to spend less time on repetitive tasks and more time on analysis, coordination, problem-solving and engagement with citizens.
A Way Forward for Somalia: A Pragmatic Approach
Somalia can adopt AI gradually rather than overhauling its entire public administration at once. A phased approach would provide a more manageable path to responsible adoption.
first Conduct an AI-readiness assessment for the public sector. Government institutions should assess their current digital systems, data management challenges, staff competencies, infrastructure deficiencies and priority administrative requirements.
Second, set clear governance arrangements. The government needs to clarify institutional responsibilities in the adoption of AI and develop appropriate standards on data protection, cybersecurity, transparency, procurement and oversight by humans.
Third, start focused pilot projects. Some institutions may pilot AI applications for document management, policy research, citizen information, translation, and performance reporting. Projects should be selected on the basis of demonstrated need, not on the basis of the popularity of the technology.
Fourth, develop skills in the public sector. Training programs should equip officials with practical AI literacy, data-management skills and the ability to critically evaluate automated outputs.
Fifth, test results before scaling up. Pilot projects should be evaluated against indicators such as processing time, service accessibility, accuracy, cost, user satisfaction and compliance with safeguards. Evidence of public value and manageable risks should justify the expansion.
Lastly, encourage collaboration. Expertise and resources may come from government institutions, universities, technology providers, development partners and relevant organisations in the private sector. Such co-operation should enhance national capacity, respect public accountability and avoid undue dependence on external systems.
Somalia could use such steps to move from general discussions of AI to a structured program for public-sector modernisation.
Conclusion
Artificial Intelligence provides Somalia with an opportunity to re-imagine the way public institutions manage information, develop policies, coordinate activities and deliver services. The potential of AI extends beyond administrative automation to encompass stronger evidence-based policymaking, more accessible public information, and improved monitoring of government performance.
But AI is no replacement for effective governance, capable institutions, effective leadership, or accountability. Technology introduced without adequate safeguards and institutional preparedness can create new problems and erode public confidence.
The priority, therefore, should be to adopt AI in ways that tackle clearly identified public-sector challenges, strengthen the capacity of civil servants, protect citizens’ rights and generate measurable improvements to service delivery.
The goal for Somalia should not be to be just a government that uses artificial intelligence. It should be to build a public administration that is more responsive, transparent, efficient and able to deliver meaningful results for its citizens.
The test of digital transformation is not how sophisticated the technology seems, but how it strengthens the relationship between government and the people it serves.
Faysal Mohamed Yusuf, MPA
Public Policy, Governance and Sustainable Development
