The Institute of Development Studies Bulletin published on 28 October 2024 a study titled "Can Social Assistance Strengthen the Social Contract in Somalia?" by Julie Lawson McDowall and Ruby D. Khan.
The study challenges the view that externally funded and designed social assistance programming in Somalia might help renew the social contract between the government and Somali nationals. For many living outside Mogadishu, the federal government is irrelevant or predatory, and other local forms of authority are more important with existing elite bargains likely to reinforce existing societal fractures. On the other hand, social assistance has the potential to make a small contribution if there is thoughtful design, greater inclusion, and long-term donor commitment.