The Somaliland Journalists Association (SOLJA) held a validation workshop for its 2026–2030 Strategic Plan, bringing together journalists, stakeholders, and partners to review the draft strategy and provide feedback on the organization’s priorities and strategic direction for the next five years.

The workshop marked an important stage in the development of SOLJA’s five-year strategic roadmap. The strategy development process was designed as a participatory exercise, involving a desk review, key informant interviews, stakeholder consultations and strategy development workshops, followed by the preparation of the draft strategy and its validation.

A Strategy Built Through Consultation

The development of the Strategic Plan involved extensive consultations with journalists, stakeholders, and experts. Their perspectives helped SOLJA identify key challenges and opportunities within the media environment and shape the priorities of the new strategy.

The validation workshop provided participants with an opportunity to review the proposed strategic direction, discuss priorities, and offer recommendations to strengthen the final document.

Five Strategic Priorities

The SOLJA Strategic Plan 2026–2030 is built around five strategic priorities:

• • Organizational Development
  • Participation and Empowerment
  • Protection and Advocacy
  • Strategic Partnerships
  • Research and Development

These priorities are intended to strengthen SOLJA’s institutional capacity, increase member participation, promote the representation of women and marginalized groups, strengthen the protection of journalists and media freedom, expand strategic partnerships, and support research and development.

The strategy also sets out an implementation framework, risk analysis, and monitoring and evaluation guidelines to support effective implementation and track progress throughout the five-year period.

Technical Support

The development of the Strategic Plan received technical support from HASI Consulting, which facilitated the strategy development workshops and helped bring together diverse stakeholders to contribute their perspectives. SOLJA recognizes the valuable contribution of all stakeholders whose engagement and feedback helped shape the Strategic Plan.

The validated strategy provides SOLJA with a roadmap for the next five years as it works to advance its mission of fostering a free and professional media landscape in Somaliland, while strengthening the rights, safety, and professional development of journalists.

SOLJA extends its appreciation to all participants, stakeholders, partners, and HASI Consulting for their contributions to this important process.

Strategy Development process