From data silos to decisions: Transforming Puntland’s Water Information Management System

As part of the global agreement between Akvo and UNICEF, a targeted initiative was launched in Puntland to modernise the Water Information Management System (WIMS), led by the Ministry of Energy, Water and Minerals (MoEMW). The goal: move from fragmented data collection toward a unified, sustainable platform that centralises water-related data, improving transparency and supporting evidence-based water security and climate resilience.

Following an initial phase of digital opportunity mapping, the collaboration focused on strengthening WIMS from the ground up - mapping how data flows from rural water committees to national decision-makers, improving the system's technical foundations, and co-designing the governance structures needed to make data central to strategic planning.

Above: Hosting a training workshop with key partners in Puntland, Somalia


Partners

UNICEF Somalia
Ministry of Energy, Water and Minerals (MoEMW)


Locations

Puntland, Somalia


Sector

WASH


Services

Data system assessment

Stakeholder mapping

Data strategy

Capacity building

Data management

Impact strategy

Data analysis & insights

MIS design & deployment

Challenge: Fragmented monitoring and manual processes

Prior to this intervention, Puntland’s water data management faced several critical barriers:

  • Lack of unified strategy: No formalised data strategy existed to link data collection to specific policy goals like water services monitoring or groundwater abstraction control.
  • Manual inefficiencies: Dashboard updates and data reporting were largely manual, leading to data quality risks and fragmented "siloed" information.
  • Technical gaps: Initial reviews identified needs for improved system security, database scalability, and automated data ingestion to replace manual entries.

Together, these gaps meant decision-makers lacked timely, trustworthy data to act on - slowing the Ministry's ability to detect failing water points, plan infrastructure investment, and respond to emerging climate pressures.

Strengthening WIMS, from data flows to governance

To support the Ministry of Energy, Water and Minerals (MoEMW), Akvo and UNICEF focused on:

  • Digital Opportunity Mapping (DOM): Conducting comprehensive reviews to identify gaps in technology, processes, data, and institutional capacity.
  • The "Information Chain" approach: Facilitating workshops to map how data flows from rural water committees to national-level decision-makers.
  • System strengthening: Implementing technical recommendations to improve WIMS security and database performance through indexing and formal data relationships.
  • Governance & roadmap development: Co-designing a phased roadmap that defines clear roles and responsibilities for data ownership, management and system development.

Together, these activities moved WIMS from a fragmented, manual system to one where reliable, real-time data drives faster decisions - from identifying water points needing repair to prioritising where new infrastructure investment should go.

Above: Hosting a training workshop with key partners in Puntland, Somalia

Progress to date

In June 2026, Akvo and UNICEF hosted a landmark four-day training workshop in Garowe for 20 key Ministry officials. Participants completed intensive "decision-mapping" exercises to align the WIMS platform with real-world operational needs. The week culminated in the official launch of the enhanced WIMS platform, providing a new foundation for tracking progress toward universal water access in Puntland.

Beyond strengthening government systems, the initiative is ultimately about communities: more reliable data means faster identification of water shortages and more targeted investment in the infrastructure that reaches them.

Stay tuned for updates!