Towards understanding the somali bureaucracy

Since independence in 1960 Somalia's governments have attempted to modernize the Somali bureaucracy in order to meet developmental goals. In spite of a number of administrative and educational reforms, the bureaucracy has found it extremely difficult to fill the role of a developer. This study hypothesizes that the present Somali govern mental bureaucratic characteristics as perceived by Somali students studying at colleges and universities in the United States has not changed appreciably from the traditional administrative patterns. To test the hypothesis, the study examines the historical, cultural, societal, and political factors that influenced the traditional bureaucracy. A survey of Somali students studying in the United States was conducted to assess their perception of contemporary bureaucratic conditions in Somalia. Fred Riggs' theory of "prismatic" society, specifically his "sala" model, is used as a framework to categorize and compare bureaucratic patterns in the traditional and contemporary periods. The study found no change between the two periods.