RFP – Assessment of Government of Samoa’s Capacity Development Ecosystem

DT Global invites proposals for RFP – Assessment of Government of Samoa’s Capacity Development Ecosystem. Location: Pacific Region. Submissions close on 08 November 2026 (11.59pm (GMT +13) Apia Samoa ). DT Global is an international development implementing partner; the full request for proposals is in the attached document.

Request for Proposals Assessment of Government of Samoa’s Capacity Development Ecosystem Location Apia, Samoa Duration Up to 13 November 2026 with option to extend. Supervisor / Manager Secretary, Samoa Public Service Commission CEO, Ministry of Finance

Eligibility Open to Samoan and/or international suppliers who have the authority to

work in Samoa.

About the Program

Tautai – Governance for Economic Growth Program will consolidate and build on Australia’s previous investments supporting the Government of Samoa (GoS) to improve fiscal management and promote equitable economic growth. The program will support Australia’s engagement with the GoS and other development partners in policy -driven budget support arrangements, and to complement and support Australia’s other major bilateral investment through the Tautua Samoa Human Development and Social Inclusion program, worki ng in health, education and social protection. The overall objective of Tautai is to promote equitable economic recovery and growth in Samoa with improved fiscal efficiency, reducing the country's vulnerability to debt and external shocks. The two End of Program Outcomes (EOPOs) are:  Ministry of Finance (MoF) and the Executive develop and execute annual national budgets with clear policy intent to improve Samoa's fiscal position and deliver on improved social wellbeing.  Government of Samoa finance and deliver community level economic development that stimulates inclusive broad-based productivity and growth. There are four pillars of the program, represented by the four Intermediate Outcomes:  Fiscal Management - Improved finance sector and whole -of-government coordination and oversight of reforms in revenue collection and public financial management.  Economic stimulus and investment - Economic stimulus investments delivered by GoS and other partners in line with the Samoa Development Strategy.  Community and private sector engagement - GoS policy reforms and investment choices informed and supported by industry and the community.  Multi-stakeholder collaboration - Improved integration and coordination of investments within Government and with external stakeholders.

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Background

Strengthening public sector capability is fundamental to the successful implementation of Samoa’s Pathway for the Development of Samoa (PDS) , as the achievement of many national development outcomes depends on the effectiveness, efficiency, and responsiveness of government institutions. This assessment is a whole -of-government priority led by the Public Service Commission (PSC) and the Ministry of Finance (MOF) targeting coordinated leadership, strategic investment, and system-wide reform. Samoa’s public sector encompasses ministries, constitutional bodies, statutory bodies, and State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) , with over 10,000 employees as of January 2023. Significant investments are made each year by government and development partners in training, technical assistance, and learning initiatives aimed at strengthening policy capability, performance, and service delivery. T here is recognition of the opportunity for better coherence to sustain development of capability across the public sector. The Assessment of the State of the Service (2019) found that Samoa’s public sector was generally effective in discharging its mandated functions, supported by strong institutional foundations, clear accountability structures, and a sound legal and policy framework. Several areas were identified for further strengthening, including:  Organisation and coordination of the machinery of government;  Policy development and implementation capability;  Human resource management and strategic workforce planning;  Public financial management and resource efficiency; and  Implementation and delivery of government programs and services. The ongoing Public Service Reforms has reaffirmed many of these challenges and highlighted the need for more integrated and sustainable approaches to capacity development. In response, the PSC is repositioning its leadership around three core pillars: Lead ership Development, Performance and Ethics, and Good Governance. The assessment and resulting Capacity Development Masterplan will explicitly map proposed interventions against these three reform pillars, so that recommendations directly inform PSC’s ongoing strategic priorities. MOF oversees national, sector and project planning frameworks to drive value for money public investment and delivery of national development outcomes. Despite substantial investment and attempts at coordination, capacity development efforts are

often characterised by:

 Fragmentation across agencies and development partners  Short-term, supply -driven interventions that lack alignment to strategic national and sector outcomes and workforce needs  Weak links between learning investments, workforce performance, retention, and utilisation of skills  Limited assessment of value for money and institutional impact, reducing visibility of what works and where investments can be improved Current approaches may also unintentionally reinforce barriers to inclusive access to professional development opportunities through accessibility limitations, hierarchy, gender 3

norms, digital exclusion, and workforce wellbeing considerations that are not adequately informing design of capacity development initiatives. At the same time, there is growing opportunity to support sustained capability development beyond one -off training. This includes low -cost, high -impact approaches, such as cohort learning, emphasis on locally provided learning opportunities, Communities of Practice, blended and digital learning platforms, structured mentoring and peer-to-peer learning. The assessment

will be informed by:

 National priorities of People Empowerment, a Skilled Workforce, and Improved Accountability (PDS2)  Samoa’s National Wo