Skills Development in Samoa

The Samoa In Country Training Programme (SICTP) is a capacity building initiative funded by the governments of New Zealand, Australia and with in-kind support by the Government of Samoa. The SICTP is designed to eliminate poverty of opportunity through the provision of elite practical skills training for the public including state corporation, private and non governmental sectors. The trainings are focused at enhancing on-the-job performance of the participants and ultimately the sectors.

The progamme has been existence in various forms since 1997 and it aims to provide practical skills training to enhance on-the-job performance of participants. Up until 2006, the SICTP was managed by a Managing Services Contractor based in Wellington (New Zealand) and coordination was moved to the Oloamanu Professional Development Centre (OPDC) of the National University of Samoa (NUS). In July 2008, official localization of management of the SICTP within the OPDC became effective.

Vision

Enhanced capacity and performance of the public, private and non governmental sectors.

Mission

To provide quality practical skills training in line with sector HR priorities each year.

Principles

  • Respect and trust
  • Embrace all diversity
  • Effective communication
  • Equal and fair opportunities for all
  • Accountable, transparent and good governance practices
  • Ethical and professional conduct
  • Supportive partnerships
Samoa In Country Training Impact Evaluation

Background

The Government of Samoa (GoS) is committed to identifying training and Human Resource Development needs and linking these to different training modes such as scholarships, short term training opportunities outside of Samoa and in-country training. In Country Training (ICT) has been available for Samoa since 1993.
 
From 1997 until June 2006, the Samoa Public Service Commission (PSC) was the counterpart organization for ICT and it identified training needs that could be met by the ICT Programme. The ICT initially targeted the public sector and gradually extended out to the private and non governmental sectors in line with GoS’s development focus. The public reforms of the 1990s saw the need to enhance the skills of the public sector in order to achieve the desired outcomes of these reforms
 
The Samoa In Country Training Programme had been in existence in various forms since 1997. This capacity building initiative was conducted, managed and funded separately by the governments of Australia through AusAID and the government of New Zealand through NZAID. AusAID focused on technical training. Accordingly, the SICTP in its inception phases had two separate policy frameworks. In 2004/2005 NZAID and AusAID harmonized their funding and management arrangements under the management of the PeopleandProjects Ltd as the managing services contractor.
 
In 2003, the GoS and the New Zealand government commenced discussions about localization of ICT within the PSC. In January 2004, the PSC advised that it could not assume this responsibility given the restructural reforms the public sector had undertaken. Subsequently, official coordination of the SICTP was moved from the PSC to the Oloamanu Professional Development Centre (OPDC) of the National University of Samoa (NUS) in 2006. The PeopleandProjects Ltd managed the SICTP until July 1, 2008 when management was officially transferred to Oloamanu Professional Development Centre.
 
In the 10 year period that training has been conducted under the SICTP, the main training evaluation and assessment tools were the training questionnaires and the tracer studies. These assessment tools do not adequately reflect impact (if any) of the SICTP on the three targeted sectors. 
ICTP Strategic Framework

The main purpose of the Samoa In Country Training Programme (SICTP) is to deliver high quality practical skills training to enhance on-the-job performance of participants in Samoa. The three key performance areas targeted are skills, attitude, knowledge and their application. There are numerous challenges impacting not only on the successful implementation of the SICTP, but more importantly the effectiveness of courses undertaken through the SICTP. This strategic framework seeks to provide guidance to meet these challenges and with the view of progressively strengthening the sectors through the SICTP in the next three (3) years.

Click here for more: ICTP Strategic Framework.

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