Duty Station :

Apia, Samoa.

Duration:

Appointment is for a fixed term of   18 months, with a possible renewal for a   further period up to a maximum of 6 years, depending upon the officer’s performance during the first term and the availability of funds .

Grade:

Appointment will be at the Assistant Programme Officer level, Grade H, of SPREP’s authorised salary scale for professional staff.

Salary:

The basic salary range for this position is expressed in International Monetary Fund Special Drawing Rights (SDRs).   The salary range is from 10,668SDRs to a maximum of 16,510SDRs, depending on the successful applicant’s qualifications, skills and experience.   From 1 January 2004, the equivalent salary in Samoan Tala is SAT$44,304 to a maximum of SAT$68,566 per annum.

Adjustments:

Professional salaries and expatriate allowances are adjusted every six months based on a moving average in the value of the SDR relative to the Samoan Tala (SAT) for the six months period immediately preceding the date of the review.   Remuneration is paid monthly in SAT equivalent.   The SDR/Samoan Tala rate applicable from 1 January 2004 is 1SDR = 4.153 Tala.   The international currency exchange rate at the time of writing is approximately USD1.00 = SAT2.86.

Term:

For those recruited from outside Samoa, the term begins from the day the appointee leaves his or her home to take up the appointment.

Appointment is subject to a satisfactory medical examination, as well as a 6 months’ probationary period.

Termination is by way of either (i) completion of term of contract or (ii) by way of one month’s notice by either party.

Relocation Expenses:

SPREP will meet certain appointment and termination expenses for professional staff recruited from outside Apia, Samoa, including transport and accommodation en-route for the appointee and accompanying dependent(s) between home and Apia, and return, by the shortest and most economical route.   This includes:

-        economy class airfares; and

-        reasonable cost of packing, insuring, shipping and unpacking furniture, household and personal effects as follows:

-        6m3 for the staff member;

-        2m3 for dependent spouse;

-        1m3 for each dependent child; and

-       up to 20 kilos of excess baggage per person.

Establishment Grant:                   

A lump sum, of SDR1,100 is payable upon taking up appointment and arrival in Apia.

Temporary Accommodation and Assistance:

On arrival in Apia, the appointee and dependent(s) are entitled to temporary accommodation at a suitable hotel or other fully furnished accommodation for up to 6 working days.

Appointee will be assisted to settle into Apia.   This will include help in finding suitable rental accommodation.

School Holiday Travel:

One return economy class airfare between the place of education or recognized home and Apia each year (except the last) to enable a child being educated outside Samoa to visit parents, or either parent to visit the child.

Home Leave Travel:

This is only considered if appointment is extended for a further year, and is limited to one return economy class airfare between Apia and recognized home after completing 18 months of service except the last year, for the appointee and dependent(s).   This is to be taken within a month before and a month after due date of entitlement.

Privileges and Immunities:

SPREP remuneration is tax-free for non-citizens or non-residents of Samoa, including duty-free importation of household and personal effects which have been owned and used by them for no less than six months, within 6 months of taking up appointment.

Repatriation allowance:

The appointee is entitled to a repatriation allowance equivalent to two week’s salary, upon completion of contract.

Cost of living differential allowance:

Appointee is entitled to a cost-of-living differential allowance to reflect the differential in the cost of living between Suva and Apia.   This allowance will be reviewed periodically.

Education Allowance:

Education expenses will be reimbursed against actual costs of tuition and board and to cover 100% of the fees for dependents for forms 4 to 7 at International School for expatriates and local levels for local.   For expatriate contract officers, the entitlement is, up to a maximum of SAT15,600 per child with a maximum of SAT46,800 per family per annum.   For local professional contract officers, the entitlement is up to a maximum of SAT3,200 per child per annum with a maximum of SAT9,600 per family per annum.   This allowance is to be reviewed every three years.

Housing Assistance:    

A housing assistance of 75% of the rent payable in Samoa for expatriate executive furnished housing.   This assistance is to be reviewed annually in accordance with Staff Regulation 28.   The current rate is SAT2,138 per month.

Annual Leave:

25 working days a year (up to a maximum accumulation of 50 days).

Sick Leave:

30 working days a year (up to a maximum accumulation of 90 days).

Other Leave:

Provisions also exist for maternity, family (compassionate and paternity) and special (without pay) leave.

Duty Travel:

SPREP meets traveling expenses at prescribed rates necessarily incurred by staff required to travel away from Apia on official business.

Personal Accident Insurance:

All employees are covered by SPREP’s 24 hour Life and Personal Accident Insurance Policy.

Medical Insurance:

All employees and their dependents are entitled to have all reasonable medical, dental and optical expenses met by SPREP or by SPREP’s medical insurance scheme.

Superannuation:

An expatriate contract staff member will receive a superannuation allowance of 7% of basic salary.   For local contract staff, SPREP will pay 7% of basic salary to the Samoa National Provident Fund.

Definitions:

“Dependent” means the financially dependent spouse or dependent child of an employee.

“Dependent child” means an employee’s unmarried legally and financially dependent natural or legally adopted child who is:

-        under the age of 16 years; or

-        under the age of 19 years if undertaking full-time study at a secondary school; or

-        under the age of 22 years if enrolled and undertaking full-time study at a university or other tertiary institution; or mentally or physically incapacitated.

Equal Opportunities:

SPREP is an equal opportunities employer.   Men and women are equally eligible for all posts in SPREP.

General:

Appointment will be under the terms and conditions of SPREP’s Staff Regulations, a copy of which will be made available to the successful applicant.