FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ON STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF SAMOA
1. What is the Strategy for the Development of Samoa (SDS)?
SDS provides a comprehensive overview of Samoa’s development needs, national development goals and the strategies for achieving them. The Statement of Economic Strategy or Strategy for the Development of Samoa as it is now known is a national strategic plan document that has the following categories:
a. National Vision – Improved Quality of Life for All;
b. Theme - ensuring sustainable economic and social progress;
c. Priority Areas and Goals;
Priority Area 1: Economic Policies
- Goal 1: Sustained Macroeconomic Stability
- Goal 2: Private Sector Led Economic Growth and Employment Creation
Priority Area 2: Social Policies
- Goal 3: Improved Education Outcomes
- Goal 4: Improved Health Outcomes
- Goal 5: Community Development: Improved Economic and Social Wellbeing and Improved Village Governance
Priority Area 3: Public Sector Management and Environmental Sustainability
- Goal 6: Improved Governance
- Goal 7: Environmental Sustainability and Disaster Risk Reduction.
d. Monitoring and Evaluation;
e. Strategy Implementation Matrix;
2. Why have a Strategy for the Development of Samoa?
The SDS is a national planning document which provides strategic direction in terms of a national vision Improved Quality of Life for All, the underlying theme ensuring sustainable economic and social progress and the selected strategies that will be implemented to reach the anticipated national development goals. SDS is produced by the Ministry of Finance as a statutory requirement under the Public Finance Management Act 2001 – Part IV (Section 17).
3. How is the Strategy for the Development of Samoa prepared?
SDS has been formulated by the Economic Policy and Planning Division of the Ministry of Finance on the basis of an extensive consultative process involving government agencies, the private sector, civil society organisations, church leaders and community groups (agriculturists, tourism service providers, business, educators, health service providers, etc). These consultations are ongoing as the same stakeholders are also engaged in the process of preparing sector plans and corporate plans for government ministries and corporations.
4. How many SDS documents have been produced?
The list of SDS documents that have been produced is as follows: (a) SES 1996-1997; (b) SES 1998-1999; (c) SES 2000-2001; (d) SDS 2002-2004; (e) SDS 2005-2007 and (f) SDS 2008-2012;
5. What is the period for the current Strategy for the Development of Samoa and why has there been a change from calendar year to fiscal year?
SDS covers the period 1 July 2008 to 30 June 2012. The change from calendar year to financial year (1 July – 30 June) aligns SDS with the fiscal year. This will enable a comprehensive assessment of strategies from the public and private sectors, civil society organisations and the community at large.
6. What are the significant differences between this Strategy for the Development of Samoa 2008-2012 and previous SDS documents?
The significant differences between SDS 2008-2012 and previous SDS documents are:
- ·The inclusion of a comprehensive assessment of the previous SDS 2005-2007, which is an evaluation of past performance and challenges yet to be met.
- Incorporation of relevant regional and international development goals (Millennium Development Goals or MDGs and Pacific Plan);
- Inclusion of a monitoring and evaluation section with selected indicators to measure performance;
- Inclusion of Environment Sustainability and Disaster Risk Reduction as a national goal;
7. What are the sectors covered under Priority Area 1 – Economic Policies?
This area covers (a) Economic Management; (b) Economic Infrastructure; (c) Business Legal and Regulatory Environment; (d) Financial Sector Development; (e) Trade Policy; (f) Development Potential; and (g) Key Sectors – Tourism, Agriculture, Fisheries, Commerce, Manufacturing and Sports Development. The two main leading sectors in 2003-2007 have been (a) Commerce and (b) Construction. This is clearly illustrated by the two pie charts. The Gross Domestic Product increased by an average 4.4% per annum for the period 2000-2007, as shown in the bar chart below.
8. What are the sectors covered under Priority Area 2 – Social Policies?
This area covers (a) Education, (b) Health and (c) Community Development. Key issues to be addressed by education strategies include relatively high dropout and repeater rates, high teacher turnover and low literacy rates, and the need for a comprehensive teacher development and quality improvement program. Key issues in health include the rise in non-communicable diseases, reproductive and maternal and child health, re-emerging infectious diseases and injury. Community development will be encouraged through promoting good governance in local communities, strengthening community economic development and enhancing social development and service provision.
9. What are the sectors covered under Priority Area 3 – Public Management and EnvironmentalSustainability?
This area covers (a) Public Sector Management, with strategies focused on improving public administration, public financial management and state-owned enterprise reform; (b) Law and Justice, with strategies aimed at improving community safety and access to justice; and (c) Environmental Sustainability and Disaster Risk Reduction, which focuses on the integration of the principles of sustainable development into policies, programs and projects; improving environmental management, compliance and monitoring; promotion of renewable energy use; and strengthening of disaster management.