Volunteer with VSA

Kia ora, Talofa Lava and warm Pacific greetings,
  
Te Whāinga | Our Purpose is

Te Hono Tangata - Te Huringa Ora.  

Ka hono a Te Tūao Tāwāhi i ngā tūao pūkenga ki ngā whakahaere me ngā hapori i te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa me tua atu, hei tautoko i ngā wawata kua tautuhia ā-rohe, ā, kia tutuki ai te panoni toitū. 

Connecting People – Transforming Lives. 

Volunteer Service Abroad connects skilled volunteers with organisations and communities in the Pacific and beyond to support locally identified aspirations and achieve sustainable change.  

Mō tēnei tūranga mahi | About the role

This is your opportunity to become a VSA Volunteer to share your experience, skills and knowledge to serve and build capacity in Samoa. Work alongside our local partner organisation to plan and create a brighter future for all.
  
We are looking for an experienced Project manager, Data analyst or Policy expert with the right level of transferrable skills, who understands and shares the spirit of volunteering, with a keen interest in building capability in the Pacific (while embracing a new cultural experience). The length of this assignment in the Samoa will be 12 months, with a possibility to extend the assignment in the future.

VSA will support you by funding and organizing your flights, visas, insurances, accommodation, living allowance and utilities while you are on assignment.
  
Ngā tino Pūkenga/Wheako – Essential skills/experiences for the role
If you are interested in this opportunity, below are some of the key skills and experiences that we’re looking for.

• A relevant Tertiary qualification in Governance/Public Policy, Monitoring and Evaluation or similar
• Strong analytical skills – proven experience in data management and analysis
• Extensive Project Management experience of 5+ years
• Ability to use appropriate research methods to collect accurate and reliable data
• Experience and technical knowledge in Agriculture and Fisheries
• Comprehensive knowledge and experience with the full MS suite (MS Excel & MS Word)
• Excellent communication skills
• Experience working in a policy and planning unit
• Experience working with results frameworks or logical frameworks

 Important note: Due to our VSA funding requirements, our volunteers must be a NZ citizen or NZ Permanent Resident to progress further in our recruitment process.
  
Our Partner Organisation – Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries
The goal of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (MAF) is to raise awareness and promote ways of sustainable farming and fishing activities that will maintain food security for years to come.

The ministry is the focal point in providing support to farmers and fishers through policy development, research, training, and resource management, and at the same time, promoting sustainable practices to increase productivity and economic resilience. The ministry aims to increase exports and strengthen local and international partnerships and market access

The Assignment
This assignment is a partnership assignment between VSA and MAF, the main goal of the assignment is to ensure that MAF will have robust and effective processes and practices in place to track progress and measure impact and inform strategic decisions.

The Policy, Planning, Sector Coordination & Communication Division within MAF They have identified a priority need for assistance and expertise to effectively monitor and evaluate all the activities and projects in the ministry/sector.
This would include the Sector Plan, Corporate Plan, Samoa Food System Pathway, Samoa Agriculture and Fisheries Climate Change Policy, and their alignment to the SDGs. They are also responsible for overseeing the Monitoring, Evaluation, Research and Learning (MERL) framework for the ministry and across the sector. The volunteer on this assignment will help support MAF to develop robust and effective MERL processes and practices while being able to track progress and measure impact and inform strategic decisions

During this assignment the volunteer will be reporting directly to the Assistant Chief Executive Officer and will be accountable to the Chief Executive Officer. On a day-to-day basis, the volunteer will predominantly work with the Senior Planning Officer and relevant personnel.

The Country – Samoa
Samoa is situated in the South Pacific approximately halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand. It sits squarely in the cyclone belt and is highly vulnerable to devastating storms. Around three-quarters of its 195,000 population live on the main island of Upolu; the rest live on the neighbouring island of Savai'i or one of the seven small islets.

The traditional Samoan way, the fa’a Samoa, remains a strong force in Samoan life and politics where family is all-important, and elders are highly respected.
  
Each village is made up of extended families that are represented on the village council by a chief (matai). The more western-style parliamentary system in Samoa is highly influenced by traditional social systems and the family, civic and political duties performed by the matai at village level. The country is predominantly Christian.

Me pēhea te tuku tono| How to apply:
Apply for this opportunity through our website.
For more information or if you have any questions on this assignment, email volunteer@vsa.org.nz.

To review the full assignment description please copy and paste the below link into your browser:



Applications close on: 21 June 2025

For a copy of the Assignment Description, please click the apply button which will direct you to the VSA website.  You will be able to download a copy from the advertisement.
  
  
 

We are looking for a volunteer with:

• 12 Month Assignment based in Samoa
• Opportunity to demonstrate and share your technical knowledge in policy analysis
• Flights, accommodation and other expenses covered by VSA.