Core Banking System diagnostic assessment

REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST

(CONSULTING SERVICES – INDIVIDUAL CONSULTING SERVICES)

Country:                                                           Independent State of Samoa

Name of Project:                                      Samoa Finance Sector Resilience and Development Project (SFSRDP) 2025 – 2029 (World Bank Financed Project P181456)

Loan No./Credit No./Grant No.:     IDA – E3780

Assignment Title:                                      Diagnostic assessment for a core banking solution (CBS)

Reference No.:                                            CBS/ICS/010

1. The Government of Samoa has received financing from the World Bank toward the cost of the SFSRDP P181456 and intends to apply part of the proceeds to consulting services for the procurement of a Consultant to carry out a diagnostic assessment for a core banking solution for the Central Bank of Samoa.

2. The primary objective of the assignment is to conduct a comprehensive diagnostic assessment of the Central Bank’s current operational environment, identify capability gaps, define future-state requirements, and provide a strategic recommendation and roadmap for introducing a Core Banking Solution that aligns with international good practices and future needs of the Central Bank.

3. The estimated assignment duration is for 8 weeks. The consulting firm is expected to begin work by January  2027.

4. The detailed Terms of Reference (TOR) for the assignment can be found at the following website: www.cbs.gov.ws and www.mof.gov.ws or can be obtained at the address given below:

Central Bank of Samoa

Financial System Development Department

Level 1, Central Bank of Samoa Building

2 Apia City Boulevard

Email: lanna.lome@cbs.gov.ws.

5. The Bank now invites eligible all Individual (“Consultants”) to indicate their interest in providing services. All interested Consultants should provide information demonstrating that they have the required qualification and relevant experience to perform the Services (attach curriculum vitae with the description of experience in similar assignments, similar conditions, responsiveness to the TOR etc.). Firms; staff may express interest through the employing firm for the assignment and, under such situation, only the experience and qualifications of individuals shall be considered in the selection process.

6. The evaluation criteria are:

Mandatory

• A Master’s degree in Information Systems, Computer Science, Finance, Banking, Business Administration, or a related field.
• A minimum of 10 years of professional experience in financial sector IT strategy and enterprise architecture.
• Central Banking Domain Expertise, including but not limited to:
  • Core Functions: Proven experience working with or consulting for central banks, specifically regarding monetary policy execution, currency management (vault/mint operations), and government banking.
  • Treasury & Settlement: Deep understanding of Treasury Single Account (TSA) management, Real-Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) system integrations, and Automated Clearing House (ACH) frameworks.
  • Accounting Standards: Familiarity with central bank financial reporting, statutory accounting rules, and international frameworks (e.g., IFRS).

• Enterprise Architecture & Diagnostic Capability, including but not limited to:
  • System Diagnostics: Demonstrated track record of conducting IT gap analyses, legacy system audits, and business process re-engineering (BPR) for complex financial institutions.
  • Core Banking Systems: Strong technical knowledge of modern Core Banking Solutions (CBS), modular service-oriented architectures (SOA), cloud vs. on-premise trade-offs, and data migration complexities.
  • Security & Resilience: Knowledge of financial sector cybersecurity frameworks, business continuity planning (BCP), and disaster recovery (DR) protocols.

• Strategy, Procurement & Roadmap Design, including but not limited to:
  • Strategic Planning: Experience drafting high-level IT roadmaps, cost-benefit analyses, and Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) models for large-scale software implementations.
  • Procurement Knowledge: Experience writing technical specifications, Functional/Technical Requirements documents, and Terms of Reference (TOR) or Requests for Proposals (RFP) for international vendor bidding.

• Communication & Stakeholder Management, including but not limited to:
  • Executive Advisory: Proven capability to interview, advise, and present strategic technical assessments to high-level executives
  • Reporting Skills: Portfolio of high-quality, clear, and structured technical diagnostic reports written in English

Desirable

• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Excellent speaking, writing and interpersonal skills

7. The attention of interested Consultants is drawn to Section III, paragraphs, 3.14,3.16 and 3.17 of the World Bank’s “Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers” September 2023, setting forth the World Bank’s Policy on conflict of interest.

8. A Consultant will be selected in accordance with the Individual Consultant Selection (ICS) method set out in the Procurement Regulations in paragraph 7.  

9. Further information can be obtained at the address below during 9.00am to 4.00pm, Samoa time, on working days no later than 21 October 2026:

Ms. Lanna Lome-Ieremia

Manager

Financial System Development Department

Level 1, Central Bank of Samoa Building

2 Apia City Boulevard

Email: lanna.lome@cbs.gov.ws

10. Expressions of interest must be delivered in a written form to the address below (in person or through electronic submission through the Government e-Portal https://portal.tenderlink.com/mof_samoa/ by 11am Samoa time, 26 October 2026.

Ministry of Finance

Attn: Tenders Board Secretary Level 4, Central Bank of Samoa Building

2 Apia City Boulevard

Apia, Samoa

Tel: +685-34333

11. Expressions of interest received after the deadline for submission will be returned unopened.