1. Company Information:

Palladium is a global leader in the design, development, and delivery of Positive Impact — the intentional creation of enduring social and economic value. We work with corporations, governments, foundations, investors, communities, and civil society to formulate strategies and implement solutions that generate lasting social, environmental, and financial benefits.

Background:

The PALM scheme & PLSMSP 

The Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme is a signature initiative for the Australian Government that enables workers from 9 Pacific Island Countries (PICs) and Timor-Leste to work in priority sectors in Australia. The Pacific Labour Mobility Support Program (PLMSP), the successor to the Pacific Labour Facility (PLF) commences on 1 January 2025 with a renewed focus on the provision of tailored support to worker sending countries to address their specific needs and priorities. Palladium is contracted to deliver PLMSP on behalf of Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). 

PLMSP’s role is to provide DFAT and governments in 9 PICs and Timor-Leste with support to enable workers to access the PALM scheme in inclusive ways that maximise the benefits for the workers and national economies while minimising risks from labour mobility participation. PLMSP’s primary functions include capacity building for PALM scheme labour sending units; skills development and training for PALM workers; support for returning PALM workers and their families; information system management; monitoring, evaluation, research and learning; and communications. 

Solomon Islands participation in the PALM scheme: 

Labour mobility exists as a development priority for the Solomon Islands and contributes to the Solomon Island National Development Strategy (NDS) 2016-2035 objective of improving the livelihoods of all Solomon Islanders through increased employment and labour mobility opportunities. The Solomon Islands Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trader (MFAET) is the lead agency, with the SI Labour Mobility Unit (LMU) – responsible for managing the countries participation in the PALM and NZ Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) schemes. The Solomon Islands Labour Mobility Strategy (2019-23) and accompanying policy framework ended in 2023. A new strategic policy document is currently under review by the Solomon Islands Government (SIG). 

Under the Strategy (2019-23) SIG targeted 5,500 workers to be mobilised across several international markets by the end of 2023. At the end of 2023, the total number of workers mobilised under the PALM scheme since its implementation in Solomon Islands was 6,330, well surpassing the government’s original growth goal. This growth has led to significant benefits from increased remittances to Solomon Islands as well as workers benefiting from upskilling in Australia.  Alongside Solomons Islands growth in PALM participation since 2019, there has been reported increases in social impacts including family separation associated with LM as well as impacts on the Solomon Islands private sector and domestic labour market.

SIG have a new target of 16,000 workers to be mobilised via the PALM and New Zealand Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) schemes by 2028, with a large proportion of these anticipated to be PALM scheme workers.

Australian support to the PALM scheme in Solomon Islands:   

Between 2018 and 2024 SI LMU activities were assisted by the Solomon Islands Support Services (SISS), through a subcontract to a local Solomon Islands organisation via the PLF. The successful meeting of SIG’s LM objectives was a result of the effective partnership between MFAET, SISS, PLF and the Australian Government, as well as Australian employers and other government and non-government stakeholders within the Solomon Islands labour mobility ecosystem. 

The SISS mechanism has remained largely unchanged in the last 6 years and requires review to confirm its appropriateness considering the commencement of the new PLMSP program, changes to the PALM scheme and the new SIG policy. Dialogue and a design process is needed between Australia and the Solomon Islands to define what represents appropriate, effective and sustainable support to SI LM. 

Given the importance of the existing SISS program for SIG registration, mobilisation and other key LM functions, a sharp break in SISS delivery would likely have had significant negative impacts on SI LM. To mitigate this risk the SISS contract has been extended for up to an additional 9 months under the PLMSP (with the contract expiring in September 2025), to give time for its successor to be designed and established. 

Finances and Timeframes: 

The proposed initiative to be designed should be in line with previous expenditure on the SSIS contract for an initial 3 year term (2025-26 to 2028-29). However, the proposed funding should be scalable.

Scope and key areas for exploration: 

Modality: 

The current SISS arrangements are implemented through a PLF/PLSMP subcontract to a local organisation employing a small team of Solomon Islander labour mobility professionals. Decision making on policy, recruitment plan approvals, candidate registration and shortlisting are retained by the LMU, but the SISS team delivers then bulk of operations associated with registration, recruitment, preparation and mobilisation. 

The first task of the selected designers will be to compare and contrast the delivery and support model in Solomon Islands with other labour sending countries, and provide recommendations on whether the current outsourced delivery modality should be retained. The model will be compared to the capacity building/surge support model in other sending countries and a third alternative delivery model to be determined through consultation. The assessment will consider efficacy of the models, value for money, sustainability and delivery risk in the context of Solomon Islands participation in the PALM scheme.   

Core services: 

Once a preferred model has been selected, the team will progress to a design process. The design is expected to include a suite of support that continues aspects of SISS contract comprehensive operational support provided to LMU. This could include outreach, worker registration, worker pre departure & mobilization preparedness, associated data management, compliance oversight of recruitment and mobilization processes, Australian approved employer engagement, welfare support to workers and families including through the contracting of in Australia Country Liaison Officer and reintegration activities supporting returning workers. 

New labour mobility policy:

The new SIG labour mobility policy is currently in draft. Any significant changes to SIG’s approach to their engagement with the PALM scheme outlined in the new policy will need to be considered and integrated into the model assessment and the new initiative’s design. 

Sustainability:

To date, there has been limited co-investment from SIG to be able to independently deliver on its labour mobility objectives.  Model assessment will need to consider this, and the design will need to identify a realistic pathway for SIG to progressively increase co-investment in LM over the life of the initiative, creating a credible ‘exit pathway’ for comprehensive funding for LM operations. 

Alignment with the broader PLMSP investment: 

Regardless of preferred modality, the new initiative will form part of the broader PLMSP. The design will need to ensure the initiative aligns with the overall objectives, reporting framework and theory of change of the broader program. 

Australian development priorities including GEDSI and Development Partnership Plan (DPP) alignment: 

The design will ensure that the initiative is aligned with DFAT policies in relation to gender, disability and social inclusion (GEDSI), as well as alignment with the overarching Australia-Solomon Islands DPP. This will include that the initiative actively supports women and other excluded groups to obtain greater participation in the PALM scheme. 

Regional inclusion: 

A key priority for the SIG is ensuring equitable opportunity of access to labour mobility for individuals outside of the country’s major urban centres. The design will identify ways that the new initiative can effectively enhance outreach and provincial registration opportunities. The design will also consider ways that additional costs to candidates associated with being based outside of Honiara can be managed/ offset to avoid exclusion from LM opportunities. 

Co-location: 

Under the current SISS modality the LMU and the subcontracted team are operating out of separate offices. The design will include a viable proposal for co-location, either in a SIG office or elsewhere to maximise efficiency, consistency and cross-learning.   

Support to other LM Pathways: 

The LMU is currently already supporting recruitment under the NZ RSE scheme. SIG has expressed interest in mobilisation to other jurisdictions. The design will identify the status of these other LM pathways and flag areas of overlap and potential synergy. 

Expected design process: 

The design consultants will be expected to undertake a design process that captures the following key steps and milestones: 

• Undertake initial consultations with a design working group comprised of DFAT, PLMSP and SIG LMU representatives to develop a design plan (for details of design plan, see further below). 
• Hold a workshop with the design working group to explore different models of support. 
• Present assessment of models of support to design steering group for determination. 
• Hold a workshop with the design working group on a theory of change for the initiative. 
• Conduct consultations with relevant stakeholders in Australia and the Solomon Islands to inform the design. The majority of the design team’s inputs will be dedicated to inclusive and thorough consultations recognizing the sensitive nature of the design topic. 
• Regularly meet with the design working group to discuss progress, emerging design features and key issues related to the design process. 

Design oversight: 

The PLMSP Pacific and Timor Leste Engagement team with DFAT counterparts (one from Post and one from LMB), will provide direct oversight of the assessment and design process. This will include being the key point of contact for the design team, facilitating the process, coordinating with relevant stakeholders for consultations and convening the working group when needed. 

The working group will meet at the beginning of the design process to brief the design team and facilitate consultations with relevant stakeholder groups. The working group will then meet regularly, at least monthly, to receive updates from the design team, discuss emerging findings and design features and discuss risks or key issues for further consultation. Once a draft design report has been developed, the working group will coordinate feedback from their relevant organisations for consideration of the design team. 

A steering group made up of senior DFAT and SIG officials will meet at key points in the design to endorse key recommendations on both the model and the proposed design. 

Key Outputs: 

The design team will be expected to submit the following outputs: 

1. An assessment/ design plan: the plan will provide an overview of the key design process, including stakeholders to be consulted, expected travel, design/consultation workshops, timelines for key activities, potential risks and mitigations, and an interview guide for design discussions.   
2. Model assessment: a presentation to be delivered to the steering committee that assesses different models of support to SI LM and provides recommendations as to which should be adopted for the design. The assessment will consider the following in the context of Solomon Islands participation in the PALM scheme:
   1. Likely model efficacy
   2. Value for money
   3. Sustainability 
   4. Delivery risk 
3. A draft design document that meets DFAT’s design standards: the design will be expected to include the following components: 
   1. Statement of requirements.
   2. A realistic program logic for the approach, including the outcomes that the proposed approach will achieve/contribute to, underlying assumptions, how the proposed approach will contribute to the overarching objectives of the PALM scheme/ PLMSP, GEDSI objectives and compatibility of the outcomes with the objectives of the Solomon Islands Government. 
   3. An outline of relevant principles that have informed the design approach and need to be central to implementation, including gender equality principles, sustainability etc.
   4. The design should identify how it will leverage existing or planned initiatives as much as possible, including Strongim bisnis and the successor to the APTC. 
   5. Key risks expected in implementation of the design and proposed mitigations to be addressed by relevant implementing partners. 
   6. Governance and management structures for overall management of implementation of the program(s)/procurements.
   7. Relevant annexes, including people consulted, any additional data/evidence etc. 
4. A Final Design document, which takes into account DFAT and SIG feedback.
5. Draft procurement documents, including: 
   1. Terms of reference that can form the basis of any procurement.
   2. A draft budget for the initiative. 
   3. An overview of the volume and type of staff and capabilities required to deliver the activity.

Design team composition: 

The design team will be comprised between 2 to 3 people that collectively have the following qualifications and experiences: 

• Demonstrated experience and expertise in developing DFAT-funded program designs to DFAT standards. 
• Strong relationships with Solomon Islander business and government stakeholders. 
• Experience in understanding Solomon Islands economic, political, and governance priorities. 
• Ability to conduct consultations across a broad range of stakeholder groups, including on sensitive and complex issues and to capture this in easy-to-read reports and design documents. 
• An understanding of Pacific labour mobility and/or other labour mobility schemes

Proposed timeline: 

• Design consultancy identification: December/ January 2024
• Design commences and initial consultation with design working group: early February 2025
• Model assessment presentation to steering group: Late February 2025
• Design and assessment plan submitted to design working group: Early March 2025
• Workshops and consultations with relevant stakeholders: Early April 2025
• Draft design submission: Mid April 2025
• Draft considerations and feedback from working group: Late April 2025
• Design final submitted: Early May 2025
• Procurement of SISS successor (if needed): Late May 2025
• Assessment of SISS successor tenders  (if needed): Late June 2025
• Contract signed with SISS successor (if needed): Late July 2025 
• SISS successor contract commences with 1 month overlap (if needed): Early September 2025
• SISS contract ends: September 30th 2025

Timeline:

This Request for Proposal is issued on 9 December 2025 Potential respondents have up to 9 January 2025 to ask questions or seek clarifications in writing. The submission date is 15 January 2025. The selected contractor should start the review and design by early February 2025.