Some personnel decisions delegated to Chief of Staff to contain budget

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Governor Pulaalii Nikolao Pula has delegated authority to the Chief of Staff to approve all hiring decisions, promotions, pay adjustments, and transfers. This delegation is part of the revised cost containment measures issued last week. 

In January, a general memorandum was issued stating that all hiring activities within the organization require explicit approval from the Governor. However, the revised cost-containment measures, outlined in a memorandum dated December 22, authorize the Chief of Staff, Leonard Seumanutafa, to approve hiring decisions and other personnel-related actions. 

Despite this delegation, the Governor's explicit approval is still required for hiring decisions and personnel actions involving cabinet members and deputy directors.

For overtime, the Governor has required that all requests for paid overtime must be approved in advance. Directors have the authority to approve compensatory time for employees, provided it aligns with established Human Resources statutes, regulations, and internal policies.

Each written request for overtime pay must include the following essential details: the specific purpose of the overtime, the number of employees scheduled to work overtime, an estimated total cost of the overtime compensation, and a screenshot from the One Solution system identifying the appropriate funding account. If the overtime is to be charged to a grant, it is critical to include the grant narrative that verifies overtime as an allowable expense.

Furthermore, all ASG payments require a properly authorized purchase order or contract. The recent memorandum clearly states that ASG will not issue payments unless a duly approved purchase order and corresponding contract are on file for the goods and services procured.

All travel arrangements for cabinet members require prior approval from the Governor. The memorandum strongly recommends canceling or rescheduling any planned non-essential travel whenever feasible to ensure a more efficient use of resources.

Under the revised cost containment measures, semi-autonomous agencies and authorities are exempt from the provisions of this general memorandum. However, they are encouraged to adopt best practices and implement safeguards that foster fiscal responsibility, enhance cost efficiency, and promote effective internal controls throughout their operations.