Fijian Civil Servants benefit through the Australian sponsored training

A cadre of senior Fijian civil servants had the opportunity to recently undertake an important training program “Fiji-Australia Institutional Partnership Masterclass on Integrity and Excellence in Public Governance” that was held in Australia (Brisbane and Canberra) from the 5th to 15th August 2024.

Australia’s fully sponsored program was proudly attended by 20 Fijian civil servants at leadership level, representing 11 agencies within the Fiji Government. The initiative signifies a deepened cooperation under the renewed and elevated Vuvale Partnership that was signed by the Prime Minister Hon. Sitiveni Rabuka and the Australian Prime Minister, Hon. Anthony Albanese in October last year.

Acting Deputy High Commissioner at Australia in Fiji Clair McNamara said, “Integrity and accountability are critical for public confidence in government. It is why under our Vuvale Partnership, we were pleased to support the inaugural Masterclass on Integrity for Fiji civil servants.”

The program is first for Fiji, under the Fiji-Australia Institutional Partnership program, in collaboration with Australia Awards. It’s designed for senior career professionals, focusing on cultivating integrity and ethical governance through an immersive, contextualized learning experience to navigate governance challenges and drive positive change.

The Australian component of the Masterclass offered a comprehensive learning environment that aimed to contextualized learning to the Fiji context. Participants met with Australia’s public service leaders to discuss their experiences and ideas on how the public service can best serve the community.

This Program also offered interactive sessions and field visits, enabling participants to apply governance concepts in real-world scenarios. Additionally, the Masterclass included dedicated sessions on fostering integrity and ethical conduct in leadership.

Expert presenters and panel sessions addressed critical themes such as the role of independent agencies, media, and civil society, as well as the importance of integrity in addressing global challenges like gender equality, disability inclusion, and climate change. One highlight was attending the Australian Federal Parliament question time session.

The Fiji Ministry of Foreign Affairs was ably represented at the Masterclass by Director Human Resources Division, Mrs. Manjula Shah and Director Planning, Policy and Research Division Mr. Ravai Antonio.

Upon completing the Masterclass, participants developed a participatory Professional Development Plan (PDP) to apply key learnings within their organisations, thereby extending the impact of the Masterclass themes across the Fiji Public Service.

The course comprised of a two-day pre-course workshop in Suva prior to prepare participants for the program in Australia, gain an understanding of the course objectives, and of the Australia-Fiji Vuvale Partnership.