Fiji Program Support Platform (FPSP)

Based in Suva, Fiji Long Term Personnel – commencing early 2025, an initial contract through to September 2025, with potential for extension 

Program Overview:

The Fiji Program Support Platform (FPSP, or the ‘Platform’) is a Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) investment that will contribute to the delivery of Fiji’s national development priorities, in line with the Australia’s International Development Policy, the Fiji-Australia Vuvale Partnership and the Development Partnership Plan. 

The Platform will deliver key bilateral programs, such as health, education, scholarships, social infrastructure, governance, climate and emergency preparedness and response. Platform activities will identify and address climate risks, promote climate action, and gender equality, disability and social inclusion (GEDSI) across and beyond the sector programs.

The Platform has three functional Outcomes: 

The Platform has delivered its sector program outcomes, including through supporting strategic coherence, planning, partnerships management, data and learning across the portfolio of investments. The Platform has prioritised gender equality and disability-inclusive development, and climate and disaster resilience, in its systems and practices. This includes in how it undertakes sector programming and its engagement with selected Government of Fiji agencies. The Platform administers timely and efficient programming that is: value for money; maximises use of local supply chains; and supports good governance and public diplomacy, effective decision making and risk management.

The Platform implements over fifty percent of Australia’s bilateral development support to Fiji across a range of sector programs in education, health, Australia Awards, disaster response, cyclone recovery, social infrastructure and technical assistance to improve public sector governance in Fiji.  

The Platform integrates cross-cutting themes, including gender equality, disability and social inclusion (GEDSI), climate and disaster resilience, across sectoral programs. In particular, the Platform seeks to strengthen program outcomes by better addressing the needs of targeted beneficiaries including those who are often marginalised. 
 

IPP Overview:     

The Fiji-Australia Institutional Partnerships Program (IPP) partners with the Government of Fiji (GoF) to deliver assistance in targeted areas where Australia is well placed to support Fiji’s democratic and economic resilience: through government twinning partnerships, technical assistance and grants that can be mobilised quickly to support Fiji’s ongoing stability, prosperity, and resilience to shocks.  

The IPP a demand driven program to support implementation of the Government of Fiji’s (GoF) priority policies and reforms in agreed areas, including public sector performance, public financial management, governance and economic recovery and growth to support Fiji’s stability, prosperity, and resilience to shocks.

There is design process underway for a broader governance program due for completion by June 2025.
 

Position Summary:    

Situated within both the Ministry of Civil Service and the Platform, the Team Leader is responsible for leading and managing the delivery of the Platform’s Governance Program, ensuring alignment with the strategic priorities of DFAT and the Government of Fiji (GoF). This includes managing and implementing activities to ensure the program supports the implementation of GoF strategic governance reform priorities and strengthen DFAT’s bilateral relationship with GoF.

The Team Leader will play a key role in facilitating the flow of information between DFAT and GoF on requests and policy dialogue, as well as providing general support to the Ministry of Civil Service (MCS). 

As a senior member of the Platform Leadership Team, the Team Leader will champion meaningful integration of cross-cutting themes such as GEDSI and climate and disaster resilience. The Team Leader is accountable for ensuring compliance with DFAT and Platform organisational and operational policies and procedures across the program.
 

Key Responsibilities:    

Strategic Engagement & Leadership

Lead and manage the Program implementation in coordination with DFAT and the Platform’s leadership to deliver high quality results aligned to the Governance Program Design and Annual Work Plan.  Maintain a clear and contemporary understanding of and engagement with the governance sector context in Fiji (policy, political and donor/investment landscape) and draw upon this to provide relevant advice to DFAT, GoF and Platform leadership. Ensure the Program is delivered in alignment with the Platform’s commitment to GEDSI, climate resilience and achieving value for money, and in accordance with DFAT policies and standards.  Proactively mitigate and/or manage emergent issues and risks as they arise, in close consultation with DFAT.
Stakeholder engagement Build and maintain strong relationships with DFAT, GoF, community leaders, and other stakeholders to ensure program alignment that supports locally led-development.  Direct programmatic policy dialogue, relationships management, and stakeholder engagement with DFAT, national counterparts, development partners, the private sector and civil society. Ensure effective public diplomacy communications and representation with external stakeholders.

Management, Planning, Implementation & Reporting 

Lead the development of Annual Work Plans (AWPs) based on effective and close engagement with GoF and DFAT to ensure alignment with strategic priorities, appropriate ownership and mutual accountability. Provide oversight of the Programs to ensure sound planning, design and management, financial management, administration, and logistics support of the program. Ensure review, quality assurance and on-time delivery of program deliverables, outputs, and outcomes. Lead the preparation of high-quality six-monthly and annual progress reports for the program as part of Platform reports, and other ad-hoc reporting as required. Oversee the program’s MEL system, ensuring it produces credible evidence for reporting and to inform strategic and operational decision‐making for the program – within the Platform’s overarching MEL system. Act as the hiring manager for the recruitment of program staff, technical advisers and other human resources according to AWP resourcing plans. Deliver effective performance management of program staff and provide oversight of performance management by staff managers in the program. Champion, and be accountable for, the integration of the Platform’s cross cutting priorities of GEDSI, Civil Society Engagement, Climate and Disaster Resilience, and Emergency Preparedness and Response across all aspects of the program’s activities and operations. With the Platform Management Unit (PMU), contribute to the planning and delivery of public diplomacy activities that promote the achievements of the program and the development cooperation values of the Australian government as a key partner in development in Fiji’s education sector. Take overall responsibility for risk management of the Program, including producing quarterly risk reports against the risk register.

General

Other duties as requested by the Platform Leader.
 

Key Deliverables:     

Position Deliverables / Outputs

Program leadership and team performance management. Multi-year work or investment plans based on a portfolio of activities to deliver against program objectives and the strategic direction agreed with DFAT and GoF. Contribute to the strategic direction and oversight of the Program, including through periodic governance meetings, and regular updates to DFAT. 

Senior Leadership Team Deliverables

High level of responsiveness to AHC issues and requests measured by receiving Partner Performance Ratings of 5 or above. Quality reporting, milestones, deliverables and KPIs are submitted on time and meet internal (Abt) and external (DFAT) requirements. Programs are delivered on time and within budget and value for money principles drive all Infrastructure Programs’ resourcing decisions. Build and maintain open, productive and outcome-oriented relationships with key internal and external stakeholders including AHC.  Innovative approaches to the delivery of aid are actively pursued and incorporated into the delivery and design of the Infrastructure Programs.
 

Key Working Relationships:    

Reporting to the Platform Leader, the Governance Team Leader’s key working relationships are:

DFAT Development Counsellor at the Australian High Commission and First Secretary, Governance. The Permanent Secretary (PS) and senior officials in relevant GoF ministries, noting that DFAT will maintain strategic policy relationship with the PS and the Ministry.  The Platform Management Team (PMT) and senior technical advisers in the Platform Management Unit (PMU), and other sector programs managed by the Platform.
 

Selection Criteria:   

Qualifications

Master’s level qualification or equivalent professional experience related to Public Administration, Governance, Public Policy, International Development, or a related field.

Experience (essential)

Strong, demonstrated skills and experience within senior program management, planning, delivery (including financial management and reporting) and engagement. Proven experience in the leadership of teams (team building, motivation, capacity building and performance management) staff of diverse backgrounds and varying competencies. Excellent stakeholder engagement and communication skills, with experience managing relationships across government, civil society and donors.  Strong experience in program performance MEL consistent with DFAT’s M&E standards. Demonstrated experience in mainstreaming cross-cutting themes including GEDSI and/or climate and disaster resilience.

Personal Attributes

Sensitivity to other cultures and the ability to act appropriately in the context of Fijian culture and the workplace. Strong communication and interpersonal skills, including demonstrated ability to engage at a senior level to build and maintain networks.