The Ministry of Rural and Maritime Development and Disaster Management (MRMDDM) began a three-day planning session for the 2024–2025 fiscal year yesterday.
Under the theme “Reaching New Levels of Excellence in all areas of our operations,” the workshop aims to improve the Ministry’s service delivery across the nation. This will involve evaluating and refining the monitoring of its Annual Costed Operation plans and their connection to the Division’s Business Plans, all in the context of the current 10-year Strategic Development Plan.
The goal is to produce significant and high-quality outcomes that will effectively influence community behaviors.
In his opening remarks, Permanent Secretary for MRMDDM, Mr. Isoa Talemaibua, emphasized the importance of the workshop in refining the Ministry’s strategies and operations. He expressed hope for a “significant increase in efficiency” across various domains, including finance, logistics, human resources, capital program implementation, approvals, and customer services.
Mr. Talemaibua stressed the necessity of remaining proactive, adhering to the organization’s core values, and emphasizing diversity, commitment, planning, purposeful actions, clear communication, capacity building, integration, and collaboration to build resilient and sustainable communities.
He also thanked the UNDP Governance for Resilience (Gov4Res) Project team for their participation, acknowledging the UNDP’s crucial role in supporting the Ministry’s initiatives. This partnership aims to advance sustainable development goals outlined in the Ministry’s strategic plans.
He noted, “The Ministry’s development program has transformed significantly in recent years due to UNDP’s support,” which includes creating a Strategic Development Plan, implementing a collaborative Risk-Informed Development project, and establishing a Rural Development Database through investments in essential technology.
Ms. Nicola Glendining, the project manager for Gov4Res, recognized the collaborative efforts with the Ministry and reaffirmed UNDP’s ongoing support. She stated, “The 10-year Strategic Development Plan that we developed together has set a benchmark for risk-informed subnational development in the Pacific region.”
Earlier this year, a FJ$1.5 million agreement was signed to renew the strategic collaboration between UNDP and MRMDDM. This partnership will advance the incorporation of risk-informed practices into Fiji’s community infrastructure.
Support for this partnership has come from the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Korea International Cooperation Agency, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of New Zealand, the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, and the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office of the United Kingdom.
The session is attended by senior officials, managers, district officers, provincial administrators, and key personnel from the Ministry. This workshop represents the first evaluation of the 10-year plan since its launch in 2021, with assessments scheduled to take place every two years.