The Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Strategic Planning, National Development and Statistics, Peni Sikivou, has urged staff to fully engage in a two-day Strategic Planning Workshop, emphasizing that this initiative is pivotal in shaping the Ministry’s priorities, performance, and impact for years to come.
During his opening remarks, Mr. Sikivou described the workshop as “both timely and necessary,” given the Ministry’s crucial role in directing Fiji’s national development and producing the official statistics that inform government decision-making. He stressed that the session is not just about drafting a document, but rather about defining an institutional blueprint that will govern the Ministry’s priorities, performance, accountability, and overall impact in the future.
Mr. Sikivou noted the importance of having a clear, coherent, and measurable strategic plan, especially for a Ministry tasked with coordinating national development frameworks and ensuring that policy decisions are backed by quality statistics. “With the Bureau of Statistics as an integral component of our Ministry, our work forms the backbone of every significant national policy decision,” he remarked, highlighting the link between reliable data, sound strategic planning, and credible governance.
Participants in the workshop were encouraged to view the strategic planning process as a collaborative effort rather than a responsibility confined to a single unit. Mr. Sikivou called for honest reflection and constructive debate from all staff, urging them to identify institutional gaps and propose practical, measurable outcomes.
Over the two-day event, discussions are set to concentrate on clarifying the Ministry’s vision, defining strategic priorities, enhancing coordination between planning and statistics, and improving governance. Additionally, the need for digital transformation and institutional resilience in light of emerging global challenges was underscored.
“A strategic plan must not remain a mere document,” Mr. Sikivou emphasized. It should serve as a management tool, a performance guide, and a framework for resource allocation. “If we do this right, we can enhance policy coherence, improve data quality, and ultimately build public trust in government decision-making,” he concluded, officially opening the workshop and wishing participants a fruitful deliberation.
This workshop represents a significant step towards fostering a proactive approach in navigating the complexities of policy-making and economic management, showcasing a commitment to continuous improvement within the Ministry.
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