The Government has engaged KPMG to lead the search for a new Permanent Secretary for Health, a move officials say is intended to strengthen senior leadership as the health sector prepares for a period of major reform and investment. The international professional services firm will manage the recruitment process for the senior public service role that oversees national health policy, service delivery and system performance.
The vacancy released as part of the engagement sets out demanding criteria. Eligible candidates must hold high-level academic qualifications and possess senior executive leadership experience in large and complex organisations, in either the public or private sector. The Government says applicants will need a proven record of leading major modernisation and change programmes, setting strategic direction and delivering “significant and sustained change.”
Beyond technical and executive experience, the listing stresses interpersonal and political skills. “They will have well-developed people leadership capabilities,” the vacancy says, and must demonstrate excellent communication, interpersonal and influencing skills alongside “refined political nous” to build strong relationships and foster stakeholder engagement. The role is expected to create new partnerships and drive a culture of excellence and innovation through the application of technology.
The Permanent Secretary for Health is the senior administrative official charged with translating ministerial policy into operational delivery across hospitals, clinics and public health programmes. That mandate has taken on heightened importance as the Government pursues a suite of capital and reform initiatives across the sector. In last year’s budget the Government earmarked around $540 million for health, including $90 million to support new public‑private partnerships for Ba and Lautoka hospitals and continued planning for upgrades at the Colonial War Memorial (CWM) Hospital, projects for which donor and private-sector coordination will be critical.
Bringing in KPMG signals the government’s intent to run an externally managed recruitment process and to draw from a broad candidate pool with experience in managing large, complex change programmes and multi-stakeholder projects. The vacancy description emphasises that the successful candidate must be able to implement system-wide reforms while maintaining service delivery and improving system performance — responsibilities that will be central as PPP workstreams, donor-funded infrastructure planning and technology-driven modernisation accelerate.
The appointment will be closely watched by health-sector stakeholders, including clinicians, union representatives and development partners, who will expect the new Permanent Secretary to provide steady leadership through implementation of the reforms and investments. The Government has not yet provided a public timetable for the search or for when a successor will be announced. The recruitment managed by KPMG will determine who takes charge of one of the most consequential public service roles for Fiji’s health system at a time of significant policy and capital activity.
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