FPSP Overview:

FPSP, also referred to as the ‘Platform’, a Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) investment, 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:  

1. The Platform has delivered its sector program outcomes, including through supporting strategic coherence, planning, partnerships management, data and learning across the portfolio of investments. 
2. The Platform has prioritised gender equality, 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 (GoF) agencies. 
3. 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.

AAS Overview:

Australia Awards are prestigious scholarships offered by the Australian Government that aim to contribute to the long-term development needs of partner countries. Australia Awards are offered to Fiji citizens for study in Australia or Pacific-based institutions in the form of long-term scholarships and/or short courses or informal workshops. Through study and research, recipients develop the skills and knowledge to drive change and help build enduring people-to-people links with Australia. 

Position Summary: 

The Independent Assessment Specialists will work remotely as part of a two-member team to review, assess, score and rank the Fiji applications for the Australia Awards Scholarships in accordance with agreed methodology and criteria provided by the Program Manager.  

The Independent Assessment Specialists will quality assure each other’s assessments of applications and provide the Program Manager with a consolidated, scored and ranked applications list.

The Independent Assessment Specialists will provide the Program Manager with the Assessment and Ranking Report for Fiji. 

Key Responsibilities: 

• Assess and score a caseload of scholarship applications according to standard criteria.
• Provide a consolidated scored and ranked applications list.
• Provide the Assessment and Ranking Report (including data, analysis and recommendation). This will also include Australia Awards Pacific Scholarship (AAPS) data which will be provided by the AAPS Assessment Specialist.
• Assess and score the completed Fiji AAS written tests (shortlisted candidates only), if needed. 

Selection Criteria: 

Qualifications

• Relevant tertiary qualifications.
• Postgraduate qualifications preferred.

Experience

• Extensive experience and knowledge of the Australia Awards program
• Extensive experience and knowledge of the tertiary education system.
• Experience in assessing Australia Awards applications against standard criteria.
• Knowledge of good assessment practice for Australia Awards.
• Understanding of the bilateral priorities and exposure to the scholarships context in the Pacific.
• Demonstrated knowledge and experience using Excel spreadsheets.

Personal Attributes

• Trustworthy with strong ethics.
• Able to identify and declare all conflicts of interest.
• Always maintains confidentiality. 

About Us
Abt Global is a mission-driven, global leader in research and program implementation in the fields of health, social and environmental policy, and international development. Known for its rigorous approach to solving complex challenges, Abt Global is regularly ranked as one of the top global research firms and one of the international development innovators.  The company has multiple offices in the U.S. and program offices in more than 40 countries.

At Abt Global, we are committed to creating a lasting culture of equity, diversity and inclusion and recognize that in order to achieve full participation, our practices must be free of prejudice, discrimination, and bias that result in inequitable outcomes. We are actively working to advance equity for everyone, and while we still have much work to do, we know that racial and cultural diversity are an asset to our business and the communities where we live and serve. Our ongoing commitment is focused on creating business practices that advance racial and social equity, investments in community impact programs for the benefit of Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC), and expand upon project work related to racial equity and social justice