Program 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.

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 sector programs. In particular, the Platform seeks to strengthen program outcomes by better addressing the needs of targeted populations including those who are often marginalised. 

AFEP Overview:

The Australian Government is supporting Fiji’s education sector through the Australia Fiji Education Program (AFEP, the Program) working with the Ministry of Education (MoE). 

The objective of the AFEP is “to work with the Government of Fiji under the Vuvale Partnership to catalyse quality education delivery for all Fijian children”. 

The changes expected by the end of the five-year program are: 

• EOPO 1: Schools, particularly trial schools, have improved student literacy and numeracy outcomes, supported by enabling policies, plans and data from the Ministry of Education.
• EOPO 2: Heads of schools and teachers, supported by enabling policies and data from the Ministry of Education, provide a safe, resilient and inclusive learning environment for all students, particularly in trial schools. 

Four intermediate outcomes will provide pathways to meet these end of program outcomes in priority areas, like implementation of the revised literacy and numeracy curriculum in primary and secondary schools, professional development interventions, analysis and improvement of the Fiji Education Management Information System (FEMIS), as well as GEDSI and student wellbeing.  

The funding for the program is approximately AUD45 million over 9 years (5 years, with an option to extend for a further 4 years) and delivered through a range of activities to achieve the program’s objectives. Implementation modalities include technical advice, procurement of technical services and goods, minor works and infrastructure upgrades, capacity building and training support, support to Ministry led initiatives and innovations, and grants to civil society organisations (CSOs). 

Position Summary: 

The Senior Specialist provides executive support to the Office of the Permanent Secretary of Education (PSE) reporting directly to the PSE. The Senior Specialist will be responsible to support of the PSE functions, as directed by the PSE. 

Key Responsibilities: 

The Senior Specialist will provide support for the successful functioning of the office of the PSE: 

Provide technical, research, strategic planning and administrative support to PSE as required in support of the education sector. The position will contribute to the successful execution of the office of the PSE and include, but not be limited to the following support services to the PSE: 

• Support to sensitising and programming of political directives that ensures their execution
• Monitoring long-term strategies for national education goals, including curriculum reform, teacher development, and infrastructure expansion.
• Support to office of the PSE Budget and Resource Management
• Support to office of the PSE Human Resource leadership
• Program delivery oversight of the implementation of education programs such as early childhood education, primary and secondary schooling, and tertiary education.
• Monitoring and evaluation of sector systems to assess school performance, student outcomes, and program effectiveness, regulatory Compliance and Risk and Crisis Management
• Contributes advice to the PSE on policy, strategy, and operational matters.
• Supports PSE engagement with educators, parents, NGOs, development partners, and international agencies notably through ensuring speeches and addresses to education stakeholders are timely, coherent and based upon strong research
• Contributes advice to the PSE on inclusive education, equity issues affecting marginalized groups and other cross-cutting issues such as climate disaster resilience

Key Deliverables: 

The Senior Specialist deliverables will be varied and be subject to the Office of the PSE demands and academic and political calendar requirements. Expected deliverables will include, but not be limited to the following:

• Timely response to request from the PSE
• Analysis and summaries of technical documents in support of PSE functions
• Preparation of speeches and support to the PSE’s engagements with sector and other Government of Fiji stakeholders
• Planning and budgetary analysis and inputs
• Research papers in support of strategic issues and areas responsive to the PSE

Key Working Relationships:

• The Permanent Secretary for Education (PSE) – Direct Reporting
• Senior officials in the Ministry of Education (MoE) notably the Deputy Secretaries and Directors
• The Development Partner Group, including bilateral and multilateral organisations, and other stakeholders in the education sector in Fiji and regionally
• AFEP/FPSP

Selection Criteria:

Qualifications

• Master’s level qualification or equivalent professional experience related to Education, Public Policy, Business Administration, Social Sciences or other relevant area

Experience

• Strong and credible skills and experience in the public sector and the ability to use these to contribute to strategic planning and engagement with education sector
• Preferably experience working within the education sector and other social sectors
• Demonstrated experience and success in executive support functions within the public sector, although similar corporate experience will be taken into consideration
• Proven experience in planning and implementation for results including financial management, reporting and work planning.
• Proven experience working with public sector legal frameworks (preferred)
• Strong experience in use of MEL to drive performance
• Ideally experience in liaising at a strategic level with senior managers, providing advice to executive leaders, senior managers, senior policy makers and in policy analysis (research) and development.
• Experience in networking and maintaining relationships across a range of program and sectoral stakeholders.
• Experience in contributing to mainstreaming cross-cutting themes including GEDSI, civil society engagement and/or climate and disaster resilience, and emergency preparedness

Personal Attributes

• Analytical and empirical in all aspects of their work
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, including demonstrated ability to engage at a senior level, build and maintain networks, provide advice and communicate effectively (both written and verbal) on sensitive issues with a culturally and professionally diverse range of stakeholders.
• Able to manage relationships, conflicts and tensions between key stakeholders under a context that is potential vulnerable to political agendas.
• A demonstrated commitment to child protection and the Prevention of Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment (PSEAH) and a robust fraud control and anti-corruption environment.
• Able to cope with ambiguity and a fast-changing operating environment

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.