FPSP Overview: 

The Fiji Program Support Platform (FPSP, or the ‘Platform’) is a Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) investment that 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 and 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 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 sectoral programs. In particular, the Platform seeks to strengthen program outcomes by better addressing the needs of targeted beneficiaries including those who are often marginalised. 

Program Overview: 

The Vuvale Partnership between Australia and Fiji, along with the Australia-Fiji Development Partnership Plan 2024–2028, outlines priority outcomes across five (5) pillars of support. These include a stronger emphasis on sustainable human development and infrastructure development.

Aligned with these priorities, Australia supports targeted multi-year health and education sector programs focused on policy and systems strengthening. Complementing these efforts are two (2) major social infrastructure initiatives:

• The Fiji Social Infrastructure Program (FSIP)
• The Colonial War Memorial (CWM) Hospital Redevelopment Project

FSIP delivers infrastructure upgrades to schools and hospitals, through the FPSP, managed by Abt Associates. In recognition that infrastructure is being delivered outside of Government systems, FSIP also includes a capacity-building component for the Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MoHMS) and the Ministry of Education (MoE), aimed at strengthening the capacity of their asset management units to deliver maintenance and capital works. 

MoHMS – Asset Management Unit 

MHMS’s AMU manages regulatory approvals and coordination (fire, council, lands, environment), maintains the asset register, plans/monitors capital and maintenance projects, and oversees staff quarters/fleet and disposals. Technical design/supervision commonly involves Ministry of Public Works Meteorology Services and Transport (MoPWMST), with procurement pathways shaped by Fiji Procurement Office (FPO) thresholds. Close MoPWMST coordination is essential for maintenance handover and lifecycle continuity.

FSIP efforts will be coordinated with the Australia‑Fiji Health Program (AFHP), including an Australian funded‑funded Public Financial Management Advisor to strengthen MHMS financial planning, budget execution and expenditure control. The Health Infrastructure Adviser will also align with the Social Infrastructure Adviser placed within Ministry of Strategic Planning, National Development and Statistics (MoSPNDS) to ensure coherence across major capital planning (e.g., CWM priority infrastructure).

Given this context, MoHMS has requested an embedded Health Infrastructure Adviser to strengthen capital works planning, maintenance systems, asset management, and AMU’s organisational capability.

Position Summary: 

The Health Infrastructure Adviser will support MHMS’s AMU to strengthen health infrastructure planning, delivery and management through three (3) core functions:

1. Strengthen MHMS capacity to plan, monitor, evaluate and coordinate capital works and maintenance programs.
2. Support AMU oversight and implementation of capital works (including priority health facility upgrades and CWM‑related infrastructure tasks), and establish a medium‑term capital pipeline and prioritised maintenance program.
3. Enhance institutional capability and collaboration across MHMS, MoF, MoPWMST, Fiji Procurement Office (FPO), and partners to improve procurement, contract management, asset systems and delivery performance.

Key Responsibilities:

The Adviser will:

Rapid Review

• Conduct a Rapid Review of the AMU to identify capacity gaps, system bottlenecks and organisational needs, and recommend changes to systems and processes to improve efficiencies. 
   

Capital Works Planning and Delivery

• Support MoHMS to identify, prioritise, and cost capital works. Lead the development of a short to medium term capital works plan/pipeline (5-10 years), with reference to the recent relevant assessments and documentation.
• Strengthen MoHMS’s capability in project scoping, tendering, procurement models, contract administration, and quality assurance
• Work with AMU to deliver priority capital works using improved systems and frameworks
• Support the preparation of budget proposals linked to the pipeline
• Improve coordination between ministries for capital projects.

Asset Management Systems

• Assist AMU develop / improve a comprehensive MoHMS Asset Register capturing age, type, condition, location and lifecycle requirements of all MoHMS‑managed assets.
• Introduce systematic asset condition assessments and a structured approach to lifecycle planning.
• Support MoHMS to develop long‑term maintenance planning aligned to standards and GoF requirements.
• Strengthen MoHMS’s maintenance execution capacity including exploring the potential of major maintenance contracts managed centrally by MoHMS.
• Support creation and institutionalisation of practical tools, SOPs, contract templates and manuals for maintenance delivery.

Systems Strengthening & Reform

• Align AMU systems and processes with annual procurement planning, contract management requirements and public financial management reforms.
• Support the development and rollout of SOPs, tools, workflow procedures, procurement and contract administration templates for capital works and maintenance.

Capacity Building

• Build AMU capability through mentoring, coaching, on‑the‑job training and structured skills development activities.
• Strengthen AMU staff capacity in infrastructure planning, procurement, contract management, asset management, and monitoring/reporting.
• Enhance AMU capacity to apply data-driven decision-making and adopt improved planning and delivery systems.
• Support long-term institutionalisation of systems, tools and processes to support AMU reform efforts.

Key Deliverables: 

• Rapid Review of AMU systems, processes, procurement, contract management and delivery performance
• Implement recommendations from the rapid review, including, for example, SOPs, templates and tools for health capital works planning, procurement, contract administration and infrastructure delivery
• Medium‑term Health Capital Works Plan/Pipeline (including costing and prioritisation across health facilities)
• Updated/improved Health Asset Register and Asset Management System for MHMS‑managed assets (including condition, lifecycle and risk profiles)
• Maintenance planning framework and proposed maintenance contract model (pilot + scale‑up pathway) or another model that improves maintenance of health infrastructure and facility operations
• Quarterly reports to MHMS Leadership and FPSP
• Contributions to FPSP Infrastructure Monthly Reports
• Support consultations with line ministries, implementing agencies, regulatory bodies (fire, council, lands, environment) and development partners
• Build AMU staff capacity through mentoring and technical skills development
• Support AMU to develop annual procurement and maintenance work plans (aligned with FPO thresholds and MoPWMST delivery modalities)
• Support Ministry briefings and correspondence as required, including briefings, reports, speeches, presentations and other documentation.

Key Working Relationships:

• Permanent Secretary – MoHMS
• Asset Management Unit (AMU) leadership and team
• FPSP Infrastructure team; and other Australian funded technical advisers, including the AFHP PFM Adviser and Social Infrastructure Adviser in MoSPNDS
• Ministry of Finance (MoF), Fiji Procurement Office (FPO), MoPWMST, including Department of Building & Government Architects (DBGA)
• Development partners and private sector delivery organisations

Selection Criteria:

• Tertiary qualifications in project management/planning, engineering, architecture, international development, or related field
• Minimum 7 years’ experience in infrastructure planning, procurement, contract management, project implementation, advisory, budgeting and delivery
• Demonstrated experience working with government agencies and/or development partners to deliver results.
• Knowledge and understanding of Fiji’s health system highly desirable (but not mandatory), including understanding of infrastructure challenges.
• Demonstrated communication, negotiation, diplomacy and inter-personal skills in working with a diverse range of partners, including Ministers, senior government officials, international organisations and development partners
• Demonstrated cultural competency, including the ability to work in a multicultural environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity
• Experience working in Fiji or the Pacific is highly desirable.

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