About the Proposal

The Solomon Islands Australian Education Partnership – Stronger Education Together (SET) is seeking proposals from interested local and international NGOs to support improvements in the education sector.

Specific focus areas for NGO grants are:

• Technology and connectivity in schools – improving connectivity, establishing computer labs in existing buildings, providing technology training for teachers to support delivery of technology education in schools.
• Disability inclusion in education – supporting MEHRD, education providers, SINU teaching students and/or schools to increase access and inclusion for students with disabilities.
• Gender equality in education – supporting MEHRD, education providers and/or schools to increase access and inclusion for girls in schools, including implementation of actions which will reduce barriers to girls’ attendance and participation in education.
• Inclusive learning – providing support to recent SINU graduates in their first two years of teaching to implement and evaluate effectiveness of teaching practices suitable for boys and girls and children with disabilities.
• Building community engagement in school management, maintenance, and climate resilience – Programs to engage communities in planning and management of schools, maintenance of school buildings, especially newly constructed buildings, and increasing climate resilience.

Grants will be an initial two-year agreement with an option to extend by mutual agreement for two years.

The selection for NGO partners will be a two-step process – an initial brief expression of interest and a request for a detailed proposal from shortlisted NGOs.

Fiji Program Support Platform (FPSP)

• Long term role based in Suva, Fiji - commencing January 2025; 3-year contract with possible 2-year extension 
• Open to International and National applications 
• Seeking suitably qualified applicants with: 
  • Extensive senior management and executive leadership experience in aligning roles providing strategic decision-making, team leadership, and being accountable for program outcomes.
  • Strong and credible skills and experience in education system strengthening
  • Relevant experience in public sector management, including liaising at a strategic level with governments and other donors,

Fiji Program Support Platform 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.  

Australia Fiji Education Program Overview:

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.

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 AUD45million 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).