Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development (MEHRD) Dr Franco Rodie was among senior officials from the government ministries in the Pacific countries attending the Asian Development Bank (ADB) “Project Implementation Seminar – Empowering Project Managers in the Pacific” from 6th– 9th August in Nadi, Fiji.
Organized by ADB, the seminar was designed to enhance the skills and knowledge critical for managing ADB-funded projects and gain a comprehensive understanding of ADB’s operations, project documentation, and policies.
The seminar also served as a valuable opportunity for project managers and leaders from across the Pacific Island Countries to exchange insights, best practices, and innovative strategies for effective project management within our diverse and dynamic environments.
The topic of discussions focused on key principles and procedures in procurement, disbursement, financial management, safeguards, gender considerations, performance monitoring, reporting, and evaluation.
Dr Rodie attended the ADB seminar as interim Project manager of the Senior Secondary Education Improvement Project.
This is the first time the National Government has secured financial assistance from ADB to support a major education project so Dr Rodie needed to attend the seminar as an interim Project Manager of the Senior Secondary Education Improvement Project – to learn about how ADB-funded projects in the Pacific Islands countries, including the Solomon Islands are designed, implemented, monitored, evaluated and reported on the projects.
Dr Rodie stated that the seminar was very enriching in terms of the information and experiences shared by the participants and the lead ADB resource persons.
He stated that he learned new knowledge and understanding about the ADB implementation and management processes as well as compliance requirements in managing projects, which he stated would share with his senior officers in MEHRD when he returns.
The MEHRD Senior Secondary Education Improvement Project aims to strengthen senior secondary education and build climate and disaster resilience in the country.
The project will reform the senior secondary education curriculum for Years 10–12 to make it more practical and by equipping students with the necessary foundational skills for continuous learning and future employment, focusing on skills and jobs that foster resilience.
It will also update or construct facilities to climate-resilient standards at 10 schools and strengthen school management of infrastructure assets. It will also address barriers and challenges that girls face by piloting innovative gender-transformative activities and implementing a leadership and management program for aspiring female educators.
The project was approved in December 2023 and became effective in February 2024 and will be implemented over five years.
Project Managers, Coordinators, or equivalent who directly leading the ADB-funded projects in the ten Pacific Countries: Fiji, Cook Islands, Samoa, Tonga, Kiribati, Tuvalu, Niue, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, and Nauru attended the Seminar that concludes on Friday 9 August 2024.
MEHRD Press
