26/02/2026
๐๐ข๐ง๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐ฒ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ญ๐๐ ๐ข๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ , ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐ฏ๐๐ฅ๐จ๐ฉ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ญ๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฌ ๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ซ๐ค๐ฌ ๐จ๐ง ๐๐๐๐ข๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ญ๐๐ ๐ข๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐ง
The Ministry of Strategic Planning, National Development and Statistics (SPNDS) has officially commenced a two-day Strategic Planning Workshop, an internal exercise aimed at crafting the institutional blueprint that will guide its priorities and impact in the years ahead. The workshop underscores our commitment to strengthening the very foundations of national development and evidence-based governance in Fiji.
Permanent Secretary for SPNDS, Mr. Peni Sikivou, opened the session by reinforcing to staff that this initiative is both timely and necessary. He emphasized that the Ministry is not simply drafting a document but is actively defining the roadmap for its own future.
โOver these two days, we are engaged in a critical process to shape the institutional blueprint that will determine our collective priorities, enhance our performance, and sharpen our accountability and impact,โ Mr. Sikivou stated. โAs the Ministry at the helm of national development coordination and the producer of Fijiโs official statistics, our work is fundamental to credible and effective governance.โ
Mr. Sikivou highlighted the unique and critical function of the Ministry, especially with the Bureau of Statistics operating as an integral arm. โThe work we do underpins every major national policy decision. From coordinating national development frameworks to aligning sectoral strategies and producing high-quality statistics, we provide the evidence base that informs government decision-making,โ he added. โA clear, coherent, and measurable strategic plan is therefore not an option, but an essential tool for a Ministry with our mandate.โ
The Permanent Secretary stressed that the new strategic plan will serve multiple practical functions: it will clarify the Ministryโs core mandate, foster better coordination between its various divisions, elevate service delivery standards, and establish robust frameworks for accountability and performance measurement.
โMost importantly,โ Mr. Sikivou noted, โthis plan will equip us to be proactive leaders in an increasingly complex policy and economic landscape, ensuring we are shaping the future rather than merely reacting to it.โ
The workshop is structured as a whole-of-Ministry effort, with participants expected to engage in honest reflection and constructive debate. โStrategic planning cannot be the work of a single unit. It requires shared ownership,โ Mr. Sikivou told the team. โWe must collectively identify our institutional gaps, propose practical solutions, and focus on outcomes that are both realistic and measurable.โ
Key discussion areas over the two days include refining the Ministryโs vision and mission, defining strategic priorities, strengthening the crucial link between planning and statistical functions, improving data governance, and enhancing monitoring, evaluation, and reporting systems. The Ministry will also address the imperatives of digital transformation, data modernisation, and building institutional resilience to meet emerging global and regional challenges.
Concluding his remarks, Mr. Sikivou urged participants to view the final document as a dynamic tool for management and growth.
โA strategic plan must not sit on a shelf,โ he said. โIt must become our daily management tool, our performance guide, our reporting framework, and the basis for how we allocate our resources. If we get this right, we directly contribute to improved policy coherence, higher data quality, stronger government decision-making, and ultimately, greater public trust in our institutions.โ
