The Public Service Fale recently celebrated its 9th cohort of leaders to complete the Fale Mentoring Programme.
Since 2021, approximately 120 Pacific public servants have completed the Programme, with cohort 9 representing mentors and mentees from Kiribati, the Cook Islands, Fiji, New Caledonia, and New Zealand. During regular one‑to‑one mentoring sessions over 9 months, participants navigated leadership issues, from making sound decisions under pressure, through to leading teams in changing operating environments and breaking down silos to strengthen organisational culture.
Speakers at the graduation ceremony talked about the people-to-people connections they had built during the Programme and their intent to continue these important relationships. Reflecting on the importance of actively implementing their learning in the workplace, one mentee commented, “the real work starts now.” Another mentee shared, “advice that has stayed with me is to ‘own your role, helping me to recognise the importance of having confidence in my position and trusting the expertise and capability that led to my appointment. This mindset has strengthened my approach to decision‑making and leadership.”
Mentors reflected on being flexible to overcome time and connectivity constraints so using quick meetings or WhatsApp to enable regular, in‑the‑moment support and real time feedback. They also valued the perspective that the Programme provides on how common the issues and challenges are that we all face as public servants: “I was absolutely struck at the commonality of the issues we all face across organisations, sectors and countries” and “we don’t necessarily have all the answers, but we can share ideas about where to look.”
The Programme is a regional capability building initiative and reflects the New Zealand government’s ongoing commitment to strengthening good governance and leadership capability in Pacific public services. The Fale acknowledges the generosity of senior Pacific and New Zealand based public servants who volunteer their time and experience in the service of others. Their work strengthens leadership confidence and capability, expands access to context‑specific development, and reinforces collaboration across Pacific public services.
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