Public Service Fale Newsletter

A word from the Public Service Fale Governance Board Chair – Hon Luamanuvao Dame Winnie Laban DNZM QSO

Welcome to the latest edition of the Pacific Public Service Commissioners’ newsletter FaleNews.

As we head into the traditional New Year period for many in the Pacific – Matariki (Aotearoa, Cook Islands), Mataliki (Tokelau, Niue, Tuvalu, Tonga, ‘Uvea and Futuna), Matali’i (Samoa), Matari’i (Tahiti) – we have time to pause and remember those who have passed, to celebrate the present, and plan for the year ahead.

On reflecting over the last few months, including the challenges our Public Service Commissioners have had to lead and respond with, my thoughts are with those who have lost loved ones. This includes our dear colleague from the Solomon Islands, Deputy Secretary Jude Devesi, who was a visionary leader and a team player who worked alongside many in the region. His personal qualities of support, patience and collaboration were much appreciated.

Jude leaves a legacy which reminds us of the best parts of public service excellence and commitment to regionalism.

Leana Jude Devesi magogoso mua pa binule

As you will see in this edition of FaleNews, there is also much to celebrate and to plan for in the year ahead.

Sub-Regional Fono and Board Meeting

I was humbled and pleased to continue chairing the sub-regional virtual Fono this month with both Polynesia and Melanesia, and next month with Micronesia. The meetings allow for open and in depth talanoaga and for each of the PSC’s and countries to be heard. Our Digital Connectivity enabled this within the current settings of our virtual world.

At the Governance Board meeting in February, I was encouraged to hear that Pacific members achieved their leadership aspirations by participating and achieving through the New Zealand Institute of Directors (IoD) Governance Essentials online course. Congratulations to the five members who have completed it.

It has also been encouraging to hear commissioners again endorse the programmes under way within the Public Service Fale’s three strategic pillars: Digital Connectivity, Leadership Development and Strengthening Governance. It is pleasing to see that our programmes remain on track and are fit for purpose.

Mentoring Programme

I want to thank the senior Pacific public servants who have participated in Cohort 1 of the Mentoring Programme. The 11 Pacific mentees are already Public Service leaders in their fields and have chosen to further develop their skills in specialist areas with Tier 1 and 2 managers from Aotearoa New Zealand. Thank you also to the mentors for your support and commitment.

Congratulations on completion of the programme. I look forward to hearing more about the progress of those in Cohorts 2 and 3, which are now under way.

Pacific Relationships Manager

It is with great pleasure that the Fale has welcomed Karopaerangi Ngatoko to lead the Pacific Relationships team. Karo brings a wealth of experience in Pacific relationship management from (most recently) the Cook Islands’ Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration as Director of the International and Trade Division.

We look forward to Karo’s input to further embed our partnership and relationships between the Fale and the Public Service Commissioners for each of the countries in our Pacific region and Moana – our ocean.

Understanding the impact of the Fale

In 2021, the Fale developed a Monitoring, Evaluation, Reporting and Learning (MERL) Framework to help us understand our impact and to continue improving how we achieve outcomes for Pacific Public Service Commissions. I am pleased that we have a new MERL lead, Madeleine Pears, who comes from the International Development and Engagement team at the New Zealand Ombudsman’s Office.

Madeleine is working to enhance the Pacific context around MERL to ensure it evolves in a framework of partnership led by the needs of our Public Service Commissioners. Monitoring the Fale’s impact is key to accountability.

Ia soifua ma ia manuia
Luamanuavao Dame Winnie Laban

A word from Tania Ott, Kaikōmihana Tuarua | Deputy Commissioner, Public Service Fale

Kia orana, Ran Annim, Lenwo, Kaselehlie, Mogethin, Ni Sa Bula Vinaka, Kam na Mauri, Iokwe, Ekamowir Omo, Bonjour, Faka’alofa lahi atu, Alii, Gude Tru, Talofa Lava, Halo Olketa, Taloha Ni, Malo ē Laumalie, Tālofa, Halo, Kia Ora and warm Pacific greetings!  

My very best wishes to all our colleagues across the region as we head into the Pacific new year season.

As we approach the midway point of the year, it has been encouraging to hear from feedback you have given us during the sub-regional Fono this month for Polynesia and Melanesia that the Fale is meeting your needs and delivering on this year’s programmes. I look forward to meeting with our colleagues from Micronesia next month. 

In this issue of Fale News, Public Service Fale board members talk about progressing governance training and we hear how leadership development helps embrace a growth mindset. We also have more on the exciting refresh of FaleOnline. 

We provide updates on the Fale work with you as part of the Foundations of Leadership, Mentoring, and the Pacific Integrity and Ethics programmes.   

We also introduce our new Pacific Relationships Manager Karopaerangi Ngatoko who tells us a bit more about herself.   

I hope you enjoy this issue of Fale News and my very best wishes for the Pacific New Year to you all.  

Mānawatia a Matariki! 
Tania Ott 

Formal governance training on track for Fale Board 

Since July 2021, the Public Service Fale’s Governance Board has participated in formal governance training provided through the New Zealand Institute of Directors (IoD). The IoD’s “Governance Essentials” course is a self-directed online training programme and will be supported with facilitated workshops.

A Micronesian board representative, the Federated States of Micronesia’s Director at the Office of Personnel, Samson Pretrick, says he was thrilled to have taken part. Samson says prior to the course he had had no formal training in board governance.

“The online programme took us through aspects of governance including why it matters and what a board member’s legal responsibilities are. The roles of senior leaders were well defined and gave me a thorough understanding of how each is critical to the effectiveness of the organisation.” 

The interactive e-learning modules were broken down into: Governance and the Law, Roles in Governance, Purpose and Strategy, Board and Organisational Culture, Holding to Account, and Effective Compliance. Each of the modules affords a thorough introduction to their aspect of governance to ensure each participating Fale board member gained pragmatic insights into effective governance. 

Three highly participatory interactive online workshops will complement the e-learning modules. The first will focus on Public Sector Governance with New Zealand’s Public Service Commissioner Peter Hughes covering service and integrity principles. Managing conflicts of interest and the political interface will be covered in the second workshop which will delve into legislation and accountability, and managing political relationships. The final workshop, Setting and implementing purpose and strategy, will look at roles and responsibilities of the board, and aligning people, culture processes and strategy. 

The Small Island States board representative, Niue Public Service Commissioner Victoria Kalauni, says she was proud of their achievements through the Governance Essentials course and would like to see training extended to others in Niue. 

“We’ll then see a whole lot more effectiveness and efficiency in the agencies and entities that they are board members of.” 

The Public Service Fale Governance Board Chair, Luamanuvao Dame Winnie Laban, says she is thrilled with the board’s progress.

Foundations of Leadership programme helps challenge and change mindset

Fiji’s Pranita Devi says the Fale’s Foundations of Leadership Programme is helping her self-reflect and embrace a growth mindset.

“It is nurturing innovation within me and my team,” says the Ministry of Civil Service Business Manager. 

Pranita says the programme, combined with the guidance of her mentor, Permanent Secretary of Civil Service – Susan Kiran, has taken her on a daily journey of motivation to develop her capabilities and capacity. She says the growth mindset helps her identify different ways to collaborate and achieve outcomes. 

“The positive shift has enabled me to become a people leader instead of a person leader,” adds Pranita. 

“As a developing leader, I believe it is important to step back and assess one’s own self in order to identify strengths, weaknesses and opportunities for self-improvement. Embracing failures and challenges and using them as a stepping-stone to improve and learn new things is a crucial step to take as a leader. By being able to lead with a growth mindset and encouraging the team to do the same has allowed positive changes in the team and better decision making.” 

Pranita says her team has been able to carry out healthy discussions, take feedback on a positive note and create an environment where staff feel their contributions are being valued.  

“Instead of only focusing on the outcomes, each day the team continuously work to refine the process to achieve world class service excellence to all Fijians.” 

Pranita believes we are all work in progress and says there is no doubt a leader will face many challenges in their journey ahead. Hence, creating a positive mind-set in your team will ensure no one is left behind. 

The Foundations of Leadership (FoL) Programme is running the first Cohort of its regional course under the Fale’s Leadership Development pillar. The regional programme follows two successful bilateral pilots last year with Niue and Nauru. Cohort 1 has seven participants from five countries and is approaching Module 3 which focusses on building relationships. A separate FoL Cohort will begin and run concurrently as the first Cohort approaches Module 4.   

Material from the Foundations of Leadership can be found under the Leadership Development heading on FaleOnline.

Fale flagship Mentoring Programme completes first cohort

The Public Service Fale was delighted to (virtually) bring together the first group of mentees and mentors of our flagship Mentoring Programme to mark the completion of the cohort aimed at strengthening public service leadership across the region. 

Over the preceding nine months, 11 senior public servants from eight Pacific jurisdictions worked with nine Tier 1/2 managers from across New Zealand’s Public Service to advance leadership development. They committed serious time and effort to partnership and regionalism which is what the Fale is all about.  

Moleni Ika, Deputy Secretary at the Tonga Public Service, says the programme exceeded his expectations in very way.

“It was everything it was advertised to be. From the very first meeting with my mentor Brendan, he reassured me that this programme was about what I needed, and my personal growth and development.” 

“It’s encouraged me to change my approach to coaching and mentoring at work.” 

Meanwhile, Mike Cunnington, Deputy Commissioner at Inland Revenue NZ, says the mentee-led programme is something he would look forward to being part of again. 

“I would certainly recommend it to anyone else who is considering being a mentor in the programme.” 

Public Service Fale Deputy Commissioner Tania Ott acknowledged and thanked everyone for their support, and for generously sharing their insights to inform the programme with opportunities for improvement. 

“We will be taking all of this information forward in our upcoming cohorts,” said Tania. “With one example of this adaption, in our 3rd mentoring intake, bringing more Pacific mentors into the cohort.” 

Through the Mentoring Programme the Fale is committed to assisting and enhancing the growth of capable Pacific leaders by matching them with mentors who will empower them to maximise their skills and potential. The mentoring model is purposefully designed to ensure the lens and cultural integrity of the Pacific are embodied within and woven throughout.

Confidentiality is key throughout the programme where mentees engage with mentors on a one-on-one basis to advance their leadership journeys.

The second cohort of Mentoring Programme is currently under way while the third begins this month. In August 2022, expressions of interest for Cohort 4 will be open.

More information on the programme and registration for Cohort 4 can be found by registering at https://faleonline.publicservice.govt.nz/

Aotearoa commits to Pacific climate resilience research at Palau’s Our Ocean 2022 conference

Aotearoa New Zealand committed US$3m to support Pacific specific climate resilience research at last month’s Our Oceans 2022 conference in Palau. 

New Zealand’s Minister for Pacific Peoples, Aupito William Sio, announced the funding boost was to support the University of the South Pacific (USP) and the University of Canterbury (UoC) to produce the Pacific Ocean & Climate Crisis Assessment (PACCO). 

“While we all know that climate change poses a dire threat to the Pacific, there are still many knowledge gaps. How will communities be affected? How are communities already applying innovative adaptation solutions that could also help others? What indigenous knowledge and cultural intelligence can we use?” 

Aupito said the goal was to fill those gaps and support Pacific resilience through effective evidence-based decision making. 

The role of indigenous and youth leadership in protecting ocean health came to the fore throughout the conference. 

“Our ancestral life-giving ocean is the world's last and greatest defence against climate change,” said youth delegate, Guam’s Kalani Reyes, founder of Deep Pacific Collective of Pacific Peoples. “We must work together, across generations to protect the ocean.” 

Themed “Our Ocean, Our People, Our Prosperity”, the two-day event spotlighted the importance of a healthy ocean to small island countries like those of the Pacific – and to all communities where the ocean is a primary source of nutrition.   

Ocean based climate solutions were a focus, including shipping decarbonisation, marine nature-based solutions, and offshore renewable energy – all targeted at keeping within the 1.5C Paris Agreement target and improving global climate resilience. 

Over 600 participants representing more than 70 foreign delegations and 150 non-state actors attended Our Ocean 2022 in Palau. The conference was the first to be held in a small island developing state and concluded with 410 commitments worth US$16.35b.  

“Island nations are on the frontlines of the dual ocean and climate challenges,” said Palau’s President, Surangel S Whipps, Jr. “By hosting the meeting, Palau was not only able to show the world just how vulnerable we are to these crises, but also the many solutions available to tackle the problems today if we just choose to use them.” 

Our Ocean 2022 was co-hosted by US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry, and Republic of Palau President, Surangel Whipps Jr. More can be found at the conference website www.OurOcean2022.pw

Marshall Islands celebrates 43rd Constitution Day

The Republic of the Marshall Islands marked its 43rd Constitution Day, on Sunday, 1 May. It is the anniversary of the constitution being signed and adopted, and when the Marshall Islands gained independence from the United States, becoming a republic in 1979.  

This year, Constitution Day was celebrated on Monday, 2 May, giving the country a long weekend. Events started with a parade and flag-raising followed by formalities including a keynote address from the President, His Excellency David Kabua. Traditional crafts, dance and sports demonstrations also marked the festive public holiday.  

Constitution Day 2022 brought the country together around the theme of “Lujaron” which means being courageous during hard times.  

Students from 21 schools and workers from 53 government and non-government organisations joined the annual parade to the opening ceremony at Delap Park for speeches and festivities.

Happy 43rd Constitution Day RMI!

Introducing Karopaerangi Ngatoko 

The Public Service Fale has been thrilled to welcome Karopaerangi Ngatoko this year. 

Karo is the Fale’s new Pacific Relationships Manager, overseeing and providing strategic direction to our Principal Advisors across the Fale’s bilateral engagement programme with all 16 Pacific Public Service Commissions, reporting directly to Deputy Commissioner Tania Ott. Karo hails from the Cook Islands, but has lived, worked and studied in Aotearoa New Zealand previously. She is an experienced diplomat and relationship manager with a successful career in government relations. Husband Phillip Ngatoko and sons have also been part of the move from Rarotonga to Wellington and are acclimatising to the cold. Karo has taken some time out to share some more about herself.

Kia orana Karo, prior to your role with the Fale, you were with the Cook Islands government. What was your most recent role there and what are some of the highlights?

My most recent role prior to joining the Fale was in the Cook Islands Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Immigration (MFAI), as Director of the International & Trade Division, managing a small but impactful team and reporting directly to the Secretary of MFAI. In this role, I managed and led the Cook Islands international bilateral and trade relationships, which consisted of 55 formal diplomatic partners and several emergent partnerships, as well as implementation of various trade agreements and associated programmes including PACER+ and PHAMA Plus.

In addition, in the year prior to joining the Fale I also held responsibility as the Cook Islands National Quarantine-free Travel (QFT) Coordinator, working as lead for a multidisciplinary team of 3 (the QFT Implementation Unit comprising National lead, Communications lead and Public Health lead) and reporting directly to the Cook Islands Cabinet and the Cook Islands Border Easement Taskforce (BET).

The enduring highlight of my career thus far has been the opportunity to work alongside such dedicated, brilliant and impactful colleagues.

You went to the University of Waikato, what did you study, and did you have a career path in mind?

I completed a Bachelor of Social Sciences at the University of Waikato, double majoring in Political Science (Public Policy) and Geography. I didn’t know it at the time, but this seemingly odd combination of major’s has proven immensely useful in my professional life as somewhat of a specialist-generalist! I had no specific career pathway in mind while I was studying, but I always knew it needed to be somewhere I could be of service to my community and people, and I’ve been blessed so far to have found myself doing just that.

What attracted you to the role in Fale?

As a Tier 2 Manager within the Cook Islands public service, I found myself at the end of 2021 actively seeking opportunities for further professional development and ability to elevate my contributions regionally.

Being Pacific-led, the Fale’s operating model and work programme – to directly support Pacific Public Service Commission’s in the delivery of their services – was of huge appeal to me and more specific to my role as Pacific Relationships Manager, I was keen to bring working experience from the region into the Fale.  Now that I have my feet under the desk, I can see even more clearly the quality, impact and depth of work being undertaken by the Fale, and I’m so pleased to be able to bring my experience to bear as the Fale continues to elevate and strengthen its work in the region. COVID-19 has demonstrated the importance of strong, transparent, and responsive public services, and I’m pleased to find myself in a position to serve our Commissions’ needs at this time when it is most needed.  

And you didn’t come alone to Wellington and the new role, tell us about your family life?

I’m thankfully joined in Wellington by my husband and 2 young sons. However, we of course had to leave behind many of our immediate family members in Rarotonga so that transition away has been tough. I’m not new to Wellington by any means, having grown up here as a child and starting my professional career here at the Cook Islands High Commission, however it’s always hard leaving loved ones behind.

When we left Rarotonga, we had a series of ‘See you Later’ parties, because we are absolutely returning in 2-3 years’ time!  For now, we are looking forward to reconnecting with family and friends that live here in Wellington, once we’ve managed to properly settle and get through the transition process for school and work.

What are you missing most from home?

Our family and friends in Rarotonga, of course, as well as the awesome Rarotonga cafés and eateries.

It also seems cliché to say, but we’re missing the sunshine and ocean! Our little one still thinks shoes and clothes are optional- we’ll see how that goes once the Wellington winter hits!

FaleOnline, a refreshed resource for Pacific public servants 

Last month, we were delighted to bring you the refreshed and enhanced FaleOnline.

The updated FaleOnline was driven by feedback and requests you have made through the sub-regional fono, country leads and ​the Governance Board. It is now easier to access, enables online learning and facilitates connection between all our public service jurisdictions across the Pacific region. 

FaleOnline is a web-based learning management platform that enables Pacific public servants and the Fale to share, learn and connect.

Specifically, people can access resources and information that has been curated based on the priorities of the Pacific Public Service Commissions. These include policies, case studies, and guidance on COVID-19, Leadership Development, Strengthening Governance and Digital Connectivity developed both in NZ and across the region.

FaleOnline also provides access to learning as part of our flagship programmes, the Integrity and Ethics Programme, Management Toolkit, Foundations of Leadership Programme, and our webinar series.

FaleOnline promotes building collaborative relationships across the region with our Communities of Practice. These bring together practitioners in a specific field to discuss issues and solutions, share ideas and resources, and build strong networks across our Pacific public services.

Following the rollout of the refreshed FaleOnline, the Solomon Islands Public Service Commissioner Nego Sisiolo contacted the Fale’s Deputy Commissioner Tania Ott to say he’d registered to access the site and had surfed its content. 

“It’s like I’ve truly been to the Fale. This is another milestone. A clear indication that the Public Service Fale is very intentional in its efforts to share-connect-learn with the Pacific public service jurisdictions. This is truly wonderful as the resources are now at our fingertips.”

What is FaleOnline?

FaleOnline is a living channel, and we will be updating it continuously. To ensure it remains a useful tool, we welcome all your feedback and suggestions on what can be included to better serve you and the delivery of effective public services across the Pacific.

In coming weeks, the FaleOnline Team will be contacting each Pacific public service jurisdiction to arrange bilateral virtual tours of the enhanced FaleOnline. We want you to get the best from the resource and we want you to tell us what you need from it.

The sessions will provide an opportunity for you to help shape how FaleOnline caters to your country needs and ensures it provides a useful way to connect, learn and share into the future.

Please ensure you register at https://faleonline.publicservice.govt.nz/

Public Service Fale webinar series for 2022

L-R: Sally Washington, Tania Ott, and the Solomon Islands Public Service Commission.

The Public Service Fale webinar series for 2022 is well underway and the March webinar featured the first of two presentations from Sally Washington, Executive Director for Aotearoa, Australia and New Zealand School of Government (ANZSOG). The first topic was The Aotearoa Policy Project: Improving the quality of policy advice across government.  

Sally shared terrific insights from her experiences including building on existing success, adopting collaborative leadership approaches, and striving for genuine engagement with communities, leaders, and decision makers to help build a shared understanding of what high quality policy organisations, advisors, and frameworks look like.  

Pacific Public Service Commissioners, staff and senior leaders participated in a lively discussion about the challenges and opportunities in building policy capability. People shared challenges in recruiting and retaining skilled workers, and providing advice to Ministers within the dynamic and uncertain environment created by COVID-19.  The theme of the talanoa was that as public servants, service of our citizens is at the heart of everything we do. As one participant noted, “It’s really great to understand how we address and to adapt to increasing global changes and how it impacts in drastic policy changes. I think the pandemic and digital changes in the last two years has given all of us in the Pacific to rethink how we offer solutions for the betterment of our public service and service delivery.” 

The May webinar, Building Policy Capability: An Infrastructure Approach explored how this policy infrastructure can be applied to other jurisdictions to grow policy capability across government.  Sally drew on the Policy Capability Framework and its use in diagnosing and guiding policy improvement initiatives.  

Both webinars and supporting material, including diagnostic frameworks and capability guides, are available on Fale Online.   

For those who are interested in continuing to build policy capability, Sally and the Fale team will deliver a workshop series over the coming months.  The first three will focus on: 

• Managing with the Political Interface – Working with Ministers  
• Policy Skills 
• Policy Tools and Quality  

We’re interested to hear what other topics you’d like the workshops to include, and we can tailor them to suit.

Integrity and Ethics Programme in full swing!

Our first cohort is now fully immersed in the programme with the principles of Service, Integrity and Equity being workshopped in the last quarter with very positive feedback from all.

The response to our guest speakers at the Equity workshop in April was very heartening. 

The Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat’s Gender Specialist, Dr Fiona Hukula, spoke about the challenges for women in the workplace and community, and how to best support women in public service leadership roles. 

“COVID-19 has proven that we can be flexible in the workplace and that we can cater to some of the challenges that women face, especially around childcare, domestic duties, customary obligations, all of which are relevant for our countries," says Dr Hukula.  

The Samoa Public Service Commission’s ACEO Senior Executive Services, Ta’aiseuga Jason Hisatake, and ACEO Legal and Investigations Services, Maiavatele Timothy Fesili, covered merit-based appointments and managing perceptions of nepotism in a small community. 

“Merit is important to ensure that we get the best candidates into the Public Service,” says Maiavatele. “And integrity is important because this is the part where the public judge us, this is public trust and confidence in the Public Service.”

The Fale thanks the three speakers whose presentations can be found at our FaleOnline resource. Malo lava le tautua. 

The Integrity and Ethics programme turns its focus in May to the principle of Accountability before the final workshop on Community in June. 

Participants in the Fale’s Integrity and Ethics programme are from the Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, New Caledonia, Niue, Samoa, Solomon Islands and Tokelau.

HR Community of Practice – a Covid-19 knowledge sharing resource

In September 2021, a community of practice was established to focus on Human Resources (HR). The resulting HR Peer Learning Pod aims to provide a fono space for those leading HR work to gather and discuss topics of mutual interest, share resources, and collaborate on common priority areas. A wide range of topics have been discussed since the Pod began with policy in draft and published form being shared. 

However, Covid-19 has become the dominant topic in recent months and remains at the forefront of Pod members’ priority lists. Some of the common areas of discussion on Covid-19 have included how to enable working from home, how to employ those who can’t work from home during Covid responses, and whether or not additional allowances should be paid to front line workers. 

Sharing information across the Pacific has been extremely valuable, especially where those nations which have already acquired experiences with Covid in the community such as Fiji, Samoa, Tonga and NZ are able to pass on lessons and policy work to those that only now beginning the journey. 

Information is shared during monthly workshops and now through the use of FaleOnline.  A collaborative space is available in the HR PLP ‘members only’ area and other resources are available more widely in the HR topic area.

Strong Pacific presence at Te Kawa Mataaho Anzac Service

The Public Service Fale featured prominently at last month’s Te Kawa Mataaho ANZAC service, which honoured the service men and women of many heritages since WWI.

The Fale’s CDR Andrew McMillan DSD donned his Royal New Zealand Navy uniform as MC where he highlighted the diversity of those who have contributed as ANZAC service people.

Andrew introduced the Fale’s Dominic Godfrey who spoke about the significant contribution of those from the Pacific in New Zealand’s military – notably the men of the Cook Islands and Niue in WWI – highlighting their official acknowledgement at the unveiling of Te Reo Hotunui o te Moananui-ā-Kiwa, the Pacific War Memorial, in Wellington last year.

Prime Ministers Mark Brown (Cook Islands) and Jacinda Ardern (New Zealand) at the unveiling of Te Reo Hotunui, March 2021.

During WWI, a quarter of the Cook Islands’ eligible male population volunteered for service with New Zealand, and Niue made a similar sacrifice.

Men also came from Fiji, Kiribati, Norfolk Island, Samoa, Tahiti, Tonga and Tuvalu who were to share in the dual horrors of war and the European winter alongside Australia and New Zealand.

Despite the sacrifice, Pacific participation in ANZAC military continued and since 1978 broadened with Fiji, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste and Vanuatu contributing to 30 UN Peace Keeping operations since.

The Fale team were honoured to play a role in spotlighting the sacrifices of our ancestors who gave up so much in the spirit of service and belief in freedom.

Ka maumahara tonu tātou ki a rātou | We will remember them.

Te Kawa Mataaho Deputy Commissioner Heather Baggott (2nd from right) with Fale members (L-R) Madeleine Pears, Vicky Honey, Tae Tuinukuafe, Dominic Godfrey, Andrew McMillan and Stevenson Pule.

Key Pacific Public Service Dates

June

July

August