Fale programmes
A Fale programme is driven by the requests of the Pacific Public Service Commissioners.
O le ala ile pule, o le tautua — The road to leadership is through service.
Photo credit: Ministry for Pacific Peoples
Te tautoko i te Ratonga Tūmatanui o Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa Supporting the Pacific Public Service
The Public Service Fale (the Fale) was established in January 2020 as a Pacific-led Public Service centre of excellence. It supports the Pacific Public Service Commissioners to achieve their goals and deliver quality public services in the Pacific.
The Fale offers practical advice and facilitates relationship building and knowledge exchange between Pacific countries and territories to strengthen leadership and governance for the benefit of Pacific citizens. It is governed by a board comprising 2 member Pacific Public Service Commissioners from each sub-region (Melanesia, Micronesia, Polynesia) and one representing small island states. The 7-member board is chaired by Hon Luamanuvao Dame Winnie Laban, DNZM QSO.
The 16 members of the Pacific Public Service Commissioners group are from Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, New Caledonia, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu, with Australia and New Zealand supporting.
The Fale is housed at Te Kawa Mataaho Public Service Commission and funded by the New Zealand Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Trade until 2024 as a part of the Government’s Pacific Reset programme.
Te kaitiakitanga me te hautūtanga Governance and leadership
The Public Service Fale is led by a Governance Board whose role is to:
- steer and advise the work of the Public Service Fale
- develop a sustainable operating model for Pacific Public Service Commissioners to work together to achieve their collective aspirations
- improve and strengthen the Public Service across the Pacific Region through collaboration.
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The Governance Board members
- Hon Luamanuvao Dame Winnie Laban DNZM QSO — Chair
The Chair of the Pacific Public Service Fale Governance Board was appointed in 2021. She has been in the Fale Working Group since its inception in 2020. Luamanuvao is a former New Zealand politician. She was elected to Parliament in 1999 as the Member of Parliament for the Mana electorate and became the Minister of Pacific Island Affairs during her time in New Zealand’s Government. She is the Assistant Vice-Chancellor (Pasifika) of Victoria University of Wellington, and took on this role in 2010 after leaving politics. She has since provided strategic advice, direction and support for Pacific students and staff, increasing enrolments and raising Pacific achievement.
- Mr Samson Pretrick, Federated States of Micronesia — Micronesia representative
- Ms Ritite Tekiau, Public Service Office — Kiribati Government — Micronesia representative
- Ms Tiffany Ouetcho, Directorate of Human Resources and Civil Service of New Caledonia — Melanesia representative
- Ms Taies Sansan, Papua New Guinea Public Service Commission — Melanesia representative
- Lauano Ms Vaosa Epa, Samoa PSC — Samoa Public Service Commission — Polynesia representative
- Dr Lia Maka, Public Service Commission — Government of Tonga — Polynesia representative
- Mrs Victoria Posimani-Kalauni, Public Service Commission — Government of Niue — Small Island States representative
- Supporting country members — commissioners:
- Ms Laura Johnston, Australia, Australia Public Service Commission
- Mr Peter Hughes, New Zealand, Te Kawa Mataaho Public Service Commission
- Hon Luamanuvao Dame Winnie Laban DNZM QSO — Chair
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Pacific Public Service Commissioners Member Countries
In addition to the Governance Board, these members make up the Pacific Public Service Commissioners Group, which represents 16 countries:
- Mr Carl Hunter, Office of the Public Service Commissioner — Cook Islands
- Ms Susan Kiran, Public Service Commission of Fiji
- Vacant, Republic of the Marshall Islands Public Service Commission
- Mr Sasikumar Paravanoor, Nauru Public Service Commission
- Ms Terra Nabeyama, Palau Public Service Commission
- Mr Nego Sisolo, Solomon Islands Public Service Commission
- Mr Tiso Fiaola, Tokelau Public Service Commission
- Ms Aoga Kofe, Tuvalu Public Service Commission
- Mr James Melteres, Vanuatu Public Service Commission
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Public Service Fale leaders
.Tania Ott
Tania is Deputy Commissioner for the Public Service Fale and for COVID-19 Response and Recovery. Tania is also the Assistant Commissioner for the Health agencies. Prior to this, she was Group Manager, Senior Courts at the Ministry of Justice. Tania has held public service roles at the Office of Treaty Settlements, Department of Internal Affairs and Department of Labour. Tania has also served as private secretary to several government Ministers and as an advisor in the Office of the Prime Minister, Rt Hon Helen Clark
Vicky Honey
Vicky is the Manager Service Design and Delivery for the Public Service Fale. She previously worked for New Zealand Defence Force as Deputy Director Shared Services. Vicky’s work experience is diverse and broad, as well as being an experienced public servant, she has also held roles in local government and, offshore where she worked with Aboriginal communities in Australia. Vicky’s career has specialised in shared services, and customer delivery roles.
Karopaerangi Ngatoko
Karopaerangi is the Pacific Relationships Manager for the Public Service Fale, overseeing and providing strategic direction to the Fale’s bilateral engagement programme with all 16 Pacific Public Service Commission’s served by the Fale.
Her most recent role prior to joining the Fale was in the Cook Islands Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Immigration, as Director of the International & Trade Division, managing 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.
She also held a position as the Cook Islands National Quarantine-free Travel Coordinator working as lead for a multidisciplinary team and reporting directly to the Cook Islands Cabinet and the Cook Islands Border Easement Taskforce.
Ngā whainga rautaki tōmua Strategic priorities
The Fale’s role is to broker practical advice and facilitate relationship building and knowledge exchange between Pacific countries to strengthen public services for Pacific citizens. The Fale’s Work Programme is based on 3 strategic priorities for delivery:
- enhancing digital connectivity — connecting Pacific Public Service Commissioners virtually to maintain relationships, enable collaboration, and facilitate information and resource sharing.
- investing in leadership development — strengthening leadership, systems and processes to achieve more responsive and effective public services for Pacific citizens.
- strengthening governance — supporting Public Service system change using regional best practice to enhance transparency, public trust and accountability.
Our vision
By 2025, we are a thriving Pacific-led Public Service centre of excellence that supports 16 Pacific governments to deliver quality public services for their citizens.
Our mission
To serve and facilitate the Pacific Public Service Commissioners to achieve their goals to strengthen public services for their citizens.
The Public Service Fale
The Fale empowers the Pacific Public Service Commissioners by ensuring they are at the centre of what we do every day:
- build and maintain strong relationships of trust, confidence, and respect with each other and with all of our partners and stakeholders
- commit to ongoing learning to broaden our understanding of the Pacific, and Pacific frameworks and tools
- role model best practice by facilitating and delivering high quality, culturally appropriate and fit for purpose solutions.
