FIJI’S national development priorities must be closely linked to funding and realistic implementation to improve policy outcomes.
Setting the tone for the Vaka Pasifika Dialogue, Permanent Secretary for National Planning, Development and Statistics, Peni Sikivou, said Fiji’s National Development Plan 2025–2029, alongside Vision 2050, provides clear national direction.
“It is founded on the vision of empowering the people of Fiji through unity, and it is organised around three pillars: Economic Resilience, People Empowerment, and Good Governance.
“These pillars are designed to improve state function and partner engagement with national systems.”
Fiji’s National Development Plan priorities are around economic resilience, people empowerment, and good governance as key pillars.
Sikivou emphasised that strong plans require solid links between policy, financing, and implementation to avoid weak delivery.
Quoting from a former National Security Advisor of the United States, Jake Sullivan, he stated: “Public policy is a study in imperfection. It involves imperfect people, with imperfect information, facing deeply imperfect choices, so it’s not surprising that they’re getting imperfect results.
“That is not an excuse. It is a reminder that policymaking is hard, and that better results do not come from good intentions alone.
“They come from disciplined systems, good information, coordination across institutions, and the willingness to learn and adjust. That is why platforms like this dialogue are crucial.
“They give us the space to speak candidly about what is working, what is not working, and what needs to change. They help us align earlier, avoid repeated mistakes, and improve delivery over time,” he said.
He noted that the dialogue matters even more when we consider how decisions are made in practice, with Fiji’s national budget prepared for a financial year that runs from August 1to July 31.
“This process needs early prioritisation, strong cross-ministry coordination, and clear links between national goals and funded programs. When these are unclear, implementation suffers, expectations diverge, and accountability becomes blurred,’’ Sikivou said.
“There is a need to strengthen data-driven tracking and responsive management to improve program delivery and trust, and tracking implementation, and results require stronger monitoring systems for credible, useful progress measurement.”
Sikivou called for strengthening monitoring and evaluation, improving the quality and timeliness of data, and making reporting meaningful rather than a compliance exercise.
“This is not only about coordination meetings. It is about real alignment in timing, financing, reporting, and expectations, so that efforts are complementary rather than fragmented,’’ he said
“We should also recognise that Fiji’s national development agenda sits within a wider regional context.
“The 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent articulates a long-term vision for a resilient Pacific region of peace, harmony, security, social inclusion, and prosperity.”
Sikivou added that aligning national priorities with regional ambitions is not about copying language.
“It is about ensuring coherence across the commitments we carry and ensuring that our national systems are strong enough to engage meaningfully, report credibly, and deliver consistently,’’ he said.
“Focus on solutions and shared responsibilities. The government has obligations to lead, coordinate, and account.
“Partners have obligations to align, support, and avoid creating parallel systems that weaken long-term capability.”
He stated that civil society and the private sector have a critical role in providing insight, innovation, and accountability.
“None of us can do this alone, and none of us should pretend we can,’’
Sikivou emphasised that people should always be at the centre of decisions on policy, budgets, and results.