Pacific Leadership Program
Date: Ongoing
WHO CC involvement: Michele Rumsey, Di Brown, James Buchan, Kerri Gianesi, Ali Moloney, Amanda Neill, in partnership with SPCNMOA and Faculty of Health UTS support.
The Pacific Leadership Program has historically been funded through DFAT's Australian Awards Fellowship (AAF) program and is developed by the World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Development at University of Technology Sydney in close collaboration with the South Pacific Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officers Alliance (SPCNMOA). Over the years, a few programs have been funded by WHOCCNM UTS and other partners.
Fellows work with a Mentor and member of SPCNMOA who is a leader in a position of influence in their country. This model is designed to promote relevant and sustainable nursing and midwifery activities for population health in the Fellows’ home countries. While in Australia, Fellows gain valuable insight and learning from each other and from internationally renowned health experts while they further develop their country-specific action plans. Many workshops take place with highlights including:
Project planning, development and implementation
Data searching and retrieval
Personal appraisal of leadership development
Working with international agencies and international policy development
Leadership in different cultural contexts and negotiating conflict
Regulation, accreditation and quality education
The aim of the Pacific Leadership Program is to strengthen regional relationships and build leadership capacity. This was achieved by working closely with the counterpart organization, The South Pacific Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officers Alliance (SPCNMOA) and senior nurses and midwives in Pacific countries to develop and provide a regional skills development program. The SPCNMOA identified the following five priority areas around which the program was developed; leadership, policy development and implementation, human resources for health (HRH), regulation and data literacy for decision-making.
The program objectives were designed to increase local capacity to meet changing population and health system needs by providing tools and strategies and developing supportive nursing and midwifery networks across the region. These objectives were also met by facilitating the development and implementation of Action Plans in the priority areas which were relevant to the participating countries health development plans as they were specifically chosen by the Fellows in conjunction with their in-country mentors.
The impact of these courses and events will aid the ongoing aim of the WHO CC UTS to contribute to building leadership capacity within the region. New leadership relationships have been formed at country and regional levels through this program. With continuing programs, a critical mass of nursing and midwifery leaders across the South Pacific countries can be attained.
So far, since 2009 the program has facilitated over 160 Pacific health leaders with 52 mentors.
Research has been carried out on Pacific nursing and midwifery leadership, including 5 joint publications with 7 Pacific CNMO's and WHO staff. Please find below.
2024
The countries with representatives in attendance: Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Federated States of Micronesia and Vanuatu.
The 2024 Pacific Leadership Program (PLP) was held between April 8th-19th. This marks the first in-person PLP since the COVID-19 pandemic, with the previous one in 2022 held virtually. The Program was jointly hosted by the World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Development at the University of Technology Sydney (WHOCC UTS) and the South Pacific Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officers Alliance (SPCNMOA).
One of the highlights of this year was the presence of the WHO Chief Nursing Officer Dr Amelia Latu Afuhaamango Tuipulotu, who is a Pacific (Tongan) Leader herself. Her expertise and words of advice were greatly appreciated by the WHO CC Nursing and Midwifery Team, invited UTS faculty members, and the fellows.
The Program overall was a testament of regional identity and collaboration, and as one fellow stated,
"... it shapes the future of all Pacific countries for [the] better"
Brief: WHO CC UTS Pacific Leadership Program
2022
The countries with representatives in attendance: Nauru, Vanuatu, Samoa, the Solomon Islands, Tonga, and Tuvalu.
The 2022 PLP was launched on the 10th of August by Prof. Michele Rumsey (Director) and Dr. Kylie Mckenna (Research Fellow) from WHO CC UTS. The session was attended by all 17 fellows and their mentors from all 6 Pacific Island countries. In addition, keynote speeches were delivered by Ms. Eriko Anzai (Nursing Officer) and Dr. Amelia Latu Afuha’amango Tu’ipulotu (WHO Consultant) from the WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific (WPRO); Professors Angela Dawson and Kathleen Baird from UTS; and Ms. Ngatamariki Manea (CNO) from the Cook Islands.
The highly successful session focused on introducing PLP participants and mentors to one another, connecting them with key regional leaders, outlining the PLP’s structure and processes, and encouraging the Fellows to begin thinking about the PLP’s key themes and topic areas. Following the keynote speeches, PLP Fellows participated in an icebreaker where they discussed what they hoped to learn from the PLP and brainstormed positive leadership qualities. During an interactive breakout session on defining leadership, many participants emphasized the importance of being able to empathize with the concerns of others and support the wellbeing of staff and colleagues, while others highlighted the virtues of patience and confidence. Some Fellows discussed the value of a leader who enables their colleagues to capitalize on their full potential, express their creativity, and work collaboratively and cooperatively. Such discussions were invaluable not only in establishing common ground on the qualities of good leadership, but also in exposing PLP participants to alternative valuations of leadership, as well as the breadth and depth of the topic.
Brief: Launch of the 2022 Pacific Leadership Program
2016
The countries with representatives in attendance: Fiji, Nauru, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, and Tuvalu.
Professor James Buchan is an Adjunct Professor at WHO CC UTS, and specialises in developing strategic intelligence and policy advice at national level and internationally on the human resources for health (HRH) implications of health sector organisation and healthcare reform; performance management, labour market analysis; and skill mix/ extended roles.
Among much global human resources for health work, Professor Buchan has advised the Ministry of Health in Malaysia on the development of a HRH Masterplan for the country; contributed to a high level policy round table on the recruitment and retention of primary care workers in remote areas in China; and advised the Ministry of Health in Moldova on the development of a national HRH strategy. He was involved in the program of work on HRH for the WHO Offices for South East Asia region, and for Europe including developing a policy report on health workforce sustainability for the WHO Europe Regional Committee in Lithuania. He also undertook consultancies for World Bank in India and advised on organisation and remuneration of primary care workers in Latvia. Professor Buchan participated in the convening of a WHO Expert Advisory Group Meeting to address the relevance and effectiveness of the WHO Global Code of Practice on international recruitment of health personnel, representing the WHO CC UTS.
2015
The countries with representatives in attendance: Cook Islands, Niue, Tonga, Kiribati, Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea
In 2015, the program was held in June at UTS and was again a success with a variety of speakers contributing to the event. Fellows created an action plan relevant to the healthcare system needs of their respective countries. Once again, the fellows provided much positive feedback:
"This is a very good program that supports Pacific Island Nations in providing information and assistance to develop a project plan to address issues in the health care setting. I would like to encourage the continuation of this project in years ahead."
AAF Round 15 Fellow, 2015 (Niue)
The WHO CC UTS remains in contact with the fellows as they implement their action plans formulated during the AAF Program in Sydney.
The DFAT AAF program strengthens regional relationships and builds leadership capacity in participating countries. These aims are achieved by working closely with the counterpart organisation, SPCNMOA, and senior nurses and midwives in Pacific countries to develop and provide regional skills development programs.
Projects from the 2015 AAF include:
Strengthening palliative care services
Guidelines on support supervisory tools
Standard operating procedures: triage outpatient department Niue Hospital
Preceptorship training
Development of Tongan Nurses Code of Ethics
Staff attitudes to work
The WHO CC UTS is continuing to receive positive feedback from participants of the AAF program, and has already witnessed career successes from previous fellows who have attained high level nursing and midwifery positions.
The impact of these courses and events will aid the ongoing aim of the WHO CC UTS to build leadership capacity within the region. New leadership relationships have been formed at country and regional levels through this program. With continuing programs, a critical mass of nursing and midwifery leaders across the South Pacific countries can be attained. There are now two established programs – leadership and faculty development – further courses can be implemented as required. Projects will continue to be aligned with WHO strategic directions for strengthening nursing and midwifery services, particularly those related to universal health coverage.
2014
The countries with representatives in attendance: Fiji, Samoa, Tuvalu, Nauru, Tokelau, and Solomon Islands attended and this year, WHO funded a 13th Fellow, from Samoa
An evening reception was held at UTS honouring the former Samoan Chief Nurse, Professor Pelenatete Stowers. This event allowed valuable time for the fellows to celebrate advances in nursing and midwifery with international health leaders. The reception also provided a platform for building professional networks to promote partnership for health in the region.
Since their return home Fellows have submitted reports on achievements to date on their nominated projects and have benefitted by sharing the experiences and wisdom of the Mentors who are members of the SPCNMOA.
2013
The countries with representatives in attendance: Cook Islands, Kiribati, Tonga, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu
2012
The countries with representatives in attendance: Fiji, Niue, Samoa, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu
In 2012, there was also a secondary program specifically aimed towards faculty development. The institutions with representatives in attendance: University of Papua New Guinea, St Barnabas School of Nursing (Alotau), Nazaren School of Nursing, St Mary's School of Nursing (Vunapope), Lae School of Nursing, Goroka School of Nursing, University of Goroka, Mendi School of Nursing, Lutheran School of Nursing and Pacific Adventist University.
2011
The countries with representatives in attendance: Cook Islands, Kiribati, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu
2009
The countries with representatives in attendance: Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau and Tonga
