PFLP offers a unique customized programme for current and emerging Pacific fisheries leaders to develop additional skills relevant to mobilizing change on national and regional fisheries priorities.
It is envisaged 125 participants, will enjoy learning through workshops, workplace experiences, coaching and resources relevant and applicable to their daily work. The study programme is fully virtual and is offered in a series of short modules that accommodates participants’ schedules and allows them to apply concepts and tools in their everyday life or in the workplace.
The Pacific Fisheries Leadership Programme (PFLP) funded by the New Zealand Government, is implemented by a consortium led by the Pacific Community (SPC) with the Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA), University of Queensland (UQ), and the Centre for Adaptive Leadership (CLA).
Selected participants will engage in online modules and workshops to complete Leadership for Effectiveness; Leadership for Change; Leadership in Times of Uncertainty; Contextualised Mini Workshops and Personalised Coaching Support to enhance learning.
The Leadership for Effectiveness component contains two areas of coursework; Leading and Managing People and Inclusive Strategic Leadership. The coursework includes activities that can be counted for assessment. To be eligible to receive one or two course credits towards selected University of Queensland (UQ) Business School postgraduate programs, all items of assessment for each area of coursework must be satisfactorily completed. Modules for this component provide tools and techniques to diagnose challenges and work more effectively; to apply models and new knowledge to the management of people and leadership of team; to examine your own behaviour and a leader and identify and evaluate strategies for developing high performing teams; as well as provides an opportunity to learn and apply key concepts, ideas and strategies immediately to your leadership practice.
The Leadership for Change component offers participants a unique opportunity to strengthen their leadership skills in the fisheries sector by providing diagnostic, strategic, and practical tools for leading change. It is based on real world issues and experience and will be adapted to the context and needs of participants. Each 3-day module includes three live large group virtual sessions, three small group consultations, and individual coaching to support participants’ learning. Sessions enable participants to analyse their real-time challenges to develop a framework for leading change relevant to their contexts.
The Leadership in Times of Uncertainty component recognizes that leading in the midst of change and uncertainty is difficult work. Challenging the status quo can be destabilising to people. It's especially risky during and after a crisis. Leading in times of uncertainty demands reflection, strategic intervention, and flexibility to navigate changes in the environment. It also requires learning from mistakes in real time. Those that lead during uncertainty need to manage risk effectively and leverage learning and innovation. This programme will be released in a new virtual format in late 2021.
Contextualised Mini Workshops are focussed and concise one-off sessions on specific topics that have been raised by participants in their coaching sessions or through module evaluations as areas of interest for a deeper dive. These are more practical approaches that offer a “how to” exercise leadership in targeted situations. Examples of specific topics include influencing, managing upwards, difficult conversations, collaboration and partnerships, problem driven iterative adaptation, decision-making, and working remotely.
The Personalised Coaching Support offers confidential dialogue to individuals to allow them to make sense of the concepts, models and tools offered during modules and to link these to the situations and circumstances they find themselves in both personally and professionally. More importantly, the sessions offer participants a chance for insight and learning whereby they can challenge themselves in order to develop their skills to exercise leadership both with and without authority. It is a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires participants to their potential and achieve their goals through enhanced performance for greater success.
Expected long term outcomes for the fisheries sector includes improved quality and diversity of leadership and management in priority sectoral areas and increased cooperation between relevant participants and their institutions. These objectives conform to progressing implementation of the “Regional Roadmap for Sustainable Pacific Fisheries.”
PFLP is a significant investment by New Zealand and by the members of the consortium. As such, PFLP wants to attract not only the most relevant, but the most committed and interested participants possible.
To increase economic and food security benefits from well-managed and sustainable fisheries and aquaculture in the Pacific through improved regional cooperation by confidently applying management and leadership skills and knowledge.
You are if you meet the following programme criteria:
- You are a current senior manager or upcoming middle level manager within SPC Member States national fisheries administration/authority or a Pacific fisheries regional agency or NGO.
- Participants should have sufficiently fluent English to read, write and converse at post-graduate level.
- You have a minimum education of a two-year diploma or equivalent.
- You have been employed in the fisheries (or relevant) sector in a senior or middle management level.
- You have the support of your Fisheries Director, Permanent Secretary, Minister or Secretary/Director Foreign Affairs.
- You are able to demonstrate through your application how you expect PFLP will assist you to be more effective in your responsibilities and in leading change relevant to national fisheries priorities.
- To join the next cohorts of Leadership for Effectiveness, you must be available to attend the two eight-week period online coursework and facilitated workshops, and commit to completing workplace projects, online learning and coaching for a period of six months or more following the workshop.
Once selected, if you are eligible, you can opt to enrol in one or two course credits towards selected UQ Business school postgraduate programs. More details can be provided.
Express your interest to your Director / Permanent Secretary and complete any national internal application processes. If you are successful at the end of this process, then complete the application form and ensure the senior leadership of your agency or organisation endorses your application by completing the relevant portions of the application form.
There is no set number limiting applications per country as Directors will need to balance out of office time for virtual workshops and online coursework participants.
However, there are only a maximum of 25 places available per cohort, so the selection committee will consider a mix of gender, current and emerging leaders, national priorities as communicated by Directors and the recommendation or support for applicants.
Applications are usually open for a period of 4 weeks. It takes an additional week to the selection panel to assess applications and advise successful applicants.
