Outcome FIJ_O_3

Advancing business transformation

In 2024, UN Women Fiji Multi-Country Office (MCO) continued its transformative journey, reshaping its business model with a focus on agile leadership and a culture of continuous improvement. This strategic approach allowed the organization to deliver scaled and sustainable impact across the Pacific region. The transformation spanned knowledge management, results-based management, and operational infrastructure, creating new pathways for effective and inclusive program delivery. Knowledge management remained a cornerstone of this transformation, with a systematic approach to disseminating gender equality resources. While all staff received quarterly updates on evidence-based programming tools, these knowledge products were also shared extensively with governments, civil society organizations (CSOs), and development partners across the Pacific and beyond, enhancing their utility and reach. Over the year, forty-five new strategic resources were developed, emphasizing disaster resilience and violence prevention. The Women’s Resilience to Disasters program was a notable contributor, generating thirty-one specialized products that integrated gender-responsive approaches across multiple risk areas. Accessibility was prioritized, with twenty-five resources localized for Kiribati through bilingual production in English and the local language. These resources were crafted in diverse formats, including print, visual, and video media, to ensure broad accessibility for varied audiences. Among the key initiatives, the Samoa National Prevention Framework and Project Golkipa in Solomon Islands demonstrated faith-sensitive approaches that fostered community engagement. Similarly, the Fiji Disability Inclusive CBDRM Toolkit reflected the integration of disability perspectives into disaster risk management. Partnerships with the University of the South Pacific further enriched this body of work, resulting in six postgraduate courses and four case studies on gender-responsive disaster risk reduction. Four cross-regional knowledge exchange initiatives supported by the Fiji MCO have fostered innovative ways of working and the sharing of promising practices across the Pacific and other regions, exemplifying the principles of South-South and triangular cooperation. These initiatives have strengthened the capacities of Pacific leaders, women entrepreneurs, and development practitioners through strategic collaborations with counterparts from Asia, the Caribbean, and beyond. By addressing shared challenges such as climate change, disaster risk reduction, and women’s economic empowerment, these exchanges have contributed to building resilience and advancing gender equality while facilitating mutual learning and the development of innovative solutions. In results-based management, UN Women Fiji MCO introduced advanced digital solutions to enable real-time program tracking, marking a progressive step in its data management capabilities. Staff capacity was systematically enhanced through structured training programs, with intensive weekly sessions conducted for the Markets for Change and Women’s Resilience to Disasters teams. These targeted efforts yielded measurable improvements in reporting quality, prompting the expansion of training to other project teams. Building on this progress, specialized training for new data management tools is planned for 2025, further solidifying the culture of continuous improvement. The transformation also extended to operational infrastructure, with strategic enhancements balancing organizational needs and resource efficiency. A sustainable physical presence was established across six Pacific nations through innovative partnership models. In Fiji, the extension of Kadavu House’s lease for five years, alongside planned renovations to improve staff well-being, demonstrated foresight in infrastructure planning. Across the region, UN Joint Presence Offices in Kiribati, Vanuatu, and Solomon Islands supported operational efficiency, while expansions in Samoa and plans for a presence in Tonga reflected an agile response to local contexts and regional priorities. These interconnected initiatives highlight UN Women Fiji MCO’s success in transforming its business model to achieve scaled impact. By equipping staff with enhanced capabilities, developing innovative and accessible knowledge products, and optimizing operational infrastructure, the office has fostered a culture of ethical leadership and continuous improvement. This transformation not only aligns with UN system-wide frameworks but also reflects the unique needs of the Pacific region, ensuring the organization remains agile, inclusive, and impactful in its mission.

Advancing business transformation

The Fiji MCO continues to progress its adaptation and innovation for business transformation, ensuring its programs and strategies remain responsive, effective, and aligned with their social impact goals. This culture of improvement, focused on integrating real-world insights into operational and programmatic strategies, has yielded sustained positive outcomes, advancing gender equality and women's empowerment across the Pacific region. Central to this effort is the production of 17 knowledge products in 2023 which were developed from expertise, research, and lessons learned, to glean valuable insights into a wide array of gender dynamics, social issues, and developmental challenges prevalent across the Pacific region. These serve as important resources, providing deep understanding, identifying critical gaps and opportunities, and guiding evidence-based decision-making processes. Utilizing these insights, the Fiji MCO is iterating on existing products and services to ensure their alignment with global and Pacific regional normative frameworks, as well as with evolving societal needs and expectations. For instance, the "Pathways Document - Pacific Prevention Summit" is refining strategies for preventing violence against women and girls, informed by real-world insights. Moreover, findings and recommendations from these knowledge products play a crucial role in shaping the direction of programmatic continuity, like the designs for the second phases of two large MCO projects, namely the Pacific Partnership to End Violence against Women and the Women in Leadership in Samoa (WILS) project. The WILS documentary, recording the journey of women from Phase I of the project has been inspirational, spotlighting the remarkable achievements of Samoan women leaders. The documentary has amplified awareness and commitment to the cause, catalyzing momentum towards women's leadership in Samoa and the Pacific. It has also been a crucial advocacy tool, extending its influence to informing the design and resource mobilization efforts for Phase II of the WILS project. Moreover, the Fiji MCO's engagement in cross-regional and intra-regional knowledge exchanges further strengthens its capacity for innovation and adaptation. These exchanges serve to drives meaningful change and foster a culture of innovation, effectiveness, and collaboration amongst UN Women staff by leveraging diverse perspectives, best practices, collaborative problem-solving, and strategic partnerships.