Agriculture & Fisheries

Leadership Program develops agricultural researchers in SROS, MAF & USP

Published

1 year ago

June 26, 2023

Facilitators Prof. Rebecca Spence and Assoc. Prof. Phillip Harrell, supported by Pacific facilitator Dr. Seeseei Molimau-Samasoni (Samoa, SROS), with agricultural researchers from MAF, SROS and USP.

APIA, SAMOA – 26 JUNE 2023: The Scientific Research Organisation of Samoa, the Ministry of Agriculture & Fisheries, and the University of the South Pacific Samoa Campus have completed two weeks of face-to-face workshops, and six weeks of distant mentoring, to develop as leaders in agricultural research.

The development program was funded by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) and led by The Leadership Alliance.

The lead facilitators were Prof. Rebecca Spence and Assoc. Prof. Phillip Harrell, and were supported by Pacific facilitators including Dr. Seeseei Molimau-Samasoni (Samoa, SROS), Ms. Agnes Sumareke (PNG, NARI) and Mr. Iresh Lal (Fiji, USP).

Staff were nominated by their respective agencies then invited by ACIAR to participate and be capacity built in this program, including seven staff from SROS, five staff from MAF and seven staff from USP. The program focus areas included leadership and influence in the Pacific, values-based leadership, innovation in the 21^st century, building high performing teams, project management, strategic leadership and change, strategic analysis, and gender, diversity and social inclusion.

The training concluded on Friday 23^rd June when participants in project teams presented to invited guests, reporting back on projects they worked on in an action learning format to put into practice their training content. At its completion, the following participants were awarded certificates in recognition of their participation in the training program.

SROS: Siope Pele, Ulugia Angelika Tugaga, Mata’u Robert Tautua, Alofisa Akapo, Fiti Laupu’a, Irelynn Laban, Alexander Setu

MAF: Vaafaasau Efaraimo, Faalepeti Pasefika, Lina Tone, George Hazelman

USP: Dr. Viliame Savou, Dr. Leslie Ubaub, Assoc. Prof. Siaka Diarra

The Government of Samoa acknowledges with great appreciation the continuous support from the Australian Government through funding from the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research.