1.

0 Introduction:
The theories of the Public sector has been dominant in application in every related governmental
ministries. The government been the primary and almost sole provider of goods and services toward it
society, it performance is no near the benchmark of Private sector. After the Pacific region had gained
its own independence from the British colonial power, the newly established government system takes
over the lead as almost like the British colonial system do. As evident in both the British colonial
system with Fiji new government, they both play the role of strict administration as Max Weber pointed
out as in the seven features of traditional public administration such as the principles of bureaucracy,
one best way of working (Scientific Management), bureaucratic delivery, politics dichotomy, public
interest or professional bureaucracy and roles being administrative. In general, the government sector is
solely base on the strict administrative guidelines that been derived from Fredrick Taylor study of
Scientific management.
Another uprising way of administration is known as Private sector management techniques. Its
theories focused on purely on management roles. The highlight points are that it is all about
management, leadership, focus on result, a more strategic approach, competition and contractualism,
relationships with the public to name major aspects of changes New Public sector management
facilitates. The private sector thrive on a very competitive market that usually outperform most or even
all of governmental ministries output in terms of quality and quantity due to the very different operation
styles implemented. Most notable feature of private sector is that it is the driving force behind every
developments, innovations and improvements experienced both by the Public sector and society.
The government sector being aware of the shortcomings of its current administration process
implement managerial techniques applicable within its operations spectrum. This leads to major
reforms in the public sector that resulted in New Public Sector Management.
Within our project, our targeted Public Sector ministry is Fiji Ministry of Education. The main purpose
is to initially find the old traditional administration roles Fiji Ministry of Education used practically and
then identify the reforms it implemented especially the applications of private sector management
techniques.

Background of Fiji Ministry of Education

Currently the Fiji Ministry of Education is leaded by Honoruable Minister for Education, Heritage and
Arts - Dr Mahendra Reddy. Under his leadership, confer the vision of quality education for Progress,
Peace and Change and mission

to provide a holistic and empowering education system that enables all children to realize and
appreciate fully their inheritance and potential contributing to a peaceful and sustainable National
Development (source: Fiji Ministry of Education, 2017)

This ministry is currently guided by many of strong values that include human rights and dignity,
responsibility, safety and security for all, civic pride, cultural understandings, empathy and tolerance
and other to name a few.

With these values in mind, it guidelines further shows the importance of such values. As in the
recognition of crucial importance of healthy and strong relationship of partnerships with stakeholders,
the maintenance of high level of professionalism, ensuring relevance and responsiveness, maintenance
of high levels of quality and excellence.
The Fiji Ministry of Education had gone into many trials as which it should prove on how it has
implemented certain reforms within its organizations. This included major reforms that are listed as
New Public Sector Management.

1.1 Overview of Fiji Ministry of Education

The Fiji Ministry of Education is a Fiji governmental body that organizes, manages and deal with
all Fijian education. It provide almost all needed resources and activities that falls under the Fiji
Government power. Resources are provided via mainly provisions such as text books to
governmental schools and non-governmental schools, teaching materials such as computers,
projectors, chalks, dusters and others. Additionally it also provides subsidy to those students that
meet the government merits criteria in order to further motivate and help them financially.

The scope of its work ranges from beginning stage of education till the university level of
education. The Fiji Ministry of Education currently serves Suva, Ba-Tavau, Naroga-Navosa,
Nausori, Eastern, Maucuta-Bua, Ra and other Fiji education districts.

The roles of Fiji Ministry of education mainly focuses on anything related on educational needs.
Particularly it focuses on designing the educational programs for Fijian citizens and others. Daily
educational goals, the evaluation of exams and results, improving teachers of all level performance
are all dealt with this Ministry.

It is comprised of many contributing departments. These departments have their area of

specializations and it is included of Asset and monitoring units, Corporate services, Human
relations, Examination and assessment, Primary, Secondary, Curriculum Advisory Services, Test
and National Archives.

Basically the Fiji Ministry of education provide almost anything needed in Fiji educational needs
either in terms of finance, technical skills, human resources, management and others.
Methodology:
Most of the information that are used are mostly derived from the internet source with minority of
sources gathered from personal interaction with people in position in any of education found here at
Fiji. Given that, details are provided from:
Secondary Sources:
Fiji Ministry of Education official websites
Youtube videos regarding relevant Ministry of Education reforms
Online Fiji Times archive records related with Fiji Education
Official Government annual reports on Fiji Ministry of Education
and others
Primary Sources:
Direct communication interviews via landlines and mobiles (informal)
Usage of recommended texts with other relevant texts regarding Public Sector management.
 Major reforms in Fiji Ministry of Education:
Contracting teachers
The governmental new policy to provide fund grants to primary school, usually the school
management team are
The application of FEMIS that is online database.
Promotion are based on merit and not seniority basis.
The application of incentives and decentives in the Public sector
Reforms implemented:

Reform #1: The application of Internet and Networking

The application of internet and networking is one of the successful and now mostly applied reforms
experienced within almost all the public sectors. The application of technology has increased both the
effectiveness and efficiency of most all most public sectors workers as well as noticed in the Ministry
of Education here at Fiji.
Used before, all the administrative and paper works are all done physically. This is clearly evident
during the 19th Century when Fiji first got it independence from the colonizing power of British. All
that is known is the increasing space of cabinets that hold all daily transactions of the Ministry of
Education and then the time it takes to find a specific required file. But if there are more than one
required files to be located, this could takes a long time and not to mention numbers of parents that
eager to see the current academic performance of their children.
Beside this point is the inflexibility of flow of information within each department of the Ministry of
education. The flow of information is very rigid that other education districts are always far behind
with the current news, decisions made and new policy passed by the senior heads. Additionally the flow
of information within departments is also an issue as clearly everything have to be physically handled
person to person.
But now with the application of both the internet and networking had made all those daily work
inconveniences gone for good. The two good examples of the application of such reforms is the official
Fiji Ministry of Education website and Fiji Educational Management Information System.
Now the question is, how does these changes impact customers in this case parents, students and
teachers themselves?
Basically these virtual bodies and network have almost provide instant and quick services to parents,
students and teachers provided that there is stable and good internet connection. The FEMIS records all
educational details about every education districts here at Fiji. It records nearly all the students
enrollments, students attendance, and students academic performance and also provide details
important about recommended text books that both teachers and students can use. Parents, students and
teachers who happen to need to view a specific information about something relevant with Fiji
Education, it is all provided at FEMIS. What this means is that all Fiji Educational information all are
provided via this virtual body. In other words, Fiji citizens education details are only four clicks away
for parents, students and teachers with considerable and little distance between them.
What the official website of Fiji Ministry of education does is quite similar with FEMIS but this one
deals more with more subjects in terms of political views, implementation of plans, providing
guidelines and values for FEMIS, analyzing the annual performance of teachers in all districts and
others. All more in depth analysis but this time are made more effective and efficient with the
application of internet and networking.
Reform #2: Promotion based on Merit and not seniority
Another implemented reform is the promotion based on merit and not seniority. The promotion based
on seniority is all about promoting a person on the basis of his/her work duration within an
organization. Given that he or she does not get any higher qualifications according to relevant job
applied for. He or she still going to be promoted and this usually result in more experience but lack of
competence for an applied job. This is usually the case before and now this practice is on an hold due to
obvious negative impacts toward an overall organization performance.
The promotion based on merit and qualification is now the only way to climb the positional-ladder of
every organization and also ministries. By examining the heads of Fiji Ministry of Education, what is
evident from these people are there high level qualification they have attained from many years of
study in their respective chosen universities. For instance, Mahendra Reddy is an award-winning
scholarship student that completed his Master of Science degree and PhD in Resource Economics and
Agriculture at the University of Hawaii Mr Aseri Vatucicila being a director in Asset Monitoring Unit
in Fiji Ministry of Education, Heritage and Art is qualified with a Bachelor of Education with Craft
Design technology at the University of Wolverhampton, Mr Eroni Loganimoce who is currently
pursuing his MBA and currently have Diploma in Economics and Executive Diploma in Leadership
with exceptional skills and known to deliver his services on time (FijiLeaks, 2015) and others who held
top positions in their departments happen to have high qualification and merits bases.

(I have to find more relevant example for this case. Ill input it here once I find it. Nevertheless,
comment if any ;)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PseTBcUHDcc evidence of incentives applied in Fiji ministry of

Education.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/aseri-vatucicila-5642755b
http://www.fijileaks.com/home/repent-fta-told-to-offer-a-little-matanigasau-to-moe-and-reddy-for-all-
verbal-attacks-as-iowane-tiko-peo-eso-moe-leaps-to-defend-eroni-loganimoce-but-documents-reveal-
he-asked-for-the-job