PORT VILA, FEBRUARY 25th, 2025. Mandated by the Public Service Commission (PSC), a one-week training session on planning and reporting was held in Luganville, Santo from the 17th to 21st February 2025.

The event brought together PSC-appointed officials from the northern provinces to re-evaluate current planning templates and practices at both provincial and national levels, aiming to enhance government services to communities.

This training focused on strengthening alignment from the Area Council to the provincial and national levels, adopting a 'bottom-up approach' to recognize and address challenges from both provincial and national perspectives.

The one-week training was facilitated by the Office of the Public Service Commission (OPSC) through the Organizational Development Unit (ODU) and Innovation & Policy Development Unit (IPDU).

Recommendations includes:

• Harmonization of the Public Service Act and the Decentralization Act for the purpose of streamlining planning, reporting and improving corporate governance;
• The National Planning and budget cycle to capture provincial planning timeframe;
• Standardized Public Service Planning and Reporting Template to be used at national and provincial level;
• Revisit provincial sector structures and responsibilities to ensure implementation of service delivery at community level.

The detailed findings and recommendations will be submitted to the Public Service Commission for further review and deliberation.

The OPSC expresses its gratitude to the Secretary Generals, Assistant Secretary Generals, provincial planners from Torba, Penama, Malampa, and Executive Officers from various line ministries for their constructive contributions to the training outcomes.

The Office of the Public Service Commission (OPSC) remains committed to collaborating with the Department of Local Authorities and other key stakeholders to address provincial challenges and meet the expectations of communities across all provinces.