09 May 2019

The Institute of Applied Sciences staff held a review meeting of its Five-Year Strategic Plan (SP) on Friday 12 April 2019 at the Novotel Lami Bay Hotel in Suva. The meeting also served as a retreat for the staff members to foster teamwork in an environment away from work.

The review involved analysing the results of the SP implementation using the IAS Strategic Plan Online Monitoring System (SPOMS) that was developed by IAS. The SPOMS which is updated by IAS staff as objectives and lines of actions are achieved was discussed as a useful tool for generating statistical analysis of the SP.

The IAS team learned at the retreat that the Institute has realised 55% of its IAS Strategic Plan 2017 – 2021 objectives and indicators at the end of Year 2 of the Plan. The review meeting also allowed the staff to re-evaluate the objectives and actions taken in the past year to achieve the goals of the strategic plan.

The participants responded positively to the review. Rosemary Dautei, the IAS Marine Projects Officer said that the Review meeting gave her a better understanding of the future directions of the Institute. IAS’s Projects Analyst Programmer, Javed Ali stated that the review meeting allowed for better insight into how the SP goals can be achieved.

The IAS Director, Dr Johann Poinapen, reflected on how the Institute has improved over the years in terms of its role in the Pacific region, its visibility and reputation, its infrastructure development, its increasing engagement with stakeholders and its conducive environment to success and fulfilment. “The unity of vision, mission, purpose, thought and action is important in the successful implementation of the IAS Strategic Plan and allows IAS to