The Acting Supervisor of Elections (ASoE) Ana Mataiciwa while opening the training on ‘Managing Change Effectively’ for the Fijian Elections Office (FEO) staff, stated that making positive changes within the organization was one thing she would see accomplished.
“Ever since taking up the acting Supervisor of Elections position, I have made it a point to make positive changes in the organisation and you might have witnessed that in the past couple of months”.
“Some of us have been here since the establishment of the organisation in 2014 and some of us have joined thereafter and we might have observed certain things that we wished we could have had an opportunity to change,” said Ms. Mataiciwa.
The ASoE added that staff members employed by the FEO, were not only staff of the organization, but gatekeepers of democracy in Fiji.
“For any Election Management Body (EMB), Change Management Training is crucial, given the fact that it effectively navigates the complexities and challenges associated with implementing changes in their operations and processes”.
“I’ll remind us again that we have been called for such a time as this not only for this organisation but for the nation. We are the gatekeepers of democracy in Fiji and the opportunity has presented itself for us to make changes,” the ASoE stated.
Ms. Mataiciwa also stated that Election Management Bodies (EMBs) are responsible for organizing and conducting elections, ensuring that they are free, fair, and transparent. As the electoral landscape evolves, EMBs need to adapt to new technologies, legal frameworks, and societal expectations.
“For me personally, managing change here at the FEO would mean that we’re able to identify problems before they become big enough issues to disrupt workflow or cause anything but the least amount of drama. This is also important because it ensures that change is well-explained to all the staff, so they know what’s going on and how it will affect them and their performance”.
“It is for these reasons that such trainings are important to equip you with the necessary skills and knowledge to successfully implement changes while minimizing disruption and maximizing stakeholder engagement. I truly believe that when people feel that they’re being heard, their morale tends to increase. And when their morale is high, they’ll be more productive,” elaborated Ms. Mataiciwa.
The training which concludes today Friday 13 October, 2023 was attended by senior staff of the FEO.
The training was divided into three (3) components. The first component was an online course which commenced from Monday 2 to Sunday 8 October, 2023 and it comprised of two (2) modules. They were;
Module 1 – Introduction to Change Management
Module 2: Understanding the Need for Change
Components two (2) and three (3) were both face-to-face training and the Modules were:
Component 2: Module 3: The Change Management Process
Component 3: Module 4: Communication and Collaboration
Module 5: Leadership Skills
Module 6: Emotional Intelligence
Ends
