The Pacific Community (SPC) is seeking a high-level consultant to support the next phase of the Pacific Women Lead (PWL) programme, a major regional investment focused on advancing gender equality, women’s leadership, and institutional transformation across the Pacific. This consultancy plays a strategic role in shaping how gender-responsive systems are designed and implemented across member governments.
Below are seven key highlights of the opportunity.
1. High-Impact Regional Gender Equality Initiative
This role contributes to the Pacific Women Lead programme, a flagship Australian Government-funded initiative supporting:
- Women’s leadership in the Pacific
- Strengthening women’s rights
- Improving regional institutional effectiveness
The consultancy directly supports systemic change across multiple countries, not just a single project or organization.
2. Focus on Institutional Transformation (Not Just Projects)
A major emphasis of the role is long-term systems strengthening through the Pacific Gender-Responsive Institutional Transformation (GRIT) initiative. This includes:
- Designing gender-responsive government systems
- Supporting institutional reform processes
- Embedding gender equality into public sector operations
The work is strategic and structural rather than short-term program delivery.
3. Senior-Level Expertise Requirement
This is a highly experienced consultancy, requiring:
- 10+ years of relevant professional experience
- Strong background in gender equality and development systems
- Experience leading institutional reform or capacity-building programmes
- Proven work with regional or inter-governmental organizations
It is designed for senior practitioners, not early or mid-career professionals.
4. Strong Regional and Political Understanding of the Pacific
Applicants are expected to bring deep knowledge of the Pacific context, including:
- Regional governance structures
- Political economy dynamics in Pacific Island countries
- Gender equality challenges in local systems
- Experience working with governments and regional bodies
This contextual understanding is essential for effective implementation.
5. Technical Gender and Policy Expertise
The consultancy requires strong technical capability in:
- Gender analysis and gender-responsive planning
- Gender-responsive budgeting
- Policy coordination and programme design
- Capacity-building and training systems development
The role blends policy expertise with practical implementation knowledge.
6. Coordination Role Across Multiple Stakeholders
A key responsibility is coordination across complex institutional networks, including:
- SPC internal teams
- Pacific Island member governments
- Donor agencies (including DFAT)
- Regional gender and development partners
Strong communication and stakeholder management skills are essential for success.
7. Consultancy-Based, Flexible Engagement Structure
This is a fixed-term consultancy, offering flexibility but also requiring high accountability. Key features include:
- Remote/local work arrangement (Fiji-based context)
- Short-term, project-focused engagement
- Work aligned with programme readiness planning and design
- Contribution to early-stage implementation of Pacific GRIT
The role is ideal for independent experts comfortable working in advisory and coordination capacities.
Final Takeaway
The Pacific Women Lead consultancy is a senior-level opportunity for experienced gender and development professionals who understand institutional reform in the Pacific region. It combines policy design, systems thinking, and cross-government coordination to support long-term gender equality outcomes.
This is not an operational role—it is a strategic advisory position shaping how gender-responsive governance evolves across the Pacific region.
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