The Doing Research Assessment (DRA) Inception Workshop was successfully held on March 10, 2025, at The University of the South Pacific’s (USP) MBA Conference Room in Suva, Fiji.
The workshop marked a significant step in understanding and strengthening Fiji’s social science research system as part of a global initiative led by the Global Development Network (GDN).
The DRA – Fiji project follows a standardised methodology applied in other developing countries, with assessments currently being conducted in India, Fiji, Cambodia, and Laos.
The Fiji DRA team is led by USP’s Acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Research and Innovation) Professor Gurmeet Singh, Dr Shavneet Sharma, University of New South Wales’, Professor Satish Chand, University of Tasmania’s, Dr Glenn Finau, (USP), and Dr Charmaine Kwan from the World Bank.
Key Discussions and Insights
The workshop was opened by Professor Gurmeet Singh, who provided an overview of the project and emphasised the need to examine who conducts social science research in Fiji, how it is funded, and how it informs policy.
Following this, Dr Shavneet Sharma presented the DRA methodology, which is primarily survey-based and will focus on three key groups:
Speakers from Fiji’s major universities provided critical perspectives on the research landscape.
Fiji National University (FNU) Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation) highlighted his longstanding advocacy for activating the Fiji National Research Council (FNRC).
This was established under the National Research Council Act 2017 but still non-operational. He metaphorically described it as “a car without fuel.”
FNU’s Associate Professor, Lavenia Tiko shared her experience applying Pacific Research Methodologies (PRM) in her PhD. Her session sparked discussions on the role of PRM in research ethics and the need to integrate it into Fiji’s ethics approval processes.
University of Fiji’s Professor Akisi Ravono, a registered nurse and professor in nursing, spoke about how her research informs both policy design and implementation, particularly in healthcare.
Professor Satish Chand built on Professor Iji’s remarks, adding that “a car needs fuel, but it also needs a driver,” highlighting the need for not just funding, but leadership in activating the FNRC.
Fiji Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, Permanent Secretary, Dr Michael Sivendra discussed the research-policy nexus, reflecting on his experience as an academic, practitioner, activist and policymaker in the climate change sector.
The workshop generated active discussions, with participants raising several key challenges facing Fiji’s research system:
The workshop was closed by Dr Glenn Finau, who emphasised that this research will provide a much-needed baseline to better understand Fiji’s social science research system and improve the connection between academia and policy.
The next workshop is planned for July 2024 and will serve as a validation workshop, incorporating skills training in areas such as grant writing to further strengthen Fiji’s research system.
The DRA – Fiji project represents a crucial effort to enhance research capacity, strengthen linkages between academia and policy and ensure that social science research contributes meaningfully to national development.
