IPAM HOSTS ANNUAL KEYNOTE SPEAKER TOK STORI FOR SENIOR PUBLIC OFFICERS WITH UNDP SUPPORT

IPAM hosted a keynote speaker tok stori session at its training room, on the 21^st July, 2026. The keynote speaker tok stori commenced with remarks by the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Public Service, Mr. Luke Cheka. The program includes a presentation by Professor Dr. Kabini Sanga, and a panel discussion involving Director IPAM as moderator, and Professor Dr. Kabini Sanga and Dr Kristina Fidali as panelists.

The theme of the keynote speaker tok stori 2026 was “Inspiring leaders in the public service to be agile and adaptable to changing circumstances”. In his opening remarks, PS MPS, Luke Cheka, highlighted that this theme is significant for the development of leadership capacities in the public service, because senior officers encounter dynamic and challenging environment every day, and, on top of that, they are expected to lead and to deliver outcomes. PS Luke Cheka emphasized that “Leaders in the public service must lead with ethics to serve the people of Solomon Islands”

Professor Dr. Kabini Sanga, in his presentation shared insightful themes that carries the message of leadership being fundamentally relational, not positional, and that leadership is, doing what is right before  technical  or  strategic exercises take place. Dr. Sanga urges ministries and IPAM to uphold the value of dialogue or tok stori; “… dialogue, tok stori, talanoa, or storian is a core Pacific or Solomon Islands leadership capability; it must not be seen as “soft skills”, but it is leadership and it is an essential leadership infrastructure, that the Solomon Islands public services can use to developing its leadership capacity”.

During the panel discussion, a number of leaders shared ministerial challenges in terms of operational and ethical leadership. Drawing on their leadership experience, Dr. Kabini Sanga and Dr. Kristina Fidali, shared practical approaches and insights to leadership agility and effectiveness. Dr. Kristina Fidali emphasized the importance of returning to foundational cultural values and expectations as an anchor for decision-making, integrity and leadership effectiveness during times of uncertainty and change.

The participants comprised of Deputy Secretaries, Directors and Human Resource Managers. They all agreed that leadership tok stori of this nature is vital for networking, sharing and collaborating to deliver quality service. They look forward to more of this keynote speaker tok stori programs.

The keynote speaker tok stori was closed with a challenge by Dr. Kabini Sanga, to all participants to practically undertake mentoring, delegation with intent, and to be strategic when going about government business.

PS MPS, Luke Cheka making remarks during the opening of the Keynote Speaker Tok Stori

IPAM Management