In group photo MHMS Permanent Secretary, Executive, HODs and Seniors Officers together with Australia High Commission Human Development Counselor, DFAT’s First Secretary Health, and SIAPH Officers
The Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MHMS) and the Solomon Islands Australia Partnership for Health this week conducted a Ways of Working together workshop at the Heritage Park Hotel.
The Ways of Working (WOW) workshop aimed to clarify and strengthen the collaborative arrangements between the Ministry of Health and Medical Services, DFAT, and ASIPS under the SIAPH partnership.
It focused on defining how technical assistance, financial support, and governance mechanisms will function in practice—ensuring mutual accountability, local leadership, transparency, and joint decision-making. The workshop sought to move beyond procedures to co-design how procedures will be developed, socialised, and absorbed within existing systems, with a strong emphasis on localisation, inclusivity, and practical implementation.
Speaking at the workshop, Health Permanent Secretary Mrs. Pauline McNeil said the workshop is both welcoming and timely. “As we move from design to implementation, we need to pause and reflect on not just what we are doing but also how we are working together. It gives us a valuable opportunity to step back and reflect on how we work together—across government, donors, and technical support teams”.
Mrs. McNeil stressed that in a complex health environment, success is determined by what we do and how we do it. “Our progress depends on how we collaborate, communicate, and hold each other accountable. That is why today’s focus on the ways of working within the Solomon Islands–Australia Partnership for Health is so important”.
She stated “for the Ministry of Health and Medical Services, this workshop reinforces the ministry’s leadership role across all components of the Partnership.”
“It enables us to reaffirm that MHMS systems, structures, and priorities must remain central. We appreciate the Partnership’s commitment to working through our systems—not around them—and respecting the institutional arrangements we are working hard to strengthen. This space allows us to clarify roles and expectations, improve coordination, and ensure that technical support is delivered in a way that strengthens national and provincial capacity, not substitutes it. We must remain grounded in shared values and a genuine commitment to system strengthening as we implement the Partnership”, said Mrs. McNeil.
She encouraged everyone who participated in the workshop to approach the session with openness and a willingness to improve.
She thanked the Partnership team and facilitators who have worked to prepare this workshop.
“I look forward to practical, honest, and constructive outcomes that support our shared objectives”, said Mrs. McNeil.
Australia High Commission First Secretary to Health Elise Newton acknowledged the leadership of the Ministry of Health and Medical Services and the strong spirit of collaboration guiding the partnership between Solomon Islands and Australia in the health sector. “The workshop is an opportunity to demonstrate how we support each other, stay aligned, and ensure that Australian support delivers real value to the health system and for the people of Solomon Islands”.
– MHMS
