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Rarotonga, Cook Islands 4 February 2025 – Karen Ngamata, a recipient of the Public Sector Leadership Scholarship, recently completed a two-week residential training programme based in Auckland, New Zealand in November 2024. The Office of the Public Service Commissioner (OPSC) in conjunction with the New Zealand High Commission (NZHC) jointly facilitated the selection process for this scholarship, which was aimed at enhancing leadership skills in Public Sector organizations by providing participants with valuable tools for tackling complex challenges within their Ministries.
Upon returning, Ngamata who is the Manager of the Health Intelligence Unit, at Te Marae Ora - Ministry of Health (TMO), shared that “…the training has re-shaped her approach to leadership …” in the areas of learning how to prioritize staff and resources more effectively, which has resulted in positive outcomes for her team and Ministry and enabled her to extend her leadership skills as well as to learn more effective ways of managing at a strategic level – which was the main reason for her applying for this opportunity.
Some of the key learning outcomes of the programme included teaching participants how to apply strategic leadership models in varied contexts, developing crisis management and business continuity planning skills as well as enhancing leadership ethics and combating corruption. Ngamata felt that the modules relating to understanding inclusive policy design, particularly in relation to diversity and gender mainstreaming as well as earning effective strategies for communication and civic engagement, including social media use in a culturally diverse environment were of particular relevance to her line of work at TMO.
Ngamata has returned to TMO, having gained a deeper understanding of the importance of understanding and acknowledging the cultural, spiritual, and physical environments, which will enable one to lead more effectively in a rapidly changing world. She acknowledges the importance of effective communication as a key area for leadership improvement. Finally, she also recognizes the need to understand staff motivations and leverage this insight to enhance retention and workplace compliance.
The Public Service Commissioner, Mr Carl Hunter echoed Ngamata’s comments on “…the importance of fostering a leadership style that is both people-centered and adaptive to the evolving needs of staff and the Ministry”. Commissioner Hunter expects that these learnings will be used to enhance organizational culture and improve staff satisfaction in the long term. Commissioner Hunter extends his gratitude to the New Zealand High Commission for its support in providing such a valuable learning opportunity and looks forward to seeing the positive impact these new leadership skills will have on Te Marae Ora.
For enquiries related to this release, please email OPSCMedia@cookislands.gov.ck.
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