JOB DESCRIPTION

Job Title: Tok Pasifika Project Advisor
Division/Programme and Section/Project (if any): Conference and Languages (Implementation Support Services, Operations and Integration)
Location: Noumea, New Caledonia
Reporting to: Conference and Languages Manager
Number of Direct Reports: 0
Purpose of Role: The Tok Pasifika Project Advisor is responsible for the implementation, coordination and development of the Tok Pasifika project. This position works to improve the accessibility, quality and impact of Pacific language services, by enhancing the project’s visibility, strengthening and assisting the network of language service providers, supporting integration of language issues into SPC practices, and ensuring monitoring, evaluation and learning as part of the project. The Project Advisor serves as Tok Pasifika’s point of contact with internal teams and external partners, using an inclusive, culturally appropriate approach that is aligned with the SPC’s institutional priorities.
Date: May 2026

Organisational Context and Organisation Chart

The Pacific Community (SPC) is the principal scientific and technical organisation in the Pacific region, supporting development since 1947. We are an international development organisation owned and governed by our 27 member countries and territories. In pursuit of sustainable development to benefit Pacific peoples, our organisation works across more than 25 sectors. We are known for our knowledge and innovation in such areas as fisheries science, public health surveillance, geoscience, and conservation of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture.

Within the Operations and Integration (O&I) collective, which provides corporate services to all SPC teams, Implementation Support Services consists of the following teams: Procurement and Travel, Grant and Collaboration, and Conference and Languages.

As part of Conference and Languages, the Tok Pasifika project aims to provide SPC and its stakeholders with access to language services in a view to gathering information and providing awareness, information and training materials in Pacific languages, such that those materials are accessible, reliable and culturally appropriate, with the aim of strengthening the inclusiveness and impact of projects with recipient communities. As part of Tok Pasifika, a list of Pacific language service providers has been established to allow SPC’s scientific and technical divisions access to a wide range of language services such as translation, transcription, liaison interpretation, etc. This list has been made available to SPC’s internal and external stakeholders.

Key Result Areas (KRAs)

The position of Tok Pasifika Project Advisor encompasses the following major functions or Key Result Areas.

  • Improving the Tok Pasifika project's visibility and outreach (25%)
  • Building the network of language service providers and improving the quality of the services provided (25%)
  • Integrating language issues across SPC and boosting demand (15%)
  • Mobilising project resources and ensuring their sustainability (15%)
  • Monitoring, evaluation and learning (20 %)

The performance requirements of the Key Result Areas are broadly described below.

Jobholder is accountable for Jobholder is successful when
1 – Improving the Tok Pasifika project's visibility and outreach (25%) - Develop a communication plan in collaboration with SPC's Strategic Communications, Outreach, Publishing and Engagement (SCOPE) team, that takes into account stakeholders' feedback; and update this plan annually. - In collaboration with SPC teams, enhance use of existing communication materials and plan and coordinate production of new materials, as needed. - Create a strong visual identity for the project, and regularly update and track project visibility tools such as the website, intranet page, etc. - A communication plan with specific actions and deadlines is developed and updated annually. - The actions set out in the communication plan are implemented within the given time frame (e.g. creating new communication media, gathering stories from Tok Pasifika providers, etc.). - A strong and consistent visual identity enhances the Tok Pasifika project's clarity and recognition. - At least three internal awareness activities are carried out each year (e.g. webinars, intranet communications, newsletter).
- Develop and implement awareness-raising activities for SPC's technical divisions and other external stakeholders. - Use the information gathered through Tok Pasifika's monitoring and evaluation system, take part in efforts to present SPC's results in a view to raising the profile of Tok Pasifika's work and results (e.g. drafting performance stories, communicating numerical outcomes). - Participate in internal, local and/or international cultural events to represent and promote Tok Pasifika. - Liaise with media outlets to publicise the Tok Pasifika project. - Quantified results and, where appropriate, structured narratives are provided as part of SPC's annual results reporting process. - Tok Pasifika is represented at a minimum of two major internal or local/international events. - Relationships are established and fostered with the media, and actions with the media have a visible impact, with the distribution of press releases and mention of Tok Pasifika in audiovisual programs/content.
2– Building the network of language service providers and improving the quality of the services provided (25%) - Manage contracts and external contractors, in particular by monitoring and updating the list of preferred service providers (contracts, deadlines, administrative compliance), in collaboration with the Procurement and Finance teams, and ensure that contractual documents are properly filed and accessible. - Provide support and advice to SPC teams on managing requests for translation into Pacific languages. - Engage the network on a regular basis (e.g. mailing list, newsletter, focus groups). - Take part in drafting guidelines for providers and/or organise training sessions (e.g. webinars on translation techniques or administrative procedures, liaison interpreting workshops, etc.), in collaboration with members of the Conference and Languages unit. - Hold annual meetings (face-to-face or on-line) with language service providers to discuss their needs, difficulties and successes. - Set up and monitor a system for evaluating the performance of language service providers and their use by SPC teams, with a view to continuously improving the quality, relevance and effectiveness of the language services provided. - Detailed and thorough management of contracts is ensured, and contract documents are properly filed, and no compliance issues are reported. - SPC teams are provided with useful advice and information, which encourages them to call on Tok Pasifika language service providers. - At least four facilitation/communication actions are carried out with the language services provider network, and service providers are satisfied with their working arrangements. - A good practice guide is developed and distributed to relevant stakeholders, and at least two types of training sessions are offered to service providers each year. - At least one discussion and exchange meeting is held with service providers each year, and a report is drawn up at the end of the meeting. - Quality control and feedback tools are reviewed and, if necessary, refined, and a system to monitor the performance of providers and their use by SPC teams is in place.
3– Integrating language issues across SPC and boosting demand (15%) - Set up and facilitate a Tok Pasifika community of practice in order to strengthen internal coordination, information sharing and ownership of language services within SPC. - Set up, in collaboration with a focal point within one SPC division, a pilot Pacific language translation project, and identify lessons from that project, in a view to providing better advice to teams and optimising their use of Tok Pasifika services - Contribute to the integration of language issues from the project design stage, especially in terms of the key forms used, through the relationships established with various relevant SPC teams (SPL, PIRMO, HRSD, Procurement). - Contribute to the development, adoption and dissemination of an SPC-wide language policy that explicitly recognises the value of Pacific languages and implements the guiding principles for their gradual integration into SPC activities. - Focal points are identified in the divisions, and at least three facilitation actions are held each year with the Tok Pasifika community. - At least one project is carried out during the year, in cooperation with a focal point, and the lessons learned are documented, so as to provide better advice to the teams that use Tok Pasifika services. - Ties are established with relevant SPC teams to help integrate language issues into project design. - An active contribution is made to the development of an SPC-wide language policy.
4– Mobilising project resources and ensuring their sustainability (15%) - Develop strategic partnerships with institutions, NGOs, universities or companies in the language sector. - Assist in securing additional funding (grants, partnerships, regional/international calls for projects). - Optimise existing resources (pooling with other projects, using tools that have already been developed). - Ensure thorough budget monitoring for the Tok Pasifika project and produce regular financial reports to demonstrate the efficient use of resources and the actual results achieved. - Contacts are established with stakeholders in the language services sector with a view to developing relevant partnerships (at least one new partnership per year). - Funding requests are developed and presented to ad hoc partners. - Contacts are established with project teams to identify possible synergies, and at least one pooling activity is carried out each year. - An annual financial report is produced.
5– Monitoring, evaluation and learning (20%) - Identify and map the Tok Pasifika project’s key internal and external stakeholders and keep that list up to date. - SPC’s internal and external stakeholders are identified, and the corresponding list is updated annually.
- Undertake an internal assessment, by analysing Pacific language translation needs and carrying out surveys and interviews with the user divisions and issue a comparison with the previous assessment. - The approaches to conduct an external assessment are defined (analysis of the needs of SPC stakeholders). - Develop, implement and refine a framework of indicators to monitor activities, service provider performance, service quality, demand and use of Tok Pasifika services. - Produce regular monitoring, evaluation and learning reports and use the results and lessons learned to adjust the services Tok Pasifika proposes, as well as the project's work approaches and communication strategy. - Draft a project sustainability plan, to be updated annually, which contains the key points, possible project directions and recommendations for integrating multilingualism throughout SPC. - An internal needs analysis tool is developed, and a survey is carried out within the divisions. - The approaches to conduct an external assessment of stakeholders' needs are defined. - The monitoring and evaluation framework has a definite structure that includes indicators covering, in particular, the number of projects carried out, service provider performance, the number of service providers used, the type of activities carried out, deadlines and users' level of satisfaction. - A mid-year descriptive report and an annual report are produced, including information on needs, the results achieved, successful use cases, the impact of integrating Pacific languages into projects and, where needed, adjustments to the services proposed, work arrangements and the communication strategy. - A project sustainability plan is established and updated annually.

Note

The above performance standards are provided as a guide only. The precise performance measures for this position will need further discussion between the jobholder and supervisor as part of the performance development process.

Most challenging duties typically undertaken:

  • Combining thorough project management with the establishment of constructive ties with the various project stakeholders.
  • Encouraging use of the list of service providers to foster cultural inclusion in SPC projects and providing support and advice to teams interested in using Tok Pasifika service providers.
  • Developing robust quality control and performance monitoring mechanisms for the language service providers.
  • Using a thorough and precise process, listing divisional needs, managing/following up on procurement processes for Tok Pasifika language service providers and monitoring and evaluating the project.
  • Ensuring excellent networking and interpersonal skills when communicating with various internal and external stakeholders and building long-term relationships.
  • Providing efficient and timely communication with SPC technical teams in order to mainstream the project within SPC.

Functional Relationships & Relationship Skills

Key internal and/or external contacts Nature of the contact most typical
External - Language service providers - Key Pacific cultural and linguistic institutions and stakeholders - Partner organisations (including CROP [Council of Regional Organisations in the Pacific] agencies), donors and higher education institutions, as appropriate - The media - Maintaining regular contact with Tok Pasifika network service providers - Establishing and maintaining relationships with key stakeholders - Building partnerships - Sharing the list of service providers with relevant stakeholders - Sharing information and contributing to project visibility
Internal - Conference and Languages - Strategic Communications, Outreach, Publishing and Engagement team - Tok Pasifika community - Procurement Team - Strategy, Performance and Learning Team - Technical teams/divisions - Other SPC staff - Providing regular progress updates, particularly in terms of contract management - Discussions with SPC Divisions to identify their needs and provide relevant support and advice - Facilitating the Tok Pasifika community - Raising awareness about the project and services it proposes, as well as why they are of value to SPC - Collaborating in the implementation of language-related projects and promoting the integration of language issues into SPC projects

Level of Delegation

Routine Expenditure Budget: EUR 20,000.

Budget Sign off Authority without requiring approval from direct supervisor: EUR 0.

Personal Specification

This section is designed to capture the expertise required for the role at the 100% fully effective level. (This does not necessarily reflect what the current position holder has.) This may be a combination of knowledge / experience, qualifications or equivalent level of learning through experience or key skills, attributes or job specific competencies.

Qualifications

Essential Desirable
- A postgraduate qualification in project management; Pacific languages, linguistics or cultures; international relations; cultural studies; or a related field, or equivalent body of knowledge and experience - Project management certification (PMP, Project DPro, PRINCE2) - Diploma in translation/interpretation, communications or cultural industries management - Training in network coordination, intercultural management or training design will be an added advantage

Knowledge/Experience

Essential Desirable
- At least 10 years in the management of language-related, cultural or international cooperation projects, ideally in a regional or international institutional context - Demonstrated project management skills and proficiency in project management methods and tools (planning, monitoring, reporting, coordination and partnerships) - Experience in purchasing processes in private or public entities - Experience in administrative and budgetary project management, funding-raising and project monitoring and evaluation - Excellent English communications skills - Proficiency in one or more Pacific languages - Very good knowledge of Pacific context and cultures - Interpersonal skills and cultural awareness - Experience in coordinating networks of providers, partners or multicultural teams - Experience or knowledge of language services professions (translation, interpretation, writing, etc.) - Sound knowledge of Microsoft 365, including SharePoint - Ability to work quickly and efficiently under pressure - Good command of French - Familiarity with development issues in the Pacific region - Experience working with an international or regional development organisation, NGO, government ministry or CROP agency in the Pacific region

Key Skills/Attributes/Job Specific Competencies

The following levels would typically be expected for the 100% fully effective level:

Expert level - Project management skills, in particular proficiency in project management methodology and tools (planning, monitoring, reporting, coordinating teams and partnerships) - Strong planning and organisational skills - Aptitude for the provision of high-quality services - Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal - High level of interpersonal skills and cultural sensitivity - Ability to work effectively with different actors, internal and external stakeholders - Fluency in English
Advanced level - Computer literacy and related project management software - Procurement processes and best practice - Work experience in Pacific Island countries
Working knowledge - Sensitivity to inclusion and community participation issues - Translation, revision and/or editing tools - Knowledge of French
Awareness - SPC Regulations and Policies

Key Behaviours

All employees are measured against the following Key Behaviours as part of Performance Development:

  • Change and innovation
  • Interpersonal skills
  • Teamwork
  • Promotion of equity and equality
  • Judgement

Personal Attributes

  • Initiative
  • Ability to propose new ideas and projects
  • Ability to identify challenges and resolve them
  • Strong planning and organisational skills, with attention to detail.
  • Good understanding of contexts and issues
  • Very well-developed analytical skills and proactive approach to problem solving.
  • Good communication skills
  • Results-oriented and committed to continuous improvement
  • Ability to work effectively with colleagues from diverse cultural and professional backgrounds.

Change to Job Description:

From time to time, it may be necessary to consider changes to the job description in response to the changing nature of the work environment - including technological requirements or statutory changes. Such change may

be initiated as necessary by SPC. This Job Description may also be reviewed as part of the preparation for performance planning for the annual performance cycle.

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