IoD and SICCI complete fourth Essentials to Directorship Programme in Solomon Islands

The IoD completed its fourth Essentials to Directorship Programme in the Solomon Islands in association with the Solomon Islands Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SICCI) in April 2021.

The four day programme offers a comprehensive introduction to boardroom governance, and exposes participants to international best-practice in developing organisational strategy, oversight of finance, managing risk and assessing performance.

Since inception, over 100 directors, CEOs and senior managers from the Solomon Islands have been through the programme.

The fourth programme was initially planned for 2020. However, due to the COVID-19 it was delayed until April 2021 and was delivered online.

This was IoD facilitator Denise Bovaird’s fourth programme with SICCI since the programme started in 2018. “By the time I finished the first course I felt fully invested. I love the experience of working with the participants and learning about their governance ambitions and challenges”, Denise says.

Carol Scholes who also facilitates the course agrees, adding that the participants have a “warm lovely humour and are engaging and respectful. I always find myself smiling at the end of each day.”

The Essentials to Directorship Programme draws on content from the Essentials suite of courses delivered by the IoD in New Zealand but is tailored to the unique governance environments in the Pacific.

For example, “we needed to consider relevant law in the Solomon Islands and we have a local lawyer come in to support this part of the course,” says Denise.

“We also needed to tailor some of the case studies to suit the context in the Solomon Islands. For example, one of the original case studies centered on a large distribution centre. As these don’t exist in the Solomons we reoriented the case study to an eco-tourism business instead.”

SICCI Chair Ricky Fuo’o said the benefits of the Essentials to Directorship Programme go beyond governance skill building.

“It is beneficial to our personal growth and confidence, developing strong leadership, decision making ability in the boardroom and will add value to our respective organisations.”

Mr. Fuo’o acknowledged the significance of the governance training, noting that strategic clarity at the board level can go a long way in influencing positive change at the operational level.

“A high-performing board can make all the difference when it comes to long-term corporate success - and implementing best corporate governance practices is a key board responsibility,” he said.

He said such training can no longer be considered for larger organisations only and insisted that providing executive education and relevant board of directors training programs, must be integrated in all companies, churches, civil society and government agencies to increase performance.

CEO Ms. Natalina Hong said the Chamber is committed to improving boards and company-owning structures through this programme.

“There continues to be a need to train up more individuals in this area, as it means that there will be more diversity in the domestic pool to draw board directors and CEOs from.

“At the moment, this pool is very limited. Also, the training method of learning from curated examples, such as discussions around case-studies and sharing of international best-practice is ideal, as it will improve decision making process and leadership within the country’s boardrooms,” she said.

As the peak body representing private sector in the country, SICCI is proud to be offering this high calibre programme in the Solomon Islands. Not only targeting SOEs and multinational companies, it is an extremely relevant course also for family-owned businesses who are thinking of enhancing governance and formalising strategy.

Carol Scholes believes the makeup of participants is one of the key differences between the programme in the Soloman Islands and its counterparts in New Zealand. “In New Zealand, we are often working with people who are aspiring directors or those already in governance. In the Solomon Islands, we have a mix of participants. Some are interested in governance and others are seeking practical skills to improve the management of their businesses right now”.

The Essentials to Directorship Programme is supported by Solomon Water and the New Zealand High Commission who provide sponsorship of some of the programme participants.

The IoD has also run similar governance development programmes with PASO in Vanuatu and the Cook Islands Investment Corporation in the Cook Islands.