For the first time in its history, the Fiji Business Excellence Awards has introduced sponsors for the occasion.

Sponsors and strategic partners of the awards are the Asian Productivity Organisation, Vodafone Fiji, Jacks of Fiji and Fiji Ports Corporation Limited.

National Training and Productivity Centre is the organiser of the annual event.

Director Isimeli Tagicakiverata said the secretariat spent most part of last year reflecting on and reviewing the awards processes.

“COVID- 19 has provided us with the unique opportunity to reset, realign and map a new direction for Fiji Business Excellence Awards,” he said.

“In this Reset year, the Fiji Business Excellence Awards is building back better and coming back stronger by partnering with the Asian Productivity Organisation (APO) to present the APO Regional Award this year.

“Next year, we are introducing the APO National Awards in recognition of outstanding local Fijians, whose vision and leadership have made an impact on the productivity movement in Fiji, and in the Asia-Pacific region.

Future Farms Limited t/a Rooster Poultry winner of the President’s Business Excellence Award.  Photo: Leon Lord.

“In line with our Government’s commitment to COP26, we are introducing in 2022, – another new category called Green Sustainability Recognition Award.”

The award is for organisations that have invested in reducing their carbon footprint, as well as other green sustainability initiatives, Mr Tagicakiverata said.

“Our Secretariat team will be providing the criteria and details early next year. So those are briefly some of the new inclusions to Fiji Business Excellence Awards from 2022 onwards,” he said.

Mr Tagicakiverata encouraged all organisations to strive towards achieving the President’s Award, which was the mark of a world-class organisation.

Office of the Auditor General – winner of the Fiji Business Excellence Prize.  Photo: Leon Lord.

“The greatest challenge is sustainability,” he said.

“Getting to this high level is hard, but maintaining it at this level is even harder.”

To date, only seven organisations have been recipients of the President’s Award.

All are from the private sector, namely:

• Vodafone Fiji Ltd;
• Sheraton Fiji Resort;
• DHL Express (Fiji) Ltd;
• Energy Fiji Ltd;
• Air Terminal Services;
• Future Farms Limited, and
• Jack’s of Fiji.

“Vodafone has set the benchmark as the only organisation to have been recognised at the President’s level – five times,” Mr Tagivakiverata said.

“So yes, it is possible to maintain it at the top.”

The awards began 23 years ago with the launching of the Fiji Quality Awards and later rebranded as the Fiji Business Excellence Awards in 2004.

It is based on the Malcom Baldrige Business Excellence framework.

Post Fiji – winner of the Fiji Business Excellence Prize. Photo: Leon Lord

To date, more than 400 professionals have been trained as evaluators and more than 270 awards have been presented.

The 2021 panel of review members included:
• chairman, Mark Halabe.
• permanent secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister, Yogesh Karan.
• Fiji Ports Corporation Ltd chief executive officer, Vajira Piyasena.
• Retired military officer, Jackson Evans.

The awards were presented by President Ratu Wiliame Katonivere, First Lady Filomena Katonivere and chairman of the awards panel of review, Mark Halabe.