Deputy Director of Planning and Policy (DDPP) Division, Renneatte Papabatu of the Ministry of Police, National Security and Correctional Services (MPNSCS) has successful complete her attachment in the Attorney-General’s Department (AGD) Legal Policy Champions Program held in Canberra, Australia, from February 4 to 17, 2026.
The two-week program focused on advanced legal policy development frameworks and regional law and justice collaboration, divided into a Legal Policy Development Course and a Training of Trainers (TOT) module.
During the program the participants learned the seven steps of policy development: obtaining problem information, understanding stakeholders, planning ahead, creating options, outreach and consultation, implementation, and evaluation.
Expert sessions, along with visits to the High Court of Australia, Parliament of Australia, and Australian National University, provided insights into policy processes and evidence-based practices.
Ms. Papabatu gained certification as a facilitator for the Legal Policy Development (LPD) Course, enhancing her ability to support policy development, legislative reviews, new bills, National Security Strategy implementation, and monitoring within the Ministry.
She built networks with officials from Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, PNG, Tuvalu, Nauru, and Kiribati, and connections to the Pacific Islands Law Officers Network (PILON).
The program aligns with AGD objectives for capacity building, institutional strengthening, regional collaboration, and technical assistance pathways like the Twinning Program.
Ms. Papabatu plans to deliver in-house LPD training to MPNSCS policy staff within three months, apply the framework to ongoing legislative reviews, and pursue Twinning opportunities for priority projects.
The Ministry recommends other policy officers participate in future iterations to advance evidence-based policy-making.
–MPNSCS Press
