Honiara, Solomon Islands – In a time of growing demand for more inclusive and accountable public finance management, a new wave of Solomon Islanders is stepping forward—not with ready-made answers, but with a commitment to listen, learn, and lead differently.

As part of the UNDP Pacific’s Vaka Pasifika Project funded by the European Union, a pioneering group of local individuals from across society has begun working together to explore new, locally appropriate approaches to accountability and public finance. These “Pioneers”—carefully selected for their motivation, not their institutional position—include community members, church leaders, women’s group representatives, chiefs, youth, civil servants, and integrity professionals. Their diversity is intentional: it reflects the fabric of Solomon Islands society and the belief that solutions will only work if they are grounded in the realities of the people.

This group is not coming with blueprints or technical formulas. Instead, they are engaging with communities and constituencies in Guadalcanal and Malaita as the two small scale selected pilots, supporting dialogue on how public resources can be used more transparently and effectively. Their focus is not on scrutiny alone, but on building trust, shared responsibility, and workable solutions.

“Our work is not about pointing fingers. It’s about seizing the opportunities, the hopes and learning what works in practice, and who needs to be part of the conversation,” said one Pioneer during a recent workshop. “Accountability is not just for institutions. It’s something we all shape together.”

Through support from the Vaka Pasifika Project, the Pioneers are being trained in adaptive leadership—an approach that emphasises collaboration, listening, and problem-solving in complex political and social environments. Over the coming months, they will co-develop and trial community-level pilots in two locations: small, practical efforts to test how new forms of engagement and oversight might work in real-time, and in real places.

This initiative is as much about process as it is about outcomes. “We know that top-down approaches to public finance reform often struggle to take root.” Notes another member of the pioneer group. “The initiative creates space for Solomon Islanders themselves to lead innovation, to experiment with new forms of collaboration, and to reflect openly on what it means to govern well and fairly.”

The initiative has been welcomed by a growing number of partners, including development donors and oversight institutions. Still, UNDP is keen to clarify the experimental and non-prescriptive nature of the work.

“This is a deliberately open-ended programme, we haven’t set in stone what results should look like,” said Marine Destrez, UNDP Vaka Pasifika Project Manager. 

“We are here to support brave individuals from across Solomon Islands society to try new things, reflect, and share their learning. Some efforts will work. Some won’t. We’re documenting everything with the help of La Trobe University. That’s the point of innovation. It’s also the point of trust.”