March - April 2025 | Client: PISFCC | It was a privilege to work with the Pacific Island Students Fighting Climate Change (PISFCC) in convening a three-day workshop focused on reflecting on key lessons learned, strengthening partnerships, and shaping future actions to fully realize the potential of the ICJ Advisory Opinion on climate change as a driver for climate action and justice across the Pacific. Talanoa Consulting was honoured to contribute to this process, supporting the workshop’s preparation and facilitation, as well as collaborating closely with PISFCC in drafting a forward-looking five-year strategy that builds on this important momentum.
our projects & expertise
For a single list of all the projects we have recently worked on click on the button on the right, or view projects by topic area below.
Climate change, disaster risk reduction, and resilience
In the Pacific, climate change, natural hazards and environmental degradation are ever-present threats, undermining, livelihoods, security and human rights. Pacific peoples are determined to build their resilience, adapt to, as well as mitigate their growing realities to protect their land and homes. Focusing on people centred and integrated solutions.
Pacific analysis for the Resilient and Sustainable Islands Initiative (RESI) of capacity strengthening initiatives in SIDS, focussed on climate change
November 2024 - April 2025 | Client: ADB and ODI | Lead researcher and author for the Pacific in a study commissioned by the Resilient and Sustainable Islands Initiative, for the Overseas Development Institute (ODI). The study examines whether current ways of supporting capacity strengthening in Small Island Development States are fit for purpose and offers recommendations for rethinking initiatives to lean into the strengths of small administrations in the Pacific. https://odi.org/en/publications/fit-for-size-rethinking-capacity-strengthening-in-small-island-developing-states/
Development Bank Learning Exchange
January 2025 - March 2025 | Client: SPC | Lead rapporteur for a learning exchange between development banks in the Pacific. Rather than a workshop report, a lessons piece was developed to share the learning more broadly. We were delighted to support the first draft which was further refined internally at SPC. The lessons reveal that these institutions hold forms of capability that are rarely acknowledged sufficiently in global climate finance processes: customer-centric grievance redress mechanisms, trusted community relationships, culturally rooted understandings of land and gender systems, and fit-for-purpose financial structures refined through decades of lending to micro and small businesses across dispersed geographies. https://www.spc.int/updates/news/media-release/2026/01/pacific-development-banks-navigating-access-to-climate-finance
Gender equality and women's economic empowerment
Measures that address the impacts of climate change, disasters and environmental degradation would be ineffective if they do not recognise the agency of people at risk and support them to acknowledge and apply their own knowledge and context specific solutions. The inclusion and empowerment women, youth, people with disabilities in development processes is vital to ensuring local solutions that address the needs of all.
We have undertaken the following projects in this area:
Senior Executive Women in Leadership Programme 2025
March 2025 - April 2025 | Client: FICA | Catalyzing gender inclusive leadership to address sustainable economic growth. Facilitate in advancing women's leadership within Fiji's private sector through the Senior Executive Programme by the Fiji Institute of Chartered Accountants (FICA). The initiative targetted senior women in business to build their confidence, expand their skills and knowledge of business operations and establish networks with other women in business. The initiative addressed the gender gap of women's underrepresentation at the senior executive level by strengthening the enabling environment for business to drive inclusive, private sector-led economic growth.
Consultancy services to provide support to the Kiwa Initiative on Gender Equity, Disability and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) and human rights-based approaches in Nature-based Solutions for climate adaptation projects
April 2023 - January 2025 | Client: SPREP | Talanoa Consulting provided support to the Kiwa Initiative on Gender Equity, Disability and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) and human rights-based approaches (HRBA) in Nature-based Solutions for climate adaptation projects. Our support includes the design and delivery of toolkits, training, facilitating a community of practice, hosting online learning events, and technical support to regional projects funded by the Kiwa Initiative. Resources can be found here: https://kiwainitiative.org/en/news/download-now-our-freely-available-resources-on-gedsi-and-humanrights
Gender Base Violence Fisheries Research Design Framework for the Pacific Sector
October 2024 - April 2025 | Client: SPC | Designed a gender-based violence (GBV) research framework for fisheries and aquaculture in the Pacific Island region for the Pacific Community and its partners. This included a desktop review of the evidence for GBV in Pacific fisheries and aquaculture, research framework and survey instruments.
Agriculture, fisheries, food systems and sustainable value chains
We have undertaken the following projects in agriculture, fisheries, food systems and sustainable value chains:
Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures (OECMs) in the Ocean
April 2024 - May 2025 | Client: Oregon State University | Provision of strategic guidance and recommendations on the development of a new tool aimed at identifying, understanding, and tracking the conservation outcomes of other effective (area-based) conservation measures and (OECMs) and other effectively conserved areas in the ocean beyond marine protected areas.
Barriers and opportunities to women’s economic empowerment and paid work in Fiji
July - September 2023 | Client: The World Bank | Supported the World Bank to undertake a qualitative study in Fiji that explores constraints to women’s access to paid employment in and opportunities for women’s greater access to work opportunities. Key informant interviews and focus group discussions were undertaken on Vanua Levu in vosavakaviti and Fiji baat through a team of five social researchers.
PHAMA Plus: Root Crops GEDSI Analysis
June 2021 to July 2021 | Client: DT Global |
Environmental economics, natural resource management, and conservation
We have undertaken the following projects in environmental economics, natural resource management, and conservation:
Building Coastal Resilience through Nature-Based and Integrated Solutions – Risk Financing and Insurance Solutions for Coastal Resilience
November 2024 - December 2025 | Client: Landell Mills and WWF | Led research and analysis for an ecosystem valuation study and cost benefit analysis for interventions post-disaster that might support coral reef recovery and resilience in the Denarau / Mamanuca Area. This research is part of a wider study assessing the feasibility of coral reef insurance in the Asia-Pacific region, supported by ADB.
Fiji Climate Finance Writeshop Training
December 2021 | Client: The Commonwealth Secretariat | Facilitation and technical input to the Fiji Climate Finance Writeshop Training with the Commonwealth Secretariat’s Climate Change Section.
Support to GGGI Planning Meeting
November 2021 | Client: GGGI | Develop sessions and facilitation tools for a hybrid in-person and virtual planning retreat; facilitate sessions and track outcomes from each session.
Small business and social enterprise development
We have undertaken the following projects in small business and social enterprise development:
yher Programme
January 2023- May 2025 | Client: ygap | Lead facilitator for the 2023, 2024 and 2025 yher / ygap sustainable tourism accelerator, supporting women-led sustainable tourism businesses to gain critical access to market intelligence, tourism networks and business advisory services to progress their businesses and grow their confidence as women entrepreneurs and change makers
SME business continuity planning guidance
August 2021 to April 2022 | Client: UNDP | Undertake consultations with SMEs and Chambers of Commerce in Fiji, Vanuatu, Tonga and Palau on revising business continuity planning tools in light of the private sector response to Covid-19; and revise materials appropriately.
Support to establish the Islands Dance Association and the Association of Visual Artists
August 2021 to October 2021 | Client: ILO | Support the ILO to establish Fiji Islansd Dance Association and the Viti Association of Visual Artists and the ground work leading up to establish the Creative Council under the Fiji Commerce and Employers Federation.
Sustainable tourism management and development
We have undertaken the following projects in sustainable tourism management and development:
yher Programme
January 2023- May 2025 | Client: ygap | Lead facilitator for the 2023, 2024 and 2025 yher / ygap sustainable tourism accelerator, supporting women-led sustainable tourism businesses to gain critical access to market intelligence, tourism networks and business advisory services to progress their businesses and grow their confidence as women entrepreneurs and change makers
Assessment of Needs and Opportunities to Improve Ecosystem Resilience and Sustainable Tourism in Fiji
November 2022 - April 2024 | Client: ICEM | Senior Sustainable Tourism Expert as part of an 'Assessment of Needs and Opportunities to Improve Ecosystem Resilience and Sustainable Tourism in Fiji'. Subcontracted to ICEM.
Phase B: Fiji National Sustainable Tourism Framework
September 2023 - February 2024 | Client: World Bank | Lead consultants to support the research, consultation process and drafting of the National Sustainable Tourism Framework in Fiji