Safe School Retrofitting and Resilient Educational Infrastructure in Nadi

Programme Overview

Educational facilities in the Pacific region face severe and recurrent threats from tropical cyclones, earthquakes, and sea-level hazards.⁣​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌⁣ Inadequate structural design and ageing school buildings heighten risks for children and teaching personnel during disaster events. This five-day executive programme in Nadi focuses on the engineering principles, structural vulnerability diagnostics, and practical methods required to elevate existing school buildings to modern safety thresholds, ensuring classrooms serve as reliable havens rather than vulnerable infrastructure during environmental emergencies.

The course addresses critical operational requirements for retrofitting educational properties in accordance with regional building codes and international standards. Participants review architectural guidelines, non-structural mitigation, and site safety management specifically tailored to Pacific island geographies. Instruction emphasises practical field methodologies for seismic and cyclonic assessment, helping institutions prioritise asset portfolios for intervention. Sessions systematically link technical engineering solutions with procurement protocols and community safety parameters mandated across major multilateral development bank operations.

By bridging technical design with field supervision, the training strengthens institutional capability to deliver safe, resilient educational spaces. Participants evaluate real-world case studies, assess material durability under maritime conditions, and prepare site monitoring schedules for campus civil works. The curriculum equips education authorities and project delivery teams with the capabilities necessary to oversee retrofitting contracts, protect institutional investments, and maintain compliance with established donor environmental and social frameworks throughout the civil works lifecycle.

Small island developing states face intensifying weather events that threaten to disrupt educational continuity and destroy core public assets.⁣​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌⁣ Across the Pacific, governments are prioritising school safety by financing comprehensive infrastructure upgrades, including interventions aligned with the Tonga Safe and Resilient Schools Project and its Additional Financings. Successfully executing these funded initiatives demands urgent technical capacity in structural diagnostic screening, procurement compliance, and resilient architectural upgrades. Ensuring civil works meet international disaster resilience standards preserves learning environments, protects vulnerable communities, and safeguards international public investments.

Delivered by Risalat Consultants International in Nadi, Fiji, it combines expert-led sessions, real cases and group work, so that participants can apply what they learn in their own institution.

The Programme Strengthens Institutional Capability

• Natural hazards profile and disaster exposure mechanisms across Pacific school estates
• Methodologies for Rapid Visual Screening (RVS) of reinforced concrete and timber educational structures
• Diagnostic tools for identifying foundational weaknesses, material degradation, and environmental corrosion
• Data collection protocols using mobile screening instruments and standardized structural inspection forms
• Practical exercise: evaluating building audit reports and establishing structural risk priority tiers
• Wind load requirements and cyclonic tie-down mechanisms in accordance with regional building codes
• Seismic strengthening techniques: shear wall installations, column jacketing, and joint reinforcement
• Roof structural retrofitting: continuous load paths, truss bracing, and wind-resistant cladding systems
• Climate and environmental risk assessment
• Adaptation and mitigation planning
• Sector strategies for energy, water and land
• Project design for climate and environmental goals

It is designed for ministry of Education infrastructure coordinators, school maintenance and facilities directors, public works engineers and municipal building inspectors and others who want practical, current skills in climate, environment and natural resources.

The Growing Importance of Safe School Retrofitting and Resilient Educational Infrastructure in Nadi

Climate change, environmental pressure and resource management now shape national plans, budgets and investment decisions. Financiers increasingly expect climate and environmental considerations to be built into projects from the start.

Institutions that can plan for climate risks, manage natural resources well and prepare sound proposals are better placed to protect services and to access the funding available for this work.

Organisations increasingly require professionals capable of:

• Assess climate and environmental risks to their services and assets
• Design projects that meet climate and environmental goals
• Prepare proposals that financiers can approve
• Measure and report results credibly
• Work with communities and partners across sectors

Strong climate, environment and natural resources systems help organisations:

• Protect services and infrastructure from climate risks
• Access climate and environmental finance
• Meet national and international commitments
• Use natural resources sustainably

This Safe School Retrofitting and Resilient Educational Infrastructure in Nadi programme brings these elements together in a practical format, so that participants understand not only what good practice looks like but also how to introduce it in their own setting, with the people and resources they have.

Who Should Attend This Safe School Retrofitting and Resilient Educational Infrastructure in Nadi Training?

This programme is designed for:

• Ministry of Education infrastructure coordinators
• School maintenance and facilities directors
• Public works engineers and municipal building inspectors
• Procurement specialists managing education civil works
• Project Implementation Unit (PIU) infrastructure officers
• Structural engineers working on public asset retrofitting
• Donor-financed project technical advisors and specialists
• Education sector disaster risk management officers
• School leadership and safety committee representatives
• Climate change and environment officers
• Energy, water and agriculture sector staff
• Planning and policy officers

The programme suits experienced professionals as well as those moving into new responsibilities. Groups that mix institutions and countries are encouraged, because participants learn a great deal from each other’s experience.

Safe School Retrofitting and Resilient Educational Infrastructure in Nadi Training Objectives

Upon successful completion of this Safe School Retrofitting and Resilient Educational Infrastructure in Nadi Training, participants will be able to:

• Conduct rapid visual screenings and structural vulnerability assessments on existing school facilities
• Apply regional building codes and international standards for seismic and cyclonic structural retrofitting
• Incorporate resilient architectural guidelines into school rehabilitation and maintenance planning
• Design non-structural mitigation measures to eliminate hazards inside classrooms and learning spaces
• Formulate operational civil works schedules that minimise disruptions to ongoing educational activities
• Establish robust site monitoring protocols to track contractor compliance with safety and engineering standards
• Integrate community safety mechanisms and universal accessibility criteria into educational infrastructure projects
• Explain the main climate and environmental challenges for their sector
• Assess climate and environmental risks to services and assets
• Plan adaptation and mitigation measures

Each objective is practised during the programme through exercises, cases or group work, so that participants leave able to do it, not only to describe it.

Programme Contents and Structure

The programme runs over 5 days. Each day combines expert input, practical work and a closing workshop or case study:

• First Day: Structural Vulnerability Assessment and Screening Methodologies
• Second Day: Seismic and Cyclonic Retrofitting Engineering Standards
• Third Day: Disaster-Resilient Architecture and Non-Structural Safety
• Fourth Day: Procurement, Contracts, and Site Quality Assurance
• Fifth Day: Civil Works Scheduling and Community Safety Compliance

Full day-by-day contents

First Day | Structural Vulnerability Assessment and Screening Methodologies

• Natural hazards profile and disaster exposure mechanisms across Pacific school estates
• Methodologies for Rapid Visual Screening (RVS) of reinforced concrete and timber educational structures
• Diagnostic tools for identifying foundational weaknesses, material degradation, and environmental corrosion
• Data collection protocols using mobile screening instruments and standardized structural inspection forms
• Practical exercise: evaluating building audit reports and establishing structural risk priority tiers

Workshop: Structural Vulnerability Assessment and Screening Methodologies: Applying It to Your Institution

Working in small groups, participants apply the day's methods to examples from their own institutions and agree practical next steps.

Second Day | Seismic and Cyclonic Retrofitting Engineering Standards

• Wind load requirements and cyclonic tie-down mechanisms in accordance with regional building codes
• Seismic strengthening techniques: shear wall installations, column jacketing, and joint reinforcement
• Roof structural retrofitting: continuous load paths, truss bracing, and wind-resistant cladding systems
• Foundational underpinning and soil-structure interaction analysis in coastal and alluvial environments
• Reviewing engineering drawings and specifications for compliance with donor technical benchmarks

Workshop: Seismic and Cyclonic Retrofitting Engineering Standards: Applying It to Your Institution

Working in small groups, participants apply the day's methods to examples from their own institutions and agree practical next steps.

Third Day | Disaster-Resilient Architecture and Non-Structural Safety

• Architectural guidelines for resilient educational facilities: ventilation, daylighting, and thermal comfort
• Mitigation of non-structural hazards: securing ceilings, lighting fixtures, water storage, and furnishings
• Integrating universal design: barrier-free egress paths and accessibility for persons with disabilities
• Safe school site planning: flood drainage, slope stabilisation, and resilient boundary infrastructure
• Case analysis: cost-effective non-structural retrofitting plans for multi-classroom blocks

Case Study: Disaster-Resilient Architecture and Non-Structural Safety in Practice

Participants analyse a realistic case, compare the choices made with good practice and draw lessons they can use in their own setting.

Fourth Day | Procurement, Contracts, and Site Quality Assurance

• Drafting technical specifications and bills of quantities for educational retrofitting tenders
• Contractor qualification criteria and bid evaluation under multilateral development bank guidelines
• Quality assurance protocols: on-site material testing for concrete compressive strength and steel tensile capacity
• Environmental and social management plan (ESMP) monitoring during campus civil works execution
• Managing variations, defects liability tracking, and final completion certification for public schools

Workshop: Procurement, Contracts, and Site Quality Assurance: Applying It to Your Institution

Working in small groups, participants apply the day's methods to examples from their own institutions and agree practical next steps.

Fifth Day | Civil Works Scheduling and Community Safety Compliance

• Developing phased construction schedules to maintain uninterrupted classroom instruction and school operations
• Campus occupational health and safety (OHS) protocols: physical segregation of active construction zones
• Community engagement and grievance redress mechanisms during school rehabilitation works
• Preparation of facility-level preventive maintenance plans to preserve retrofitted assets
• Group presentations: integrated retrofitting schedules and compliance frameworks for target educational facilities

Capstone Exercise: Safe School Retrofitting and Resilient Educational Infrastructure in Nadi Action Plan for Your Institution

Participants bring the week together in an action plan for their own institution, with priorities, owners and first steps, and present it for feedback from peers and facilitators.

Safe School Retrofitting and Resilient Educational Infrastructure in Nadi Training Methodology

The course employs an adult-learning approach focused on operational execution within the public sector. Instruction combines technical lectures on engineering standards with collaborative case-based problem solving, document review, and practical design evaluation. Participants work in syndicates to analyse structural audit reports, formulate works schedules, and review bills of quantities. Peer exchange allows practitioners from various public authorities to benchmark practices against international standards. The sessions conclude with practical simulations where participants apply monitoring frameworks directly to representative school infrastructure scenarios.

The programme combines:

• Expert-led sessions on current practice
• Regional and international case studies
• Group work and practical exercises
• Simulations and role plays where relevant
• Discussion of participants' own challenges
• Peer learning across institutions and countries
• Practical tools and templates to take back to work
• Daily reflection and action planning

Before the programme, a short pre-assessment helps the facilitators understand each participant’s role and priorities, so that examples and exercises can be adjusted to the group.⁣​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌⁣ Each day ends with a short reflection in which participants note what they will apply at work.

Expected Outcomes

Upon completion of this Safe School Retrofitting and Resilient Educational Infrastructure in Nadi Training, participants will be able to:

• Ability to carry out baseline vulnerability assessments for school facilities using international engineering screening criteria
• Competence in interpreting technical retrofitting designs for wind and seismic hazard mitigation in public assets
• Skill in developing precise technical specifications for donor-financed school rehabilitation procurement packages
• Capability to create and execute operational monitoring plans ensuring contractor compliance with structural standards
• Proficiency in mitigating non-structural vulnerabilities and incorporating universal accessibility into campus plans
• Practical readiness to implement institutional safe school frameworks that protect students and public educational assets
• Assess climate and environmental risks
• Plan adaptation and mitigation measures

Participants leave with a personal action plan and practical tools they can use in their institution from the first week back. Institutions that send several participants can use the programme to agree shared methods and templates across teams, which makes improvements easier to sustain.

Institutional Application of Safe School Retrofitting and Resilient Educational Infrastructure in Nadi Training

This programme supports organisations in strengthening:

• Climate and environmental planning
• Project design
• Access to finance
• Results measurement
• Stakeholder involvement

Participants return with practical tools to improve:

• Risk assessments
• Concept notes
• Results frameworks
• Monitoring systems
• Partnership arrangements

The programme is built so that learning moves from the classroom into the institution. Participants work on their own processes and documents where possible, and leave with an action plan that their managers can review and support.

Regional Relevance & Application

Europe

European institutions apply climate, environment and natural resources within detailed regulatory frameworks and reform agendas. Participants from Europe can compare their practice with colleagues from other regions and test how established methods work under different conditions.

Africa

Across Africa, ministries, agencies and project teams working in climate, environment and natural resources increasingly operate alongside donor-financed programmes that expect clear systems and evidence. The programme helps participants adapt good practice to the institutions and resources they work with.

Middle East

In the Middle East, national development strategies and diversification plans place growing demands on climate, environment and natural resources. Participants explore how to build the capability these plans need inside public bodies and companies.

Asia

Institutions across Asia combine rapid growth with ambitious modernisation programmes. Participants from Asia can share their experience of scaling systems quickly and learn from approaches used elsewhere.

Pacific

Small island and Pacific states face particular constraints of size, distance and capacity. The programme highlights practical, proportionate approaches to climate, environment and natural resources that suit smaller institutions.

Holding the programme in Nadi, Fiji brings participants together away from their daily pressures, so they can compare how climate, environment and natural resources is handled in different settings. The same programme can also be delivered in-house for one institution, in its own country or online, with cases taken from its current work.

Host Country Profile – Fiji

Programmes in Nadi suit professionals, government officials and project teams focused on climate resilience, public sector administration, regional logistics, and environmental protection.

Studying away from their own country gives participants time to focus, a fresh view of their own institution and the chance to build a network with colleagues from other countries.

Safe School Retrofitting and Resilient Educational Infrastructure in Nadi Training Deliverables

Participants receive support before, during and after the programme, so that preparation, learning and follow-up form one continuous experience.

Before the Programme

• Participant Pre-Assessment
• Safe School Retrofitting and Resilient Educational Infrastructure in Nadi Readiness Assessment
• Safe School Retrofitting and Resilient Educational Infrastructure in Nadi Resource Pack
• Preparatory Reading Materials
• Complimentary Visa Support & Advisory

During the Programme

• Airport Pickup & Welcome Assistance
• Accommodation with Breakfast
• Welcome Networking Dinner
• Risalat Training Kit (Bag, Bottle, Mug, T-Shirt, Cap, Passport Cover, Pens, Notebook, Magnet & Keychain)
• Comprehensive Safe School Retrofitting and Resilient Educational Infrastructure in Nadi Training Manual
• Climate Risk Screening Checklist
• Options Appraisal Template
• Concept Note Template
• Results Measurement Template
• Practical Workshops & Simulations
• Group Discussions & Peer Learning
• Daily Lunch and Refreshments
• Full Access to Training Venue Facilities
• Mini Pad / Tablet with Digital Learning Materials
• Field Visit (where applicable)
• Entertaining City Tour

After the Programme

• Certificate of Completion
• Risalat Programme Participation Recognition Award
• Post-Training Reference Materials
• Funding Readiness Checklist
• Monitoring and Reporting Template
• Post-Training Support & Follow-Up Guidance
• Programme Report

Institutions can also request a tailored in-house version of this programme, delivered at their premises or online. Request a proposal.

Common Challenges in Safe School Retrofitting and Resilient Educational Infrastructure in Nadi, And How This Training Helps

How can institutions assess climate and environmental risks to their services and assets?

The programme addresses this directly on the first day (Structural Vulnerability Assessment and Screening Methodologies), where participants practise the methods involved and adapt them to their own institution, then build it into their action plan.

How can institutions design projects that meet climate and environmental goals?

The programme addresses this directly on the second day (Seismic and Cyclonic Retrofitting Engineering Standards), where participants practise the methods involved and adapt them to their own institution, then build it into their action plan.

How can institutions prepare proposals that financiers can approve?

The programme addresses this directly on the third day (Disaster-Resilient Architecture and Non-Structural Safety), where participants practise the methods involved and adapt them to their own institution, then build it into their action plan.

How can institutions measure and report results credibly?

The programme addresses this directly on the fourth day (Procurement, Contracts, and Site Quality Assurance), where participants practise the methods involved and adapt them to their own institution, then build it into their action plan.

How can institutions work with communities and partners across sectors?

The programme addresses this directly on the fifth day (Civil Works Scheduling and Community Safety Compliance), where participants practise the methods involved and adapt them to their own institution, then build it into their action plan.

Frequently Asked Questions

When and where does the Safe School Retrofitting and Resilient Educational Infrastructure in Nadi programme take place?

It runs from 3 May 2027 to 7 May 2027, in Nadi, Fiji. The registration deadline is shown at the top of this page.

Who should attend?

The programme is designed for ministry of Education infrastructure coordinators, school maintenance and facilities directors, public works engineers and municipal building inspectors, procurement specialists managing education civil works, and others who want practical skills in climate, environment and natural resources.

Will I receive a certificate?

Yes. Participants who complete the programme receive a Certificate of Completion from Risalat Consultants International.

Can this programme be delivered for our institution only?

Yes. We can deliver a tailored in-house version at your premises, in another city or online, built around your own cases. Use the proposal request on this page.

Do I need prior experience in climate, environment and natural resources?

No specialist background is required beyond experience in a related role. A short pre-assessment helps the facilitators adapt the sessions to the group.

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