Comments

It is good to read the alternative entry points to engage different sectors of 'communities' outside of the traditional "community". It is a good blog article addressing important issues and it raises many discussion points. 1) Mapping entry points are needed to be accompanied by impact pathways of how those entry points lead to real adaptation at different levels of communities. This includes mapping how are you going to evaluate the success of adaptation actions that resulted from the use of specific or combination of entry points. Sometimes, the same entry points can pass on misinformation or there are lots of "information traps" between the entry points and decision making for impacts. 2) The entry points can be used to transfer many components such as technology, information, skills but it is crucial to understand how each of these "things" transferred through can fit into the decision-making process for adaptation? 3) Yes context is very important, and I am interested to know how can these entry-points outside of the traditional community contribute to improved decision making for adaptation at the traditional community level. Given that everyone is expected to return to their own village/community and apply the information, technology, skills, how do these entry points linked to the decision context at the household level, traditional community and traditional/modern governance processes - where different knowledge types, values, rules and powers interact? It is not community versus non-community but I think it is more of how the non-community engagement approach could link to traditional/non-traditional community processes and decision making to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of adaptations. Relying on the good governance to simply pick up and support the flow of information, knowledge, technologies through the entry points is oversimplifying and overgeneralizing the complex processes involved in making decisions on adaptation at different decision stops. 4) These might be alternative entry points for an adaptation project (funded) but how can they become normal entry points for everyday "Self-made risk reduction decisions"? I think we (adaptation practitioners in Pacific Islands) should go further beyond communities in the sense to focus on "household adaptation approaches and processes". We have been focusing on community approaches because of the traditional model of community engagement and mobilization. I think in this fast-evolving time, focusing on the traditional community is not enough as most of our people are moving to urban areas and informal settlements - beyond the well established traditional community engagement methodologies and approach. So we need to shift the basic unit of our adaptation actions and measurements - household. It is also the basic unit for measuring livelihood, poverty and many other SDGs. If we measure entry points and adaptations at community and household levels then we are not leaving anyone behind. Adaptation, risk reduction and livelihood decisions should be everybody's responsibility. Thanks again for bringing this important point for discussion.

I would be interested in finding out more details on the export side, as mentioned above within The Pacific Horticultural and Agricultural Market Access Program (PHAMA Plus). Thanks.

Kia ora tatou Thanks for this interesting work. The next challenge is keeping open those windows forced apart by COVID, long enough and wide enough to nourish the core principle of self-determination. Is that long enough for international actors to recognise the foundational value of self-determination in subsequent relationships? Let's see.

you are right bro, these leaders are more on personal interest not people's interest. total power hungry ones.... great bro

Thanks Minister Hawke for this informative post. PACER plus aims to integrate the market for goods, services, and capital for the PIF region. While this could raise total PIF-GDP, some industries in selected quarters (nations) will suffer. Getting these import-competing industries (and their beneficiaries) onboard will require assistance with adjustment to minimize the costs of dislocation. Missing from PACER Plus are mechanisms for such assistance. Missing as well are mechanisms to better integrate the labour market of the PIF region. RSE (for New Zealand) and SWP and PLS (for Australia) are side agreements that could be absorbed within PACER Plus. These side-agreements have allowed workers from the islands (plus Timor-Leste) to work in Australia and New Zealand, but a lot more could be done – as for goods and services – to ease mobility of workers throughout the PIF-region. The gains from a deeply integrated labour market are likely to be larger than those for goods and services.

Thank you for bringing this book to our attention - I will seek it out. I would like to comment though on your reference to "smaller, more boutique outfits" - sometimes, these are hard-working, long-standing local civil society organisations, including small and medium-sized women's organisations who are struggling to stay afloat in the current context of aid implementation. And by the way, I have observed several occasions where these organisations have invested in training local staff, who are then coaxed by higher salaries into the ‘implementariat’. I would like to respond also with a poem - written in 2015 - and written in anger, inspired partly by spurious donor M&E requirements: WE’VE WON! WE’VE LOST! We fought long and hard to have our voices heard Through the years, we struggled and learned We made alliances with those in power We found the feminists in government camps, And some of us worked hard from within We searched our souls and our lives To make sure we walked the talk Human rights, a family and a world without violence We marched side by side and spoke our truth We believed the rhetoric of partnership We danced the logframe tango, we did the M&E And we remember those feminists, women and men Who created a space for us We took that space, we defined it, we were credible We believed in ourselves, we believed in them! We changed the space, we changed our world, We won! Resources for gender equality! Money to address men’s violence against women Policies, money, theories of change, money, research, money Value for money, outcomes – demonstrate or die. But you need them all, and in proper order, with diagrams! Short-term, medium-term, long-term, what-next-term? Spoon-feed them – social change is NOT linear! Change is MESSY – that is the point of the theory of change. What you count now, may not really count. Are the feminists within crowded out by gender experts? Experts, more experts – but whose knowledge counts? We fought against controlling behaviour by men, To be controlled? Never believe anyone who calls themselves an expert. There is a new game to learn, new boxes to tick, The goal posts move – and they move with each new guru If it looks like colonialism, smells like it, tastes like it, FEELS like it It IS colonialism! Yes, it dresses as gender expertise, It masquerades as neutral, technical and professional It has years of experience in many countries, here and there “We are doing this to make you stronger” Smash the pretence – it is patronising, it is colonialism! Do this, it makes no sense – or you don’t get the money. Thank me, ask me for advice, keep quiet – or you don’t get the money. Change your analysis, anything can be “best practice” – just don’t criticise them! Whose experience counts? Whose knowledge counts? We’ve lost!

Thank you for publishing this. The UPNG programme worked wonders, but there is only so much you can achieve from the outside with young, enthusiastic lecturers. In my view, all universities must produce employable, work ready graduates, which is not the same as job ready. In order to turn around PNG universities, the guidelines of the Namaliu/Garnaut 2009 report, the independent review of the PNG universities is still valuable: improve governance by reducing council, and focus on academic quality before increasing enrolment again. At V-C at UNITECH we developed a strategy focusing on internationalization and professional accreditation of programs, converting IT capabilities into strengths, and partnerships with strong industrial and academic partners. Efficiency was another key goal, but that is per definition not a strategic goal. Corruption, admission and academic corruption has to be stopped, existing faculty must be offered opportunities to do a PhD (between 2014-17 we sent 27 abroad) and the university's reputation must be enhanced so that fully qualified lecturers with work experience at world-class universities can be attracted. Digitalization, professional accreditation and training to stimulate student-centred and competence based teaching must be vigourously undertaken. At UNITECH from 2014 to 2017 we did an annual graduate employment survey 5-6 months after graduation. We found only 40% had formal employment. Development studies and management graduates did relatively well, much better than economics graduates. We also had monthly breakfasts with industrial training coordinators and employers of our graduates.

A very important question Sarah. Recently I went on the look out for Women economist's across the Pacific and asked male economists I knew across a number of agencies. Interestingly, a number were named who we just never hear of, working in development banks, financial Institutions, governments, etc. across the Pacific. For instance Maiava Atalina Emma Ainuu-Enari was appointed Governor and Chairperson of the Board of the Central Bank of Samoa (CBS) in 2011 and remains so...these women economist's seem to work quietly in the background, not taking up that space to articulate on public policy, financial issues through the media, etc as men do. Be great to hear more from and of them, so greater number of women get that due representation but other younger one's get encouraged to take up that space. But yes that sex-disaggregated data would certainly give us a clearer idea in PNG and beyond. The newly launched SPC data Hub maybe a start.

Yes, it is the same in PNG - in the report linked at the end of the first paragraph I mention that the number of female economics graduates is typically just 10-25% of the total cohort. That said, the response rate of women to the survey was higher, and the employment rate for respondents is likely much higher for respondents than non-respondents - which suggests better employment rates. If you want any further information please feel free to send me an email rohan.fox@anu.edu.au

The study doesn't provide any sex-disaggregated data - can it be made available? Women tend to be under-represented in economics. Research conducted by the European Central Bank confirmed quite different career trajectories for male and female economists resulting in a lack of diversity in leadership and decision-making positions in central banks and other institutions. It would be interesting to know if this trend is the same in PNG.

Thanks Mike, bad precedent set by parliament, running to court seeking interpretation.

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