Comments

Thanks Terence, as always, for your insight! Very true: "people in DFAT who understand PNG well, but they are transient...Consolidating and stabilising country expertise will maintain ties and trust with counterparts in PNG" You're right that "Evalutions are often afterthoughts that struggle to extract findings from scant evidence", but the reviews I've been a part of, of DFAT's large economic and governance programs (both mid-term after 2 years and end-of-term reviews) in the last 6 years have yielded very good insight - and DFAT has acted, flexibly changing approaches (even certain program aspects) mid-program, and incorporating lessons in new program design. I've personally found Ian Kemish to be right, it isn't Australia's job to 'fix' PNG. And you see this in spending: although aid from Australia is K1.7 billion (AUD650 million), PNG government's own 2025 budget is K28.4 billion (5% of which is Australia budget support, but PNG has faithfully kept up with repayment of all its foreign debt even when classified as at 'high risk of debt distress' by the IMF). PNG has become its own driver of development, and Australia will have to further accept that its role is complementary, constantly improving on its ability to assist.

Thank you Terry. A very sensible paper. We can only hope that somebody in DFAT reads it and thinks about the subject for more than a few minutes.

Hi Team, I've been reviewing some of your work again and its extremely rewarding. So glad that IFPRI stepped into the PNG arena. Best regards

The other issue is that PNG has to be part of the conversation not just at ministerial level but at day to day level where listening rather than telling (about priorities, ways of doing and how to sustain outputs to achieve outcomes) is the order of the day. Criticising someone else’s governance is certainly not the way to go. We’ve being doing it for 70 years to what effect.

Sovereign States in Oceania ought to be responsible for its own funding mechanisms. Certainly, don't trust Samoa or any other outside Fiji to be responsible for holding funding portal & dissemination. That spells disastrous. A case in point, one only has to look to Aotearoa NZ to see anything tagged Pacific being overly controlled | dictated by insiders within that space. In short corruption has seeped in. Save Oceania and let each Sovereign States to be responsible for their own Media Funding. Too much power & corruption can drown own out Voices by each Sovereign States in Oceania.

I was looking for development aid evaluations that were neither press releases from donors nor little-accessible study reports, and came across this blog. It's refreshing to read a nuanced and constructive piece that does not strive to provide a definite answer at all cost, and formulates important questions instead. I was also unaware that about cocoa production was such a high-stake issue in Bougainville. Thanks for this great learning opportunity!

We see waste as just a waste however many developed countries see waste a resource. Only need is if we invest time, resource and energy on how to sustainably manage and use waste it will benefit us in return.

Congratulations, Timor Leste, a country that straddles the Arc of Melanesia (Oceania) and that of Asia. Despite the excessive costs of airfares + complex travels into Australia but more so Aotearoa NZ, it opens door for job opportunities. However, the challenges remain in the manner these seasonal workers are treated i.e accommodation facilities (is it warm, clean etc), cost of repayments for airfares etc as opposed to hours worked each week + rates applied. What about the worker (s) 'Health | Cultural Wellbeing' in view both Australia & Aotearoa NZ are foreign to these workers! Mind you, add in the cost of seeing a Medical Doctor after registering as a Seasonal Worker can be quite expensive. Often, these issues surface when one meets these Seasonal Workers at random Community Gatherings or just meeting up in the streets and asked how each one is getting along? Timor Leste & other Sovereign States in Oceania sending their peoples for Seasonal Work, as well as receiving countries - Australia & Aotearoa NZ to look much closer to some of the areas mentioned above. We also get to hear, how these workers do not really have a clue of the legal details in their Contracts because it is written in English but not translated into one's Indigenous Language (s), for these workers to fully understand the legally binding clauses embedded within those Contracts.

Interesting read, Garry!

A military man versus another in earnest. Sounds like "Cloak and Dagger" syndrome.

Riveting expert academic opinion piece from Prof Jon Frankel. Vinaka Vakalevu. What is mind boggling re COI saga is what appeared to be bias leanings by COI duo team J.M & A.L. towards the trio (R.C, Pule'water', A.F). Why was the limelight on them in video captured throughout the entire time? Was it about them? Or something else? Yes, someone's head ought to roll for causing such a rukus in Fiji❗️It ought to begin from the initiation of COI Process, selection of COI Team through to those who filed the complaint and whoever else involved in advising PM SLR.

PNG needs a Seasonal Workers Recruitment Policy similar to Vanuatu that the PNG Labor Mobility Unit need to abide by. The current arrangement with Dept of Treasury PNG is not workable and recruitment is solely in the hands of the Recruitment officers working with PNGLMU. PNG remains the lowest sending country in the Pacific, although it is the largest.