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Democratic Governance

Australia, in partnership with the Papua New Guinea, is developing a new strategy to support Democratic Governance in PNG.

The Democratic Governance Strategy complements the PNG-Australia Development Cooperation Strategy 2006-2010. The White Paper on the Australian Government's Overseas Aid Program (2006) has shaped the policy.

The goal of the Democratic Governance Program Strategy is to help articulate demand for democratic processes and institutions in PNG, and support the necessary reforms of the state and civil society to meet that demand.

The strategic principles of the Democratic Governance strategy are:

promoting partnership between the state and civil society
work at as local a level as possible to promote demand and strengthen supply of democratic governance at grassroots civil society and at sub-national levels of the State
strengthen Papua New Guineancapacity to train and advise women and men involved in reforming democratic institutions from within.

AusAID is designing a new program consistent with the strategy that aims to bring greater strategic coherence to the existing set of initiatives and respond to some of the lessons of the program.

This will produce a more streamlined program, with clearer criteria for organisations and institutions seeking support. The new program will offer grants and support originally secured through the:

Community Development Scheme
Electoral Support Program
Media for Development Initiative
Sports for Development Initiative.

AusAID will keep some aspects of the Community Development Scheme as the foundation of the new program.

The program will operate across PNG, reaching to as local a level as possible, and will recognise PNG's social and economic diversity. A decision to merge other activities currently managed under the Democratic Governance Program into the new program, for example the Church Partnership Program, will be made in consultation with the relevant stakeholders, at a time appropriate to the relevant activity.

Major aid activities

The following are some of the major activities in the Democratic Governance Program:

PNG Community Development Scheme (CDS) Phase 2

Contribution: $37 million
Duration: 2001-2007

Phase 2 of the scheme ended in May 2007. The goal of the scheme was to reduce poverty by strengthening civil society in Papua New Guinea. Its purpose was to develop Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) across Papua New Guinea that could:

Undertake sustainable community development activities
Promote and advocate for shared development interests and concerns
Support the development of technical or management capacity of other CSOs
Attract and manage development funds and resources.

The scheme consisted of three programs:

A small grants program that provided capacity building and community development activities with grassroots communities throughout PNG. It enabled community members to work together to access opportunities to improve their lives. The scheme provided grants in areas including:
- water supply
- health
- social empowerment
- literacy
The Non-Government Organisation (NGO) Strengthening Program worked in partnership with local NGOs to plan and manage development activities and to build their organisational capacity to fulfil their mission and goals. The larger goal is to assist NGOs in PNG to strengthen their impact and develop a stronger, more vibrant civil society.
The Specialised Partners Program provided funding for partnerships between well-established NGOs and smaller community organisation partners to undertake and improve community development work and contribute to better services across PNG.

The small grants scheme supported the Halt Family Violence Program in Morobe Province, for example, to raise awareness and reduce domestic violence by providing victim support and counseling services.

The Village Birth Attendant Program in Simbu Province trained local women in safe delivery methods to help women in this remote area and assisted in reducing maternal mortality.

Media for Development Initiative (MDI)

Contribution: $13.9 million
Duration: 2003-2008

This initiative contributes to improved stability, governance and service provision by supporting an open and democratic media that delivers quality information services to all areas of PNG. Working with the PNG Media Council and the National Broadcasting Corporation, the MDI aims to strengthen the capacity and operations of the media, particularly radio in rural areas. An effective, accessible media sector can:

Increase the voices of the poor and marginalised in public policy
Support civic education, peace-building and promotion of culture
Foster civil society networks
Provide access to development information and complement basic services delivery, for example through agricultural extension radio programs and broadcasts on the availability of health clinics.

Church Partnership Program (CPP)

Contribution: $23.7 million
Duration: 2004-2008

This program is strengthening the institutional capacity of faith-based organisations that play a critical role locally and in the delivery of health and education services across PNG. The program supports partnerships between seven Australian church-based organisations and their counterparts in PNG, aiming to strengthen church leadership in society, improve the quality and reach of basic services, and improve churches' institutional capacity to deliver development programs. CPP supports churches to promote accountable governance, peace building and community participation in decision-making and local governance.

Electoral Support Program (ESP) Phase 2

Contribution: $10 million
Duration: 2005-2008

The Electoral Support Program focuses on capacity building and technical elections support to the PNG Electoral Commission and its whole-of-government partners, as well as civil society support and electoral awareness. The program supports PNG initiatives to improve electoral legislation and practice, complete a new electoral roll and to improve coordination across the PNG government on election budgeting and security planning. ESP2 also supports a nation-wide program of voter education through government and non-government channels. A primary focus was introducing Limited Preferential Voting.

Parliamentary Support Program (PSP)

The Parliamentary Support Program supports the PNG Parliamentary Services and parliamentary committees through a partnership with the United Nations Development Program. Activities in 2007 focus on an induction program for new MPs, continued support to the Public Accounts Committee and strengthening parliamentary services.

Sports for Development Initiative

AusAID is designing a program using community sports as a means for development. It aims to strengthen community cohesion, improve governance of community activities, help reduce crime and address HIV/AIDS and gender issues. Core components will be participatory planning sessions, sports coaching and sports administration courses, and to get sports activity planned, implemented and reviewed in a fair, accountable and transparent way in the community. Initial activities focus on specific pilot activities and capacity-building of the program PNG Sports Foundation.

Democratic Governance Program - Transition Phase

Contribution: $3.5 million
Duration: 2007-2008

A 13 month Transition Phase for the new Democratic Governance Program began immediately after the end of the Community Development Scheme. During this Transition Phase the project will:

Complete the residual grants of CDS phase 2
Provide one round of funding for community groups and civil society organisations to pilot new Democratic Governance activities
Identify and incorporate the practices of CDS into the new program
Adapt CDS governance structures and procedures to the new program
Undertake research to provide the foundation of the new Democratic Governance program.

The transition phase will overlap the start of the new Democratic Governance Program in 2008.

September 2007