About the Program

The Australia PNG Economic Partnership (APEP) known as “The Partnership” is a new multi-sectoral investment to assist GoPNG to create a stable and more prosperous country. The investment will be the main vehicle and coordination point from which Australia will deliver its economic development aid to PNG and will be the primary vehicle to implement Comprehensive Strategic and Economic Partnership (CSEP). The Australian Government is committed to delivering The Partnership in accordance with the principles of integration and alignment with PNG’s economic sector policies, systems and processes.

“The Partnership” will contribute to the achievement of the following overarching goal: a resilient and diversified economy that provides a high quality of life for all Papua New Guineans.

The Partnership overarching policy objective is: to assist PNG in its efforts to achieve sustained growth, capable of lifting the standard of living of all citizens, while also ensuring Australia maintains its reputation as PNG’s economic partner of choice.

The Partnership is a multi-sector investment with gender equality, disability social inclusion (GEDSI) and women’s economic empowerment (WEE), climate as well as economic dialogue and open government, positioned as cross-cutting objectives working across all engagement areas.

It has five End of Program Outcomes (EOPOs) that are expected to be achieved:

• EOPO 1 - Safeguarding Macroeconomic Stability
• EOPO 2 - Strengthening Public Financial Management for Improved Service Delivery and Inclusive Growth
• EOPO 3 - Supporting More Efficient and Inclusive Markets
• EOPO 4 - Fostering Inclusive Growth and Expanded Livelihoods
• EOPO 5 - Catalysing Economic Research and Dialogue

About the Opportunity

The Director will be responsible for working with the Government of Australia and PNG to develop and implement a new, cohesive strategy for APEP and working towards achieving the programs five EOPOs.

In particular, the Director will:

• Provide overall strategic and technical management oversight of the four Programs four divisions: Economic Policy Division, Private Sector Policy Division, Partnerships and Performance Division, Corporate Services Division.
• Lead APEP’s strategic planning and stakeholder management on all programs; providing high quality advisory services, strengthening institutional linkages, leveraging links through private sector and other external partnerships,
• Ensure that principles of GEDSI and WEE are mainstreamed throughout APEP’s work, as well as piloted in innovative and high-impact initiatives,
• Provide robust implementation management for APEP including program implementation, budget management, risk management and reporting

Key Deliverables

Strategic and Technical Management:

• Strategic planning and program implementation: continue the development, refinement and socialisation of APEP’s strategic plans. Update key strategic documentation as required based on bilateral economic and strategic priorities. Implement these through innovative approaches to program delivery that improves the impact, cohesion and efficiency of support provided.
• Stakeholder engagement: be the focal point for all APEP stakeholders. Engage in sustained policy dialogue with DFAT, Government of PNG counterparts and other development partners. Develop informal networks and relationships of trust with DFAT, respective ministries, departments and government agencies, and the local research communities working on economic governance issues. Build and maintain relationships with a range of domestic, regional and international institutions to share ideas and knowledge, including international financing institutions, universities, think tanks and multilaterals.
• Advisory services: provide technical and policy advice regarding current national economic and fiscal developments and their implications for the PNG-Australia Governance Partnership
• Support for safeguarding macroeconomic stability: assist PNG’s economic agencies to implement evidence-based long-term strategy to achieve macroeconomic stability and resilience.
• Support for strengthened PFM and improved service delivery and inclusive growth: support PNG’s national and sub-national economic agencies to increasingly apply allocative efficiency in public financial management, ensuring analysis and tracking and system reform is used to efficiently invest in service delivery and growth at subnational levels.
• Support more efficient and inclusive markets growth: support dialogue between the private sector and GoPNG to address constraints to private sector growth, address development challenges and leverage links to the Australia Business Council, Business Coalitions and Business Chambers to maximise networks and promote SMEs. Need to increasingly apply evidence-based enabling policies that support private sector led development and remove constraints for SMEs particularly women owned SMEs, and support diversification of non-resource led growth
• Leverage and foster more inclusive growth and expanded livelihood opportunities: Support GoPNG agencies to drive better management of natural resources and invest in agricultural productivity including in better managing biosecurity and food safety issues.
• Research, dialogue and analysis: assess economic policy research needs in priority strategic areas and advise on where APEP can play an effective role in policy development. Contribute to strengthening the analytical quality and relevance of DFAT’s contributions to national policy dialogue. Foster Economic Research and Dialogue focusing on enabling PNG’s agencies and institutions to generate and access improved research and data, through collaboration with think tanks and non-government institutions, and use it to increase public dialogue on economic issues including those areas prioritised through the work of the Partnership.
• Support the development of the agriculture sector by working with DFAT and GoPNG partners to develop and execute a series of strategic interventions in the sector
• Support the development of the resource sector through developing and actioning a strategy for support prepared in close consultation with GoPNG and DFAT
• Innovation: support DFAT to move beyond traditional aid concepts with the promotion of innovative approaches to leveraging investments, building sustainable public institutions, and engaging emerging private sector and philanthropic actors.
• Knowledge management: lead the preparation or commissioning of position papers on PNG’s emerging economic development issues and priorities. Contribute to dissemination of the results of economic policy research through policy papers and policy dialogues, workshops and seminars, to policymakers, the donor community, the media and the broader public. Ensure that knowledge outputs and learnings are incorporated into program design and implementation.
• Quality assurance: ensure timely responses to requests from GoA and GoPNG for advisory support for the formulation of economic advice. Provide quality assurance for APEP’s economic research, policy briefs and papers to inform policy development and decision-making in PNG. Be responsible for the coordinated delivery and quality assurance of technical inputs, ensuring inputs align with the delivery strategy and contribute to APEP outcomes.
• Adviser and personnel management: manage performance-related matters in accordance with Abt Associates Performance Management policy and DFAT performance policies. Proactively monitor staff to ensure the achievement of Terms of Reference outcomes. Mentor high-performing staff

Operational Management:

• Program implementation: develop and implement the approved delivery strategy and annual work plan, report against progress, and provide input into course correction.
• High quality management: provide accurate forecasts and financial budgets for programs. Manage operations, including quality assurance of technical inputs, performance management of personnel, provision of high-quality reporting, and effective risk management.
• Compliance: ensure compliance with operational requirements including finance, human resources, and shared corporate services.

Gender Equity, Disability and Social Inclusion Mainstreaming:

• Gender Mainstreaming: Ensure APEP delivery strategies address issues of women’s leadership, economic and physical security through mainstreaming inclusion principles and strategies across all work plans.
• Support Team Leaders in their pursuit of continuous Improvement to promote greater gender equity and social inclusion and ensure evidence translated into changes in implementation.
• Monitor evidence of what works to promote greater gender equity and social inclusion, and ensure evidence translated into changes in implementation.
• Demonstrate leadership support for the implementation of key diversity and inclusion policies, including:
  1. Gender Equality Policy
  2. Respect at Work Policy
  3. Flexible Work Policy
  4. Paid Parental Leave Policy
  5. Compensation Policy
  6. Leave Policy
• Any other relevant outputs as defined by the Contractor Representative

Gender Equality Performance Objectives:

• Provide leadership for a work environment that promotes inclusion, mutual respect, integrity, dignity, and non-discrimination always.
• Proactively manage the diverse gender composition of work team/s under your leadership and take reasonable steps to address gaps in diversity and gender representation across all job levels.
• Actively support annual gender pay gap (and other diversity pay gap) activities, including determining action plans to address gap areas and managing the communication and feedback of results and next steps for work team/s under your leadership.
• Promote Abt’s commitment to “equal pay for equivalent work” in work team/s under your leadership for employees of all genders and all diverse backgrounds, and support equity adjustment activities as required.
• Ensure equal access to career opportunities in work team/s under your leadership for employees of all genders and all diverse backgrounds, including during recruitment and selection, and promotion activities.
• Ensure equal access to leadership, development, training, and mentoring opportunities in work team/s under your leadership for employees of all genders and all diverse backgrounds.
• Actively promote Abt’s key diversity and inclusion policies, including flexible work and parental leave, across your relevant work teams and encourage uptake by all employees.
• Participate as an active member of at least one of Abt’s Diversity & Inclusion Working Groups.

Specific Deliverables:

• Robust program management environment established and maintained
• High-level support provided to the inception process with GoPNG and DFAT
• Development and implementation of annual plans that guide the program over the term including the establishment of a process for aligning and integrating with GoPNGs planning and budget cycle.
• Development of the Performance Assessment Framework that measures the effectiveness of activities through outputs and outcomes.

Executive Specific Deliverables:

• High level of responsiveness to AHC issues and requests measured by Program receiving a Partner Performance Rating of 5 or above
• Quality reporting, milestones, deliverables and KPIs are submitted on time and meet internal (Abt) and external (AHC) requirements measured by receiving a Partner Performance Rating of 5 or above
• APEP KPIs relating to the four investment outcomes of the program are of high quality, submitted on time, met and approved by AHC
• Program is delivered on time and within budget and value for money principles drive all Program resourcing decisions measured by receiving a Partner Performance Rating of 5 or above
• Build and maintain open, productive and outcome-oriented relationships with key internal and external stakeholders including AHC and GoPNG. This will be measured through the Program receiving a Partner Performance Rating of 5 or above
• Ensure APEP delivery address issues of inclusive leadership, disability inclusion and security through integrating GEDSI principles and objectives across all activities and as defined in annual workplan
• All corporate risk and fraud issues are proactively identified, reported, and managed following corporate and DFAT policies and procedures measured by Program receiving a Partner Performance Rating of 5 or above

Key working relationships

• Key stakeholders within the Government of PNG
• Key stakeholders within the Government of Australia
• APEP Executive, Senior Management and All Staff
• Abt Corporate Senior Management Team
• Delivery Partners
• Key stakeholders and networks

About You

We are seeking an individual who will bring:

• Masters level qualifications in economics, development, public financial management or related field,
• Significant demonstrated senior management experience in the development and implementation of economic governance programs and private sector development (with experience in a developing country context essential),
• Deep understanding of political economy issues, including an understanding of how power relations within government can have major impacts in program selection, design and implementation,
• Experience in private sector innovation, with proven ability to build collaborative communities and strategic partnerships,
• Exceptional interpersonal skills and proven experience in developing and maintaining relationships with senior partner government officials, donor representatives and other key stakeholders,
• Experience working with central government agencies (finance, treasury, planning, or similar) highly desirable.
• Experience working in PNG or a similar operating environment highly desirable.

How to Apply

Please submit your application online via the "Apply Now" button. aAttach your resume/CV and a cover letter addressing how you meet the requirements of this role.

We welcome and thank all applications, however only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.

About Us

Abt Associates a mission-driven, global leader with a proven track record in complex program implementation in the international development sector. We offer bold solutions and technical excellence in Health, Economic Growth, Governance, Research & Evaluation, Environment & Energy, Gender Equality & Social Inclusion. Working with our many partners, we have driven measurable social impact for more than 55 years, to achieve our mission of improving the quality of life and economic well-being of people worldwide. We operate in remote and challenging environments and employ more than 3,700 staff in over 50 countries. For more information about us and what we do, visit our website at www.abtassociates.com.

Equity

Abt Associates values individuality and celebrates difference with a strong commitment to diversity, equality, racial equity and inclusion. We encourage applications from diverse backgrounds and perspectives, skills and knowledge, so that we can be collectively stronger and have sustained global impact.

Safeguarding

We are deeply committed to safeguarding, to protect and prevent harm and abuse to individuals we work for and who work for us. Our recruitment and selection procedures reflect our commitment to protecting children and vulnerable adults from abuse and exploitation. We will not tolerate discrimination, harassment, child abuse, sexual abuse or exploitation in any form, and expect everyone to be treated with respect and dignity.