Eighteen Papua New Guinea senior public servants have gained Certificates in Governance and Public Policy from the University of Queensland through the Pacific Leadership and Governance Precinct.
Australian High Commissioner Bruce Davis congratulated the public servants and encouraged them to apply their skills to improving governance, policy development and ethical behaviour.
“It is very good to know that your course was tailored around the government of Papua New Guinea’s Ethics and Values-Based Executive Leadership and Management Capability Framework,” he said at their graduation ceremony.
The public servants were exposed to leading thinkers in the public, private and community sectors, and attended leadership forums with senior Queensland public servants and judicial system representatives.
The students expressed a determination to implement their executive leadership plans and transform their workplaces.
“We came back with so much knowledge from this course and each one of us has objectives that we will implement when we go back to our offices and we will be discussing with our supervisors to make sure we are not restricted in implementing these objectives,” Theresa Siaguru said.
She added: “Governance is the process of making correct decisions. And when making decisions we have to take into considerations certain characteristics such as ethics, protocols, inclusiveness, transparency and effectiveness.”
The Governance and Public Policy course was delivered by the University of Queensland. Students undertook six weeks intensive coursework in Brisbane and four weeks in PNG. The course included group work, mentoring sessions and individual assessment.
The Pacific Leadership and Governance Precinct is a joint initiative of the PNG and Australian Governments to strengthen ethical and accountable leadership across the region.
Precinct courses bring together talented and motivated individuals, giving them the practical and ethical framework to advance in key national agencies.
The Precinct also offers degree and diploma courses through its partner institutions, the School of Business and Public Policy at the University of Papua New Guinea, and the PNG Institute of Public Administration.