Program Overview: 

A stable, prosperous, peaceful and resilient PNG is critical to Australia and New Zealand’s interests. Australia is PNG's largest development partner; its main partner on economic and security issues outlined in Australia’s Comprehensive Strategic Economic Partnership with PNG (CSEP) and Development Partnership Plan with PNG 2024-2029.

The Australia PNG Subnational Program (APSP) is an enabling mechanism comprised of four separately designed programs including; Bougainville Partnership (BP), Kokoda Initiative Partnership (KIP), the Western Province Partnership (WP) and the Subnational Governance Implementation Program (SGIP). Each program has its own outcomes, theory of change, operational approach and separate monitoring and evaluation systems. 

There are five high level outcomes which span all programs: 

• Output one: Effective gender-centred programs delivered for Bougainville, Kokoda, and Western Province and SGIP

• Output two: Support DFAT to coordinate Australian inputs in selected subnational contexts

• Output three: Technical assistance targeted at key institutions and policy reforms

• Output four: Rapid programming of resources in support of DFAT priorities

• Output five and six: Analysis, learning, and adaptation 

Contracted from 2022 to 2026, the APSPs centralised approach is aimed to ensure and drive value for money by realising back office efficiencies, ensure gender is consistently at the forefront of each program and deliver opportunities for learning and adaptation between programs. 

The APSP’s end of program outcomes include 

i) Efficient and effective programs delivered in selected provinces that achieve planned end of program outcomes and 

ii) Australia recognised as a well-informed and constructive partner for investment and policy dialogue at subnational level 

The APSP component programs are connected in methodology via place-based approaches and locally led development. For Australia the emergence of a peaceful, stable and prosperous Bougainville is a key national interest; supporting the Government of PNG (GoPNG) and the Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG) to implement the Bougainville Peace Agreement is an explicit commitment in the 2017 White Paper. An overriding interest is to maintain the peace that the Agreement brought about and that is enabled by political dialogue, within and outside Bougainville, and economic development. 2025 is an important year in Bougainville with general elections scheduled and appointment of an Independent Moderator (supported by the UN) to assist the post-referendum intergovernmental dialogue between the Governments of Papua New Guinea and Bougainville. 

The Bougainville Partnership is part of the Australia-PNG Subnational Strategic Framework. The goal of the Subnational Strategic Framework, of which the BP is a part, is the implementation of the commitment in the 2020 Comprehensive Strategic and Economic Partnership (CSEP) between Australia and PNG: 

PNG and Australia strengthen cooperation on PNG’s priority regions and economic corridors to drive growth, enhance stability and improve service delivery. 

As an activity within the subnational portfolio the BP contributes to this goal. It also contributes to the Bougainville Vision 2052, President Toroama’s Six Point Plan and the Bougainville Integrated Strategic Development Plan 2023 – 2027. 

The BP’s goal is to contribute to a peaceful, stable, and prosperous Bougainville. To achieve this the Partnership aims to deliver the following desired end of program outcomes; 

1. Capable GoPNG and ABG institutions able to carry out high priority tasks that support Bougainville’s development and post-Referendum dialogue. 

2. Economic development where the ABG and business associations jointly plan and implement initiatives to improve the private sector environment for inclusive economic development, and women and men are engaged in primary production which has increased benefits from inclusive associations and cooperatives. 

3. Stronger communities where communities, women and youth collaborate effectively to establish sustainable community assets, deliver services and advocate for their target groups. 

4. Women increasingly participating in decision making and taking leadership roles in civic, economic, and political spaces. 

Position Overview: 

The Director, Bougainville Partnership will have responsibility for: 

• Operating in a senior leadership role in supporting the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT), the Executive Director, leading BP Advisers and team in the implementation, management and coordination of the Partnership in consultation with the program’s primary counterparts. 

• Demonstrated ability to work in an adaptive manner, with the strategic ability to pivot program approaches in line with the political economy in consultation with, and at the direction of, the Australian High Commission (AHC) and New Zealand High Commission (NZHC). 

• Assist DFAT and MFAT to build, manage, and leverage a network of relationships and stakeholders that are central to the Bougainville Partnership. 

• Demonstrate a visible and systematic commitment to achieving gender equality through the APSP and for achieving against agreed gender equality performance objectives. 

Selection Criteria: 

• Advanced Degree qualification in international relations, public policy, human rights, development studies, management or a related field (preferable). 

• Strong background and demonstrated capacity to oversee all administrative, operational and programmatic aspects of a high-profile aid investment within a complex, sensitive and evolving political economy. 

• Awareness and understanding of the Bougainville history and context within PNG, Melanesia and the Pacific, would be beneficial. 

• Demonstrated awareness and understanding of sub-national governance in PNG and Melanesia and place-based programming and locally led development methodologies to improve service delivery, would be beneficial. 

• Outstanding intercultural team leadership skills demonstrated on large donor programs within an evolving political economy. 

• Excellent political economy analytical skills that are regularly applied to ensure the Program’s sustained delivery against approved investment designs, strategies and workplans. 

• Ability to understand local contexts and provide advice to donors on adaptive programming to ensure investments remain aligned with partner’s priorities. 

• Excellent representational skills that ensure key relationships are well maintained with donor partners, senior government officials (national and sub-national), implementing partners and civil society.

• Strong negotiation skills that are applied across various contexts to ensure program continuity and program growth.

For more information on the role and how to apply, please click on ‘GO TO PROVIDER’