Position: Communications Assistant

Program: Strongim Bisnis

Location: Honiara, Solomon Islands with provincial travel

Duration: Full time, fixed term

Line Manager and Direct Report To: Communications and Engagement Director (DTL), Strongim Bisnis

Works With: Communications, Partnerships, Finance and Operations, and MRM teams

Background
Strongim Bisnis is an innovative pro-business program funded by the Australian Government.

Strongim Bisnis supports Solomon Islands businesses to increase productivity, access greater income earning opportunities and higher value markets; with the intention of enabling greater resilience and creating jobs. Poverty reduction will be the desired result. Strongim Bisnis also supports the private sector and the Solomon Islands Government to work together effectively to increase opportunities for trade and investment and accelerate business growth. A key focus of the program ensures that Solomon Islands women, youth and people with disability have increased economic opportunities.

The program takes a market systems development (MSD) approach to unlocking opportunities for growth in selected sectors (cocoa, coconut, tourism, timber, horticulture, financial services, and waste management). MSD requires Strongim Bisnis to carefully select partnerships, and design interconnected activities that deliver tangible and measurable results. For each activity it must be possible to track progress from improving the performance of Solomon Islands enterprises, to achieving resilient systemic change in markets, and ultimately increasing income and employment. In this way, Strongim Bisnis avoids ad hoc activities and seeks deep engagement with market actors.

Strongim Bisnis activities may include developing and testing new business models, sharing the risk of new ventures in partnership with private sector actors, facilitating market access, supporting structural changes to the ‘business enabling environment’, product marketing to bring about greater scale, and improving women, youth, and people with disability’s participation in markets and their access and control over productive resources.

Position Summary and Justification for the Role
The Communications Assistant supports the Communications team in executing campaigns and activities aligned with the communications strategy. This role plays an operational part in ensuring effective financial management within the communications function and assisting with administrative and coordination tasks that enable the team to deliver high-quality outputs in a fast-paced environment.

Duties and Responsibilities

1. Event Coordination Support:

• Assist with event planning and coordination in collaboration with the Communications team, implementation team, and program partners.

• Support the coordination of travel arrangements including creating and managing Travel and Event TEAF (Travel, Event, and Activity Forms) where applicable.

   

2. Finance and Administration:

• Support the tracking and processing of communications expenses and invoices.
• Process cash advance requests and document acquittals for communication events.
• Provide administrative, financial, and event coordination support as required to the Communications Officer.

3. Website Monitoring and Updates:

• Support the Communications and Engagement Director to regularly update and publish new content on the website.
• Ensure content accuracy, relevance, and quality to align with programme goals.

4. Branding and Style Guidelines:

• Support communications copy and materials follow the correct use of Strongim Bisnis branding and Australian Government style guidelines.

5. Media Monitoring:

• Track and monitor media outlets to ensure accurate project exposure and capture relevant media coverage.

6. Content Strategy Implementation:

• Support the Communications team in implementing the Communications Content Strategy.
• Assist with the execution of campaigns and activities in line with the communications plan.

7. Stakeholder Collaboration:

• Support the communications team in obtaining approvals for content and ensuring alignment with program goals.

Other Responsibilities:

• Assist the Communications and Engagement Director with various communications-related activities as needed.

APEP is seeking technical assistance from an organisation to consult key stakeholders to complete a comprehensive assessment of fresh produce supply chains and support systems.

The study is expected to involve up to 100 days of consultancy work in-country and spread over the months of June to August 2025. It will require travel to fresh produce growing sites in the Highlands (WHP, Jiwaka, Simbu, EHP) and Lowlands (Lae, Port Moresby and Kimbe) where enterprising commercial growers and aggregators are based. Data collection will also be required in Lae, Port Moresby, Ok Tedi, Lihir and Kutubu where most formal fresh produce markets exist.

* This opportunity is a revised release of an opportunity previously advertised. The revised release invites responses from organisations registered in Papua New Guinea in addition to organisations registered outside of Papua New Guinea. 

Those interested in participating in this approach can request the RFQ documentation from png.tenders@amspng.org or can access the documents online from https://www.abtglobal.com/doing-business-with-abt/solicitations 

All Enquiries should be made to: PNG Tenders png.tenders@amspng.org

APEP is seeking technical assistance from an organisation with good knowledge of fresh produce production and a background in agriculture training and curriculum development. The successful respondent will work with the Fresh Produce Development Agency (FPDA) to understand the technical capacity of its extension programs, extension workers and its relationships with research and learning institutions. The study is expected to identify strengths and weakness in technical capacity of extension programs and workers and match them with training and learning opportunities available in the country. The study is seeking to streamline the activities of key partners from the supply side of the fresh produce sector and improve efforts to achieve consistency in production and supply fresh produce crop products to formal markets in PNG. 

The study will involve up to 90 days of consultancy work in-country over the months of June to September 2025. It requires close consultation with FPDA as the lead government agency in the fresh produce sector and will extend to other private extension entities.

* This opportunity is a revised release of an opportunity previously advertised. The revised release invites responses from organisations registered in Papua New Guinea in addition to organisations registered outside of Papua New Guinea. 

Those interested in participating in this approach can request the RFQ documentation from png.tenders@amspng.org or can access the documents online from https://www.abtglobal.com/doing-business-with-abt/solicitations 

All Enquiries should be made to: PNG Tenders png.tenders@amspng.org

The MIPU Women’s Network was formally launched in November 2023. It is a key activity under the MIPU Inclusivity Policy as summarised below. 

The MIPU Inclusivity Policy (2015) has five policy objectives: 

• Strive to be a workplace that is inclusive, diverse and fair for all employees, contractors, volunteers and ensures access and equity in employment, training and promotion opportunities
• Endeavor to provide the highest possible level of service to the community and to ensure that all working activities are delivered keeping in mind the need to provide accessible and inclusive services to the Vanuatu population
• Acknowledge that everyone should have equal opportunities to participate effectively regardless of age, gender, culture, race, economic circumstance, disability, religion, family responsibilities
• Aim to increase opportunities for people, especially disadvantaged groups, to engage in all aspects of the community and to work their way to a better life by developing policies and programs that can support individuals to do this
• Encourage all employees to develop their skills with barriers faced by specific groups identified and action taken to address them.

1. Vision
2. Inclusivity Policy and Women’s Empowerment

The vision is to ‘create a positive workplace culture that is gender diverse and inclusive in which women and men are equally represented, valued and rewarded. It is recognized that males and females have different needs and perspectives to consider (MIPU Inclusivity Policy, p. 4).

There are two key sections of the MIPU Inclusivity Policy that focus specifically on women.

A. Promotion of Women’s Empowerment

The MIPU Inclusivity Policy identifies the following principles:

Women working within the Ministry have the same potential as men, and should be included in all areas of work. Affirmative action must be taken so that women can be empowered to communicate and participate on an equal footing with men.

A.1 Policy Requirements

In taking affirmative action to maximize the inclusion of women in the workplace, the Ministry should support:

• The establishment of a Women’s Network to enhance and maintain a positive working culture for women, involving activities and social events to bring female staff together and to promote inclusion for women across all departments
• The establishment of a mentoring program for women
• Strategies for recruiting and promoting female staff into management positions.

B. Safety and Security

Women have a right to enjoy a safe and secure workplace, free from violence, sexual harassment, and threatening behaviour.

B.1 Policy Requirements

In order to provide a safe and secure workplace for women the Ministry should:

• Ensure that lighting is provided for paths to and from the workplace after dark.
• Provide separate toilets for women in all workplaces.
• Maintain an incident log to record all incidents affecting the safety and security of women.

The MIPU Women’s Network has an Action Plan includes a focus on developing a cadre of women leaders across MIPU.

3. Inclusivity policy and youth

Young people globally are often situated at the margins of society and viewed as having little to contribute. With limited experience in the world of work and few opportunities to gain this experience, young people in Vanuatu risk not being able to successfully transition to adulthood. In Vanuatu, youth are defined as being between the ages of 12 and 30 years, whilst acknowledging that there are also cultural considerations that may extend the period of youth to those under the age of 12 years.[1] When we use the term ‘youth’ we are referring to young females and males between the ages of 12 and 30 years.

MIPU acknowledges that:

• Youth form an important part of the workforce and represent the country’s future. In supporting Vanuatu’s young people, and harnessing their potential, the Ministry should work towards creating training and employment opportunities for youth in the community. 
• Youth face many challenges in starting and succeeding in a new job. The Ministry should strive to facilitate stable and nurturing relationships toward young employees (including interns and cadets). 
• In 2023, the MIPU Women’s Network consulted extensively with youth to develop a Youth Action Plan, based on the aspirations for young people themselves. The Youth Action Plan identifies two clear actions to be implemented in the coming years: 
  • Creating opportunities for youth
  • Supporting youth in the workplace

Key outcomes from working with youth

Through working with youth, MIPU aims to:

1. Create opportunities for youth

Where possible, endeavor to take on requests from young people for work experience and internships. This could be done by working with community partners, such as Youth Challenge and other organisations and institutions.

1. Establish and maintain a formal cadet program, offering paid placements for work experience within MIPU 
2. Encourage SSCs to engage young people in road and infrastructure projects 
3. Identify potential CBC’s where youth groups can be engaged
4. Undertake regular career awareness sessions in schools 
5. Work with Learning Institutions to provide Industrial Attachment Placements for young people
6. Identify employment opportunities with Ministry and Donor supported initiatives and projects 

2. Support youth in the workplace

Provide opportunity to develop competencies and skills through formal training and regular on-the-job coaching and mentoring sessions.

1. Encourage and support youth to actively participate in decision-making 
2.  Identify training opportunities for young employees in project designs 

In addition, the Public Works Department has developed a Universal Social Safeguard Guide on Community Consultation and youth are identified as a group that need to be included in discussions and decision making about matters that affect them. 
 

[1] Vanuatu National Youth Development Policy 2012-2022 https://vnyc.gov.vu/images/nationalyouthdevelopmentpolicy.pdf (access sate 15 June 2024).