Picture Caption: (Left-right) UPNG acting Vice-Chancellor Mange Matui, Australian Public Service Commissioner John Lloyd and Department of Personnel Management acting Secretary Taies Sansan.
Department of Personnel Management Acting Secretary, Taies Sansan and Australian Public Service Commissioner, John Lloyd met recently for a discussion on ethical leadership and the decentralisation of government functions to regional areas. The discussion, Leading for the Future – Ethics, Workplace Culture and Leadership in a Decentralised Public Sector, was the first event in the 2018 University of Papua New Guinea Vice-Chancellor’s Lecture Series, and was supported by the Pacific Leadership and Governance Precinct.
Ms Sansan said decentralisation means public servants in the provinces and districts have a greater role to play in the delivery of services.
“A majority of Papua New Guineans live in regional areas and public servants on the ground are best placed to understand the needs of the community they serve,” she said.
“At the Department of Personnel Management, we are strengthening public service leadership at all levels – from central agencies in Port Moresby to the provincial, district and local levels. The Precinct and the newly relaunched Pacific Institute of Leadership and Governance are some of the mechanisms we are using to develop the capacity of the public service to make it more efficient, effective and ethical.”
The Department of Personnel Management and the Pacific Institute of Leadership and Governance maintain strong institutional links with the Australian Public Sector Commission through the Precinct.
Mr Lloyd said good governance and an effective public service is critically important for the stability and success of every country.
“Like the PNG public service, the Australian Public Service delivers many community services and buys goods worth billions of dollars,” he said.
“As public servants, all of us must carry out our duties with honesty, integrity, accountability, respect and responsibility. Our leaders must lead by example and demonstrate the highest standards for others to emulate.”
The Department of Personnel Management, Australian Public Service Commission and Pacific Institute of Leadership and Governance, through the Precinct, have run courses in East New Britain, East Sepik, Madang and Southern Highlands, reaching nearly 200 public servants. The Precinct also supports the partnership between the University of Papua New Guinea’s School of Business and Public Policy and the Australian National University.
The Pacific Leadership and Governance Precinct is a partnership between Papua New Guinea and Australia to support the development of ethical, capable public sector leaders.
Source: Australian High Commission Papua New Guinea
