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DNPM deserves credit
I REFER to the recent article on the launching of the
Ambunti-Dreikikir website which was published in The National.
I commend MP Tony Aimo, who is also Minister for Correctional Services, and
the district and provincial staff for their effort and support of this
project.
I note in the website that a large portion is dedicated to the district’s
five-year development plan (2008-2012), which I read with interest.
I wish to comment on the contribution made by stakeholders to the district
plan.
However, I noticed that the document failed to acknowledge technical
contribution from the staff of the Department of National Planning and
Monitoring (DNPM), who were involved initially in assisting districts
including Ambunti-Dreikikir in drafting their respective district plans
during the district planning roll-out exercise.
The reason being that, prior to 2001, there were hardly any formal structure
of district plans in place in which districts and provinces use to formulate
their respective sectoral plans and lining them up with the Government’s
priorities of expenditure and the public investment programme (PIP).
District and provincial plans during that time were done in formats which
were sometime not compatible with the Government’s expenditure priorities as
well as funding requirements of development partners and as such, securing
funds through PIP and donors were sometimes a headache for districts.
In 2001-2002, under the Government’s National Charter Programme, DNPM was
tasked to implement the segment of the Organic Law on Provincial and Local
Level Government to assist provinces and districts in developing their
respective plans in conformity with the concept of a unified planning
system.
With assistance from AusAID, DNPM through the leadership of the Planning and
Programming Division was able to assist almost the 89 districts in the
country including Ambunti-Dreikikir.
Let me point out that the format of the district plan that was adopted and
displayed in the website is exactly the format that the staff of DNPM
prepared before it was finally endorsed to be used during the district
planning roll-out exercise.
I would like to point out that it would be only proper for the authors of
this document to acknowledge the DNPM’s effort in setting the phase of a
unified planning system in PNG.
Melchior Lombore
Former planner
Port Moresby |
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