Kavanamur: I’m leaving to give someone else a chance

Education

Outgoing Secretary for the Department of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology Prof David Kavanamur is leaving satisfied that he has delivered to the Government and the public service.
Kavanamur, who took office on secondment from the University of PNG in 2012, told The National that during the five years they had worked hard to ensure the then Office of Higher Education was upgrade to a department.
“I’m satisfied that I delivered what I came to deliver for the Government and I worked for the country. I gave 17 years to University of PNG and five years to the public service,”  he said.
“In 2009 I chaired the Vision 2050 so we wrote the PNG Vision 2050 and the Government appointed me in 2012 to run the department. I’m satisfied that I’ve given my best so I’m going away a happy man.
“I felt that because of all these work that I’ve done that I want to pass on the baton to a set of competent Papua New Guineans to take on the challenge and run the department as it is and so that’s the reason I left because I wanted to give the opportunity to another Papua New Guinean.
“I’m very grateful to the Government for recognising my skills and talents and for appointing me in 2012.
“I came in with this government during the impasse and I felt that now that this government is going out that I also want to take a break.
“I’m leaving a sector that has been built and it’s actually in good shape and its ready to take off and I see myself as a tent builder.
“I just build and go.”
Kavanamur has taken a voluntary retirement from the public service at the age of 50 and is now working with the Pacific Governance Facility as the senior director responsible for knowledge, analytic and learning.

Pacific Governance Facility is a major contractor to the Government of Australia.
“I’ve gone on to work for another project, the Pacific Governance Facility.
“We are going to be working through the programme to support the public service and all the universities throughout the country so I’m not moving too far away from what I was doing. I’m actually within the same field.”