Ambassador Catherine Ebert-Gray, U.S. Ambassador for Papua New Guinea, alongside Mr. Ruel Yamuna, the Managing Director of the Climate Change and Development Authority (CCDA) today launched a Project Management course for 69 Papua New Guinean leaders to better manage projects that prevent and mitigate the impact of natural disasters in the country.
The course is part of the United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID) partnership with the University of the South Pacific and PNG’s CCDA to support Pacific Island countries become more environmentally and disaster resilient. The five-month course will help leaders strengthen their management skills to design and implement disaster resilience projects. Class participants include mid-level managers of government departments, non-governmental organizations, and representatives from the private sector.
“The Project Management course is designed to build greater cooperation, as well as generate new ideas, practical tools and techniques that would help PNG leaders to access and manage international adaptation funds,” Ambassador Ebert-Gray said. “Our hope is that in the future, local private sector and civil society, with support from the government, will be able to take the lead in managing current and upcoming investments to help achieve our shared goal of a more prosperous and resilient future for the people of Papua New Guinea.”
Participants of the course include mid-level managers of Government departments such as the Climate and Development Authority, Department of works and Implementation, representatives from non-governmental organizations such as World Vision PNG, Wildlife Conservation Society and private sector organizations such as Oil Search and PNG Power Limited.
“This Ready training course on project management capacity will indeed ensure efficient management of resources, not only for Government, but for private sector, and civil society organizations,” said Mr. Yamuna. “Not only it is relevant today, this is an activity that is good and practical that the Green Growth Academy will need to look into, and incorporate into its programs in the future. I say this because it addresses the issue of sustainability. I see this training program support as a long-term impact of USAID’s Ready project and we look forward to the lessons from this particular course.”
This is the first project management course supported by USAID’s Ready project in Papua New Guinea. USAID is rolling out the course across Pacific Island Countries, where more than 400 people are expected to participate, including women and people with disabilities.