Overview

The basic proposition of this Program is that effective governance, through predictable institutions, is a requisite for effective service delivery and sustainable economic development. Discussions about service delivery in PNG are often intertwined with discussions about degrees of autonomy, and about the devolution of powers and functions to the different levels of government. The recent establishment of city authorities and District Development Authorities, and the debates surrounding both, provide ample evidence of these discussions from which will emerge a number of key research questions.

It is envisaged that the Governance Program will monitor service delivery and reflect on arrangements for distribution of powers and functions through the lens of economic development. The Program will enjoy close links with other NRI research programs, including Economic Policy, Property Sector Development, Informal Economy, Building Safer Communities, and Gender. It will also link with the Office of Political Parties and Candidates, the Constitutional Law Reform Commission, the National Economic and Fiscal Commission, and the government of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville.