Devpolicy Talks

The PNG Update discussed and debated the latest economic and social developments in PNG. This event was multidisciplinary in nature. The conference presented papers from academics and practitioners on the following topics: PNG’s economic outlook Strategies to convert the resource boom into development Social issues in a booming economy Facilitating broad economic development – agriculture, fisheri...

The PNG Update discussed and debated the latest economic and social developments in PNG. This event was multidisciplinary in nature. The conference presented papers from academics and practitioners on the following topics: PNG’s economic outlook Strategies to convert the resource boom into development Social issues in a booming economy Facilitating broad economic development – agriculture, fisheri...

The 2014 Pacific Update consisted of two days of panel discussions, including country updates from around the Pacific and panel sessions on: aid to the Pacific; regionalism and the Pacific Plan Review; fisheries management; and skills and labour mobility. Ron Duncan is an Emeritus Professor at the Crawford School of Public Policy, ANU. More details on the Pacific Update can be found here: https://...

The 2014 Pacific Update consisted of two days of panel discussions, including country updates from around the Pacific and panel sessions on: aid to the Pacific; regionalism and the Pacific Plan Review; fisheries management; and skills and labour mobility. Yongzheng Yang is the IMF Resident Representative for Pacific Island Countries. Christopher Edmonds is Senior Economist, Pacific Department, ADB...

Alice Albright, CEO of the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), was in Canberra in May to meet with the Australian Government ahead of its upcoming funding replenishment. Ms Albright has a long and distinguished career in finance and development, having worked as a banker, then spending eight years in GAVI until taking the role of COO of Exim Bank from 2009 to 2013. While she was in Canberra Jo...

Tess Newton Cain sits down with Elise Huffer, culture Adviser for the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC), where she works on the Human Development Program. Blog post available here: http://devpolicy.org/cultural-economics-elise-huffer-discusses-opportunities-for-the-pacific-20140519/ Devpolicy Talks is the podcast of the Australian National University's Development Policy Centre.  Rea...

Mel Dunn, URS and IDC Australia; Professor Stephen Howes, Development Policy Centre; Joanna Lindner, Australian Council For International Development; Dr Anthony Swan, Development Policy Centre. The Australian aid budget has doubled in the past decade, but with the change of government in September, this unprecedented growth has now been brought to a grinding halt. While the Coalition has committe...

Tess Newton Cain sits down with Colin Tukuitonga the new Director General of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC). Blog post available here: http://devpolicy.org/what-does-the-future-hold-for-spc-an-interview-with-colin-tukuitonga-20140320/ Devpolicy Talks is the podcast of the Australian National University's Development Policy Centre.  Read and subscribe to our daily blogs at devp...

Paul Brockmann is the outgoing Head of Mission for Medecins sans Frontieres (MSF) in Papua New Guinea, focusing on providing medical and psychosocial care for survivors of family and sexual violence. Ashlee Betteridge caught up with Paul during his recent visit to Canberra to discuss MSF’s work in PNG and the challenges facing the health sector more broadly. Blog post available here: http://devpol...

In recent months, the Office of Development Effectiveness, the unit within DFAT that’s responsible for the evaluation of Australia’s aid program, has released three important reports. One is its evaluation of the Australian aid volunteer program. The other are two reports on aid program quality: its review of aid program performance reports, and its Lessons from Australian Aid report. As in past y...

In recent months, the Office of Development Effectiveness, the unit within DFAT that’s responsible for the evaluation of Australia’s aid program, has released three important reports. One is its evaluation of the Australian aid volunteer program. The other are two reports on aid program quality: its review of aid program performance reports, and its Lessons from Australian Aid report. As in past y...

A part of the 2014 Asia and the Pacific Policy Society Conference 2014 organised by the Development Policy Centre on infrastructure reforms. Presentations were: The political economy of utility regulation: the case of Vanuatu - James Ryan, Chief Economist, Utilities Regulatory Authority of Vanuatu The Asian experience with energy subsidies and reform - Dr Shikha Jha, Principal Economist, Economics...

Over 20 per cent of people in Pacific Island Countries (PICS) live in hardship, meaning they are unable to meet their basic needs. Increasing risks from natural and economic shocks also mean many traditional safety nets may not be as effective as they have been in the past. Two new reports shed light on these issues both in the Pacific and worldwide, the World Development Report for 2014, Risk and...

Serena Sumanop is the Executive Director of The Voice Inc, a home-grown Papua New Guinean NGO working to empower young people to contribute to their communities and to development. During her recent visit to Canberra Ashlee Betteridge caught up with Serena to talk about PNG. Devpolicy Talks is the podcast of the Australian National University's Development Policy Centre.  Read and subscribe t...

Tess Newton Cain sits down with Astrid Boulekone, General Manager of the Vanuatu Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Blog available here: http://devpolicy.org/pacific-conversations-private-sector-development-in-vanuatu-with-astrid-boulekone-20140306/ Devpolicy Talks is the podcast of the Australian National University's Development Policy Centre.  Read and subscribe to our daily blogs at devpol...

Sir Fazle Hasan Abed is the Founder and Chairperson of BRAC, the world's largest NGO. https://crawford.anu.edu.au/devpolicy/events Devpolicy Talks is the podcast of the Australian National University's Development Policy Centre.  Read and subscribe to our daily blogs at devpolicy.org. Learn more about our research and join our public events at devpolicy.anu.edu.au. Follow us on Twitter, Faceb...

Frances Seymour is a Senior Fellow at the Center for Global Development based in Washington, DC, and a Senior Advisor to the David and Lucile Packard Foundation. In her keynote address, she argued that, while reducing forest loss will depend on domestic political will and profound institutional and governance changes in forest countries, there are also options available to rich country governments...

This plenary session provided updates and new analysis of aid from three emerging superpowers – China, India and Brazil – from three leading experts. Dr. Rani Mullen is Director, Indian Development Cooperation Research and Senior Visiting Fellow at the Centre for Policy Research in New Delhi. Dr. Tongquan Sun is an Associate Professor at the Rural Development Institute of the Chinese Academy of So...

Roger Ridell is an associate at Oxford Policy Management and is a development and aid specialist with some 40 years’ experience. His 2008 book Does Foreign Aid Really Work? was the first attempt in more than 20 years to survey the evidence around whether aid actually works. Roger’s keynote address provided an updated assessment on aid’s impact, discussed what impact we ought to expect aid to have...

Julie Bishop, Minister for Foreign Affairs, delivered the opening address at the 2014 Australasian Aid and Development Policy Workshop. A transcript of her speech is available here: http://foreignminister.gov.au/speeches/2014/jb_sp_140213.html Devpolicy Talks is the podcast of the Australian National University's Development Policy Centre.  Read and subscribe to our daily blogs at devpolicy.o...

Tess Newton Cain sits down with Kolone Vaai, Principal Consultant at KVAConsult Ltd and former Financial Secretary for the Government of Samoa (1984-1990). Blog post available here: http://devpolicy.org/pacific-conversations-the-economy-of-samoa-with-kolone-vaai-20140122/ Devpolicy Talks is the podcast of the Australian National University's Development Policy Centre.  Read and subscribe to o...

In July and August 2013 the Development Policy Centre surveyed 356 stakeholders in the Australian aid program, from the senior executives of Australia’s biggest NGOs and development contracting companies, to the officials of multilateral, partner government and Australian government agencies. The survey asked them what they thought about the Australian aid program, what they liked, what they didn’...

As troops withdraw and aid declines, this is a critical period of transition for Afghanistan. At this forum, the speakers questioned what has been achieved to date. The event also included the Australia launch of The Asia Foundation’s Survey of the Afghan People 2013. This is the biggest public opinion poll in Afghanistan, covering all 34 provinces. Through face-to-face interviews, over 9,000 Afgh...

Ashlee Betteridge sits down with Daisy Plana to discuss her new role as the Senior Social Worker and first CEO of the PNG Family and Sexual Violence Case Management Centre (CMC).The CMC is a newly registered NGO, currently in the set-up phase. Blog available here: http://devpolicy.org/moving-beyond-the-medical-for-family-and-sexual-violence-survivors-in-png-20131212/ You can read about the rationa...

The Pacific region is particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, which carry the risk of significant economic costs. The Asian Development Bank’s report on the economics of climate change in the Pacific aims to raise the level of understanding of all sectors and stakeholders on possible impacts of climate change, with analyses that lead to regional strategies supported by national p...