The first leg of the Bilum Digital Platform sub-national stakeholders’ awareness workshop and readiness program commenced successfully in Alotau district, Milne Bay Province for the Southern region yesterday.
The four day consultation and awareness workshop was officially opened by Alotau MP, Ricky Moris, followed by keynote addresses from the Deputy Provincial Administrator - Governance, Sharon Mua.
The lead government agency- Department of Implementation and Rural Development (DIRD) who holds a significant mandate, in overseeing, monitor and report on the GoPNG rural development intervention programs, in Service Improvement Program (SIP - PSIP & DSIP) and Constitutional Grants for the provinces and districts has developed this Digital Platform.
This co-founded by the Government of PNG and Australian Government through the Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade.
Moris said consultation and awareness workshop is very significant for the public servants in the province and districts to understand and accept the DIRD Bilum Platform, it's benefits, functionalities and potential impacts, stakeholders garner their support for the project and contribute to its success.
He said the program serves as a platform to build and reinforce relationship with key stakeholders.
"This is to ensure enhanced collaboration, trust and mutual understanding which is beneficial in the long run," he said.
Mua welcome DIRD's Bilum Digital Platform project saying this digital platform initiative, an information management system (IMS), will greatly help the provinces and districts to ensure effective and efficient facilitation, implementation, and reporting of SIP (PSIP & DSIP).
The theme for the awareness workshop is "Strengthening good governance through digital innovation in partnership with all stakeholders.”
All district and provincial public servants from Southern region have attended this consultation workshops that will greatly help them for development planning and equitable resource allocation.
This Digital Platform is a cloud based management system to develop a fit-for-purpose system to enable effective coordination, management and reporting of the output and outcome of Service Improvement Program (PSIP & DSIP) in the country.
This Bilum Digital Platform aims to improve service delivery and strengthen good governance, accountability and transparency through whole - of- government data driven decision - making, policy formulation, development planning and resources allocation for impact development and service delivery for rural majority.
This project is aligned with GoPNG's Medium Term Development Plan IV (MTDP IV 2023 - 2027) Strategic Priority Area # 08 Integrated Digital Government System.
National Government agencies who attended include; the Department of Information, Communication & Technology, Department of Prime Minister & National Executive Council, Department of National Planning & Monitoring, National Statistical Office, Department of Finance and development partners did their presentation on their agencies roles supporting DIRD's Bilum Digital Platform project.