Department of Personnel Management (DPM)

Highlighted in DPM’s recently launched 2023 Corporate Plan and key result areas is the “Management of Public Service Housing (home ownership and institutional housing)” and the “Modernization of the public service terms and conditions to support a lean and effective public service structure.”

One of them is a draft national housing policy, made in collaboration with the National Research Institute.

Host provincial advisor for human resource management under the ENB Provincial Administration (ENBPA), Godfrey Henny, said the national housing policy is good news for the public service.

Public Service Minister, Joe Sungi made this known when addressing DPM staff on Tuesday 24th January 2023. 

The brief meet was to look at Human Resource employment development for Central Province. As it was her first government department visit, Governor Peter said it was only logical to visit DPM first to get HR work done.

Governor Peter said, “As a female political leader, we all know that space still has a lot of perception that women are not effective political leaders, and so for Rai Coast MP Kessy Sawang and I, we have to be demonstrative and make this perception a myth.”

The review is an annual gathering of government agencies prior to the starting of the second quarter budget review.

The two-week conference started on Tuesday and is attended by government agencies, provincial administrators, CEO’s of provincial health authorities and relevant human resource management team in the public service sector.

This is part of a four-year long-term exercise under the Public Sector Reform project that started in 2021 reviewing all government agency functions and policies.

DPM Secretary, Taies Sansan said, “The Functions Expenditure Review (FER) is a critical government reform conducted by DPM to know if agencies are performing their mandated functions, and if they have outlined their short and long-term plans to achieve the National Government’s 20-year Strategic Development Plan (SDP) and realise Vision 2050.”

Secretary Taies Sansan said the state has not been informed of any industrial dispute or a call for withdrawal of labour registered by the Industrial Registrar and there was no secret ballot conducted by the nurses and therefore the notice issued for withdrawal of labour in the media is illegal and improper.

She said, the Government is doing all it can to address issues contained in the Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) signed by DPM, PNGNA and the Department of Health on 25^th of August 2020.

DPM has been directed that six months before contracts expire, positions must be advertised and acting appointments must be for a period of three months before a substantive appointment be made.

NEC in its directive wants contracts for appointed positions be cleared by the State Solicitor in the shortest possible time; not more than three months.

He was the executive manager (legislative and administrative reforms) in the Department of Personnel Management (DPM) before his tragic passing.

PNGAAA president Professor Teatulohi Matainaho described his death as a loss to his family, his employer DPM and the nation.

“The late Raymond – upon his return from postgraduate studies at the Australia National University – was tasked to oversee the implementation of key policy initiatives at the DPM.

“His death leaves behind a big hole in the department and public service capacity generally in PNG,” he said.