Comments

Thanks Stephen That's been a useful summary from both your professional perspective elsewhere and your pertinent observations since the Office for Development Effectiveness was abolished. As a former federal public servant and also deeply interested in practical bureaucratic influence within the senior levels of Canberra, may I offer three comments on the Australian Centre for Evaluation. (1) It has been placed as a Branch at the lowest level of an SES 1, in the Macroeconomic Policy and Analysis Division of Treasury- not kept separate and reporting to Parliament (as suggested by Nicholas Gruen years ago). (2) It seems that this would mean being subject to the priorities of either (a) the Division Head, or (b) the Deputy Secretary, or (c) the Secretary. It is not a separate branch reporting directly to the Secretary. (3) I understand that the Branch head will be located in Melbourne. This is likely to reduce the impact of influencing those senior levels located in Canberra. One of the downfalls of the of the earlier APS "Managing for Results" era was the indifference of Secretaries to acting on the results of the evaluations of those times. Dr Mike Keating, Secretary first at Finance then at PM&C, deserves credit for the impetus behind that "Managing for Results" era. Especially as Head of the APS, at PM&C.

A timely and thoughtful piece that offers a way forward. The article in the sourcing of weapons from PNG's security services on ABC news today is also well worth a look: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-03-01/png-weapons-aid-australia-united-states-used-in-tribal-fight/103505728

Mega construction projects have aways been a route to big money. A government's worth is generally rated by how well it looks after its people. I would advise you to not look too hard.

The only route to repaying political corner posts of Pangu I guess. The route leading to fueled corruption and glitch.

The Taliban didn't ban girls from school. They just banned liberal schools and now they are learning in madrassa (means school in arabic) where they teach religion with modern subjects and you know how the madrassa school is. The US propaganda media itself reported it here: https://archive.ph/limCg. They separate male and female, this is really good and safe for women while liberal school is mixed gender.

An informative article on continuous progress and reforms in the tiny island republic. Having worked on the island as a contract officer, we were able to reform the education system to cater for their older cohort population who never attended school during the phosphate boom. The Republic needs to build and develop its human resource, through the basic education system on the island. Post secondary education should be completed outside of the island. The health sector needs to be continuously developed as awareness is now serious business in personal health and hygiene. Nauru needs a smart, wise and healthy population to provide the continuous manpower needs in its public and private sector of employment. That is the only way they can sustain their daily living. Reasons being the island has no land sufficient for expansion and agriculture.

Vinaka Stephen - one observation to share - one positive in the Australian government's pursuit of the aid/development effectiveness agenda in the Pacific, was their advocacy for the subsequent endorsement of the 2009 Cairns Compact for Strengthening Development Coordination (Forum Compact) by the Pacific Islands Forum - several deliverables elicited "recipient" country perspectives and action across internationally endorsed measures for development effectiveness. From 2009 - 2017, Pacific country perspectives on what effectiveness changes needed to be made in the delivery, management, and programming of aid in the Pacific were put to Forum leaders, donor partners (bilateral, multilateral) annually. Perhaps, a resurgence of instruments to elicit and place the voices of Pacific countries at the heart of measuring the effectiveness of "aid," let alone partnerships, might be what's needed in the face of the growing geo-political interest in our region.

very good article thanks

Hi Michael, Thank you for the article. One question regarding the alternative candidate named on the motion paper. The constitution implies in section 145 that it can be substituted. I cannot quite understand the process. Can the nominee be substituted on the floor of parliament? Does the mover of the motion have to nominate the person named or can that person refuse the nomination on the floor and another be nominated?

Thank you very much Tom for raising some vital points. About your first point please go to the piece, ‘today about 90% of the Rohingya population lives in Bangladesh’. Source: Managing the Rohingya refugee crisis: Who holds power? | South Asia@LSE. The article is approaching five years old (2019) so the situation might have changed. A prominent Rohingya figure who was killed by ARSA was Mr. Mohib Ullah, not Mohid Ullah— your second point. I apologise and admit that I will correct the spelling. Regards Shoma

Thanks for the reminders and insights.

It requires picking which groups get access. There is often a lot of resentment between NGOs as to which get listened to or gain funding. Who appoints these NGOs?