THE Department of Provincial and Local-Level Government Affairs (DPLGA) has successfully installed Senior Performance Monitoring Officers (SPMOs) in all seven Highlands provinces as part of its on-going institutional restructuring and governance reform agenda.
Following the restructure of the Department, 20 SPMOs have been deployed across 20 provinces, excluding the National Capital District and the Autonomous Region of Bougainville.
This reform initiative aims to address persistent weaknesses in accountability, oversight, transparency and service delivery across Papua New Guinea’s provincial, district and local-level governments (LLGs), as well as public institutions entrusted with National Government resources.
All seven Highlands provinces now have their respective SPMOs in place and operational, with the recent deployment of Mr. Tony Kapili to Jiwaka Province completing the establishment of the officers across the Highlands region.
Their mandate is to strengthen compliance with national laws and government policies, close governance gaps, improve institutional oversight and ensure that public resources are properly accounted for and translated into tangible services and development outcomes for citizens.
The deployment of SPMOs represents a stronger and more direct approach to subnational governance. It reflects the Government’s position that public funds are held in trust for the people and must be managed transparently, lawfully, efficiently and for their intended public purpose.
The officers will provide a dedicated performance-monitoring presence at the provincial level, strengthening the Department’s capacity to identify in-completed projects,
structures and compliance checks on assets purchased/funded through public funds, monitor institutional performance, support corrective action and escalate persistent failures through appropriate administrative and legal channels.
Their work will focus not only on whether government institutions comply with statutory requirements, but also on whether those requirements translate into improved
governance, stronger financial accountability and measurable improvements in service delivery.
Senior Performance Monitoring Officers as the Operational Arm of Governance Reform Operating under the Provincial and Local-Level Monitoring Authority (PLLSMA), the 20
SPMOs will serve as the operational arm of DPLGA’s performance monitoring, compliance and governance reform agenda across the provinces.
DPLGA Secretary Philip Leo thanked provincial administrators for welcoming and accepting the deployment of the SPMOs into their respective provinces.
“Our SPMOs will be working closely with all of you, and I urge you to provide them with the necessary support to ensure their roles and functions are effectively carried out,” Mr.
Leo stressed.
The Secretary outlined the following key responsibilities of the Senior Performance Monitoring Officers:
- Annual Performance Reporting and Quality Assurance
-Coordinate and support the preparation and quality assurance of Section 119 Annual Provincial Performance Reports (APPRs).
-Verify the completeness, accuracy and consistency of performance information.
-Consolidate performance findings for consideration by the Minister and relevant authorities.
- Statutory Compliance Monitoring
-Track and verify the submission of statutory reports by provincial administrations, District Development Authorities (DDAs), City Authorities and LLGs.
-Monitor compliance with prescribed statutory reporting deadlines.
-Maintain compliance dashboards identifying outstanding reports, governance risks and potential breaches.
-Identify recurring performance and governance weaknesses requiring corrective action.
Escalate persistent non-compliance through appropriate administrative and legal channels.
-Support institutions to establish corrective measures where deficiencies are identified.
- Financial Accountability and Public Funds Oversight
-Strengthen monitoring of the management and reporting of public funds.
Promote transparency in the utilization of National Government grants and other public resources.
-Verify that financial reporting is supported by appropriate documentation and evidence.
Identify governance risks associated with weak financial management and internal controls.
-Ensure that financial accountability is linked to development and service-delivery outcomes.
4. Stakeholder Engagement and Sector Coordination
-Engage provincial administrations, district authorities, LLGs, DDAs, City Authorities and relevant state agencies.
-Strengthen coordination between national and subnational government institutions.
Promote a common understanding of statutory responsibilities and reporting obligations.
-Facilitate corrective action where governance gaps are identified.
-Encourage collaboration among government institutions to improve service delivery.
5. Service Delivery and Performance Monitoring
-Assess whether government programs and investments are producing measurable
outcomes.
-Identify gaps between approved plans, budgets, expenditure and actual services delivered.
-Document service-delivery constraints affecting rural and remote communities.
Escalate systemic barriers requiring policy or administrative intervention.
-Promote a results-based approach in which government performance is assessed against tangible outcomes for citizens.
-Through this strategic deployment, DPLGA is strengthening its institutional presence at the subnational level and reinforcing the Government’s commitment to accountability,
transparency, effective governance and improved service delivery throughout Papua New Guinea.