Overview
The Division of Community Development in the Province is a decentralized function of the National Department for Community Development established within the West New Britain Provincial Administration to regulate the implementation of specific social welfare legislation such as:
- Civil Registration Act 2014
- The National Council of Women’s Act 1979
- The Lukautim Pikinini Act 2015
- Family Protection Act 2013
- Deserted Wives & Children’s Act
The Division coordinates and delivers community development programs aimed at mobilizing local communities to work together towards strengthening family units and improving lives of all people through partnership and collaboration with district and local level government administrations, development partners and no-government organization (NGOs), faith-based organization targeting specific social issues.
Community Development services are cascaded down to the three (3) Districts and twelve (12) Local Level Governments (LLGs) with staffing allocation follow suit. District Coordinators are designated at the Districts whereas each LLG is assigned with a Community Development Officer. This staffing arrangement is made to ensure that services reach communities at the Ward Level.
Core Functions
The core functions of Community Development include:
- Community Development Program Administration
- Child and Family Services
- Youth and Gender Development
- Women Development
- Disability
- Civil Registry
- Labor Mobility
- Church Partnership
Key Responsibilities
The Division of Community Development is responsible for community services, which include, but are not restricted to, youths, women, sports, religion, civil registration (births, deaths & marriages), child protection and family, and family welfare services, non-government organizations, and disability and elderly citizens at the provincial level.
Community Development is responsible for:
- Tailoring activities that support the protection and promotion of Human-Rights with capacity building.
- Promote Gender-Equality and Social Inclusion to address Cross-Cutting Issues that affect the lives of vulnerable groups of people.
- Facilitate skills training and empowerment programs to enable youth, women, and vulnerable groups of people in the communities to be self-reliant and sustainable.
- Deliver programs through an integrated approach at Districts, LLGs, Wards, and communities to improve and support community learning, environment, and governance to make informed decisions.
- Promote church and private partnership arrangements to foster a holistic approach in service delivery and development initiatives.
Programs & Services
The Division of Community Development is responsible for delivering the following programs and their services:
- Community Development Management
This program plays a significant role in providing overall leadership and management within the Division to ensure all internal programs are implemented effectively and efficiently. It is responsible for strategic planning and policy initiatives to drive community development across the province, as well as strengthening collaboration with stakeholders and development partners for inclusive and sustainable community services.
- Child & Family Service
This program is mandated to implement the Lukautim Pikinini Act 2015 and other relevant Acts and Policies that promote the best interests of children.
Key Services include:
- Child Protection Services – Receiving and assessing reports of abuse, neglect and exploitation.
- Family support and Intervention – Working with families to reduce risks and strengthen care and protection.
- Case Management and Referrals – Coordinating services with Police, Health, education, early childhood, out of home care centers and community partners.
- Alternative care and placement support – Supporting safe care arrangements when children cannot remain at home. Out of home care services are utilized in such cases.
- Family Mediation and Reunification – Supporting safe family reunification where appropriate.
- Support for Children with Disabilities – Ensuring inclusive access to protection and services.
- GBV related Child Protection Responses – Responding to cases where children are affected by family and sexual violence.
- Community Awareness and Prevention – Promoting child safety through education and outreach.
3. Youth & Gender Development
The Youth Development Program is to support and promote young men and women in participating in decision-making and leadership roles, and in being effectively engaged with the government’s aspiration development goals, ensuring young people have a voice in shaping their lives.
Key Services Include:
- Facilitates the youth help desk and technical advice to the Youth Council Network in terms of its legislation, policy, and guidelines of establishment.
- Provide assistance and guidance to the establishment of youth groups, associations, and individual youth members.
- Administer youth governance training and institutional development to enhance the functions of the youth council and its affiliated network.
- Make resources available for funding youth programs and livelihood skills training.
- Engage youths in community and environment programs to support healthy living.
- Encourage and support youths’ engagement in the SME sector, by providing skills development training to shift from the informal into the formal business sector.
4. Women Development
This program focuses on women and girls and is mandated to oversee National and Sub-National Policies and Programs relating to Women development and empowerment in the province to ensure women are equally participating in the decision-making, active participation and engagement to influence changes and promote gender-equality in all aspects of life.
Key Services include:
- Provide technical Support/advisory level of support to the Women’s Council of Network in terms of its legislation, policy, and guideline of establishment.
- Administer Institutional Development and Governance to the Women’s Mechanism in place-Enhance Capacity Building and Technical Advice to the already established Provincial Council of Women Network.
- Provide Skills Training for Women Groups who affiliated under the Women’s Network (Provincial Council of Women) – through Needs Analysis and Data Survey.
- Provide Provincial and District Platforms for Open Discussion – Organize Women Forums and Open Seminars for Discussion on Gender Issues
5. Disability
Community Development provides services for disabilities that mainstreams inclusiveness by promoting and protecting the rights of persons with disabilities via organized networking and support for advocates and change events. This disability service is to ensure there is improvements in the delivery of services, using inclusive development and Community Based Rehabilitation to positively impact the Differently-Abled persons.
Key Services include:
- Rollout of Data Survey to maintain disability update statistics in the province.
- Provide technical support to West New Britain Differently Abled-Persons Organization (WNB DAPO) and other disability single-line agencies.
- Provide secretariat to the Provincial Coordinating Committee on Disability (PCCD)
- Provide oversight in terms of the implementation of disability policies and strategies at the Provincial, District and Local Level Government levels.
- Gender Inclusion
This program provides systems and practices of recognizing, respecting, and accommodating people of all gender identities. It strives to create environments where people are not excluded, marginalized, or disadvantaged because of their gender identity or expression. It enhances and standardizes quality services to eradicate Gender-Based Violence so as to coordinate responses, referrals, and service delivery for survivors.
Key Services include:
- Provide secretariat to the WNB Gender Based Violence Action Committee in the province
- Ensure there is consistency and sufficient services are given to GBV victims and survivors in terms of safety placement and referral systems.
- Carryout awareness and advocacy programs for prevention of gender-based violence at all levels and in all sectors for better behavioral change
- Supports the safe houses establishments and human-rights defenders in terms of providing upskilling and capacity building training.
7. Civil Registry
The Civil Registry under Community Development services administers legal record of vital events (Births, Deaths, Marriages, and Adoptions) for every citizen, thereby establishing a formal identity necessary for accessing social services, exercising rights, and facilitating evidence- based development planning. By linking these records with community development strategies, the registry acts as a foundation for economic inclusion and social empowerment.
Key Services include:
- Birth – Records the birth of a child, issuing a birth certificate
- Adoption – Records the legal adoption of a child
- Marriage – Record legal marriages
- Divorce – Document the legal dissolution of a marriage
- Death – Register the death of an individual, issuing a death certificate
To download Civil Registry Forms, visit this website: https://pngcir.gov.pg/downloads/
8. Labour Mobility
The Labour Mobility program under Community Development Services is a recruitment hub that operates as a key partner with the PNG Labour Mobility Unit. The hub manages the entire recruitment cycle for potential candidates from WNB, starting with the process of candidate registration to mobilization for international employment, particularly under the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) program.
Key Services includes:
- Carry out initial screening and registration of candidates – This involves gathering essential mandatory requirements from the candidates, including contact information, work experience and education.
- Candidate support and interview management – Supports candidates in understanding the recruitment process, addressing their queries, and guiding them through each step. Evaluate candidate skills, experience, and aspiration to ensure they meet the criteria to be part of the program. In this phase, interviews are also conducted with candidates to assess their suitability for the program.
- Document Verification and submission – Ensure that the candidates provide all necessary documents and monitor the processing of documents to ensure they meet the required standards for submission to the Labour Mobility Unit.
- Training and preparation for Departure – Facilitate training with community, government agencies or local stakeholders that supports the preparation of the candidate during the waiting period.
If you are interested and want to know more about the program, Visit the official Papua New Labour Mobility website: https://labourmobilitypng.com
Other sources for more information.
https://www.immigration.govt.nz/about-us/news-centre/recognised-seasonal-employer- rse-scheme/
8. Church Partnership
The church partnership services under Community Development are to strengthen the collaboration effort between faith-based organization and government in the province by working with various denominations or church elders. The services under church partnership focuses on strengthening governance and effective church partner arrangement to ensure there is mechanism in placed to guide the rollout services that contributes to outreach church services and maintain support in a holistic approach.
Key Services include:
- Liaise with churches and relevant government agencies for the establishment and review of church council network at the provincial level.
- Develop and formulate legislations to enhance and strengthen state-church partnership programs.
- Plan and monitor spiritual development programs in partnership with churches
Structure & Leadership
The division is headed by the Executive Manager, who oversees teams responsible for specific functional areas, including:
- Office Administration
- Child & Family Services
- Youth & Gender Development
- Labour Mobility
- Civil Registry
- Disability
Strategic Focus
Community Development is committed to:
- Enable effective investment in Youth Development & Labour Mobility
- Strengthen long-term planning systems to support healthy, resilient, and self-sufficient communities
- Strengthen family welfare systems and expand social protection for vulnerable households
- Family and Social Protection
- Strengthen strategic partnerships with Private Sector, Civil Society and Churches
Contact Information
For enquiries related to this division, please contact:
Division: Community Development
Phone:
Email:
Location: Kimbe-Provincial Headquarter