A nationwide assessment has identified significant differences in the capacity of Papua New Guinea’s Provincial Disaster Centres, with some provinces continuing to face major challenges in staffing, funding, infrastructure and operational resources.
The Provincial Disaster Centre Institutional Capacity Assessment covers all provinces and provides the national government with what Minister for Health and National Emergency Services Dr. Billy Joseph describes as a national picture of the strengths, gaps, and priorities of provincial disaster-management systems.
He said that some of the provinces have established systems, experienced personnel, and strong relationships with provincial administrations and development partners.
However, others continue to operate under significant constraints.
“Others continue to face significant constraints in staffing, funding, office infrastructure, transportation, communication, information management, emergency planning and of course, operational resources.”
The assessment is intended to establish a consistent national baseline for understanding those differences.
Dr. Joseph said that the country has previously lacked a common framework that could be used to compare the capacity of Provincial Disaster Centres and identify where support is most urgently needed.
The assessment now provides individual provincial findings that can be used by provincial administrations to determine where improvements and investment should be prioritized.
The Minister stated that this includes looking at staffing levels, operational budgets, offices and emergency operations centres, transportation, and communication systems.
Preparedness and contingency planning, information management, early-warning systems, standard operating procedures, and the training and professional development of disaster personnel are also highlighted as areas requiring attention.
Dr. Joseph emphasized that the findings should not simply be treated as a list of weaknesses. Instead, he acknowledged the dedication of the provincial disaster personnel who continue to respond to emergencies despite operating with limited resources.
“It also recognizes the commitment and resourcefulness of our provincial disaster offices and the provincial administrators and the offices, many of whom continue to respond to emergencies under very difficult conditions and with limited resources.”
He further added that the assessment gives government and its development partners an opportunity to determine where investment will have the greatest impact.
A practical capacity-development roadmap is expected to follow the assessment, identifying immediate priorities as well as medium and long-term investments.
Dr. Joseph also urged the development partners to use the assessment when deciding where future disaster-risk-management support should be directed, while cautioning that providing equipment alone will not solve the capacity problems that the provincial disaster centres face.
“Equipment is important, but equipment alone will not create an effective disaster management system,” he said, explaining that effective disaster management also requires capable personnel, clear responsibilities, coordination mechanisms, adequate financing, reliable information systems, leadership, and procedures that can be activated before, during, and after an emergency.
The assessment therefore provides an opportunity for PNG to move beyond isolated projects and towards sustained investment in provincial disaster-management institutions.
Dr. Joseph concluded that the ultimate measure of the assessment will be whether its findings are turned into planning, budgeting, training, and practical improvements at the provincial level.