Year: 2014
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Papua New Guinea has experienced an unprecedented resource boom over the last decade that has led to a rapid rise in revenue and subsequent increases in public expenditure. The PNG Government and its donors have also implemented major reforms aimed at improving access to basic services across the country. However, the question remains as to whether our nation’s booming mineral wealth has translated into services for ordinary people. \nIn an effort to provide some answers to these important questions, the joint NRI-ANU Promoting Effective Public Expenditure (PEPE) Project completed extensive expenditure tracking and facility surveys across \neight provinces at the end of 2012. Survey teams visited 216 primary \nschools and 142 health clinics from the nation’s capital to some of \nPNG’s most remote and isolated communities. Altogether 1,276 \ninterviews were completed, making it one of the largest and most \ncomprehensive service delivery surveys completed in PNG. The PEPE \nsurvey was subject to difficulties and logistical problems associated \nwith the large scale of the survey and the need for survey teams to \noperate in very remote parts of the country. The success of the survey \nwas dependent not only on extensive planning but on the dedication, \ncommitment and effort of the surveyors. \nMany of the same schools and health clinics were visited in a similar \nsurvey conducted in 2002 that was also undertaken by NRI. By \ncombining findings from both surveys, this report can compare \nchanges in schools and health clinics between 2002 and 2012. The aim \nis to provide the basic information, which not only the Government of \nPapua New Guinea but also the people need to assess progress and \nsuggest changes for better spending in the future. \nThis report and the unique data set on which it is based will be an \ninvaluable resource for PNG’s policy makers and people.
Authors: Stephen Howes, Andrew Anton Mako, A V Swan, Grant W. Walton, Thomas Webster, Colin Wiltshire
Language: English
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2782890694