Policy Advisory Capability in Papua New Guinea's Central Government: Evaluation, Implications and Lessons

There has been mounting criticism (generally associated with the "weak state thesis") of the inability of the Papua New Guinea (PNG) public service to discharge its various policy formulation and implementation tasks. Such criticisms tend to be generalised in nature. Information about performance and the operational deficiencies of specific departments and policy domains derived from scholarly research has been sparse. Against this background, and using as a measure key elements of capability from the development administration literature, this study examines the state of policy advisory capability in three key central agencies within the PNG central government; identifies key constraints on the agencies' ability to provide comprehensive and reliable advice; and then proposes policy intervention measures aimed at strengthening capability. The agencies play a very influential and significant role in the government advisory machine and comprise the Department of Finance and Treasury (DF&T), the Department of Prime Minister and National Executive Council (DPM&NEC) and the Department of Personnel Management (DPM). Analysis is primarily based on the responses from the policy staff of the lead policy units in each department. Such responses have been gauged using a questionnaire survey and indepth interviews in early and late 2002 in Port Moresby. This study shows that the problems affecting policy advisory capability are, in most cases, pervasive and systemic. Such a loss in capability tends to arise from a variety of interlocking (and often interwoven) problems from both the political and the administrative and organisational dimensions within which policy advice is developed and delivered. On a broader level, the weakening of policy advisory capability raises important implications for the organisation and delivery of quality and timely advice. In particular, there is a risk that policy issues will not be comprehensively assessed taking into account the available evidence, views of parties concerned and, most important, the implications arising from various policy options provided to ministers and the National Executive Council (NEC) (cabinet). There is, therefore, a risk of ministers and NEC being ill advised on policy issues. This, in turn, may affect the executive branch's effectiveness in policymaking. The deterioration in the policy advisory capability of the three key agencies also gives rise to doubts about whether the three agencies can effectively maintain their key functions of control, monitoring and oversight and policy coordination across the PNG public service. There is a risk of the centre of the PNG government losing its ability to control and steer the government machine. This conclusion is consistent with the existing anecdotal evidence of a deteriorating capability of the PNG public service and, to some extent supports the weak state thesis advanced in the literature. This study on the ground of three key agencies demonstrates, however, that the political environment is not the only cause of weak performance by the PNG public service. That is a function of a variety of interlocking political and administrative and organisational capability factors. An improvement in policy advice capability in PNG will require attention to the several systemic factors identified in the study. Using insights from the policy transfer literature this study shows that policy lessons from other jurisdictions could be drawn on to improve capability in policy advice in PNG

Efficacy of Management and Employees’ Involvement in HRD Initiatives: The Case of PNG Power Limited

Організаційні інвестиції в розвиток людських ресурсів (HRD) стрімко зросли протягом багатьох років. Зростання інвестицій у розвиток людських ресурсів, безсумнівно, спричинене вірою в те, що розвиток людських ресурсів є ключем до зміцнення особистої та організаційної ефективності. Проте, незважаючи на значні інвестиції в цю сферу, досягнуті результати часто поєднуються з різними результатами. Ключовим питанням є вибір прийнятих ініціатив з розвитку людських ресурсів і те, як вони реалізуються для досягнення бажаних результатів з розвитку людських ресурсів. Погані ініціативи, які не реалістично спрямовані на прогалини в РЛР, у поєднанні з неякісними заходами впровадження, швидше за все, зазнають невдачі. Регулярне вимірювання таких даних є важливим не лише для визначення впливу на ключові результати, але також важливо для навчання, накопичення доказів і подальшого використання таких доказів для покращення інвестицій у розвиток людських ресурсів та/або політики. Основна мета дослідження полягає в аналізі діяльності з навчання та розвитку в PNG Power Limited (PPL) з погляду керівництва та співробітників. Це дослідження підкреслює участь керівництва та співробітників у ініціативах з розвитку людських ресурсів, що має першочергове значення для організаційного розвитку. Дослідження використовувало змішаний метод аналізу та використовувало опитування та інтерв’ю для збору даних та інформації. Висновки показали, що PPL організувала навчальні програми для розвитку управлінських навичок нетехнічного персоналу та навчання на основі компетентностей для технічних працівників. Проте ці заходи з навчання та підвищення кваліфікації сприймаються як помірно ефективні з точки зору залучення керівництва та працівників. У цьому дослідженні зроблено висновок, що ефективність HRD-ініціатив шляхом навчання та розвитку значною мірою визначається ступенем участі керівництва та працівників. Це дослідження сприяє розширенню знань про HRD у країнах, що розвиваються, особливо в Тихоокеанському регіоні. Сподіваємося, що це дослідження буде корисним для покращення конкретних сфер, які вимагають змін, визначених у цьому дослідженні, і цілком може послужити натхненням для організаційних і політичних змін в інших сервісних організаціях у PNG.Organizational investment in human resource development (HRD) has risen rapidly over the years. The rise in HRD investment is undoubtedly triggered by the belief that HRD is the key to strengthening personal and organizational performance. Yet despite heavy investment in this area, the outcomes achieved are often mixed with varied results. A key issue is the choice of HRD initiatives adopted and how they are implemented to achieve the desired HRD outcomes. Poor initiatives that do not realistically target HRD gaps, combined with poor implementation measures, are most likely to fail. Regular measurement of such is significant not only to determine the impact on key outcomes but is also essential to learn, accumulate evidence, and then use such evidence for improving HRD investment and/or policy. The study’s main objective is to analyse the training and development activities in PNG Power Limited (PPL) from the lenses of management and employees. This research highlights management and employees’ involvement in HRD initiatives which is paramount for organisational development. The study employed a mixed method of analysis and used surveys and interviews to collect data and information. The findings revealed that PPL has organised training programs to develop management skills of non-technical staff and competency-based training for technical employees. However, these training and development activities are perceived to be moderately effective regarding how management and employees are involved. This research concludes that the effectiveness of HRD initiatives through training and development activities is significantly determined by the degree of management and employee involvement. This study contributes to the knowledge of HRD in developing countries, particularly in the Pacific Region. It is hoped that this study will be helpful to improve specific areas requiring change identified in this study and may well serve as inspiration for organisational and policy change across other service organisations in PNG

Oral vinorelbine and cisplatin with concomitant radiotherapy in stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC): A feasibility study

Background: Concurrent chemoradiotherapy has improved survival in inoperable stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This phase I trial was performed in order to establish a dose recommendation for oral vinorelbine in combination with cisplatin and simultaneous radiotherapy. Patients and Methods: Previously untreated patients with stage IIIB NSCLC received concurrent chemoradiotherapy with 66 Gy and 2 cycles of cisplatin and oral vinorelbine which was administered at 3 different levels (40, 50 and 60 mg/m(2)). This was to be followed by 2 cycles of cisplatin/vinorelbine oral consolidation chemotherapy. The study goal was to determine the maximal recommended dose of oral vinorelbine during concurrent treatment. Results: 11 stage IIIB patients were entered into the study. The median radiotherapy dose was 66 Gy. Grade 3-4 toxicity included neutropenia, esophagitis, gastritis and febrile neutropenia. The dose-limiting toxicity for concurrent chemoradiotherapy was esophagitis. 9 patients received consolidation chemotherapy, with neutropenia and anemia/thrombocytopenia grade 3 being the only toxicities. The overall response was 73%. Conclusion: Oral vinorelbine 50 mg/m(2) (days 1, 8, 15 over 4 weeks) in combination with cisplatin 20 mg/m2 (days 1-4) is the recommended dose in combination with radiotherapy (66 Gy) and will be used for concurrent chemoradiotherapy in a forthcoming phase III trial testing the efficacy of consolidation chemotherapy in patients not progressing after chemoradiotherapy

A new methodology for automating acoustic emission detection of metallic fatigue fractures in highly demanding aerospace environments: An overview

The acoustic emission (AE) phenomenon has many attributes that make it desirable as a structural health monitoring or non-destructive testing technique, including the capability to continuously and globally monitor large structures using a sparse sensor array and with no dependency on defect size. However, AE monitoring is yet to fulfil its true potential, due mainly to limitations in location accuracy and signal characterisation that often arise in complex structures with high levels of background noise. Furthermore, the technique has been criticised for a lack of quantitative results and the large amount of operator interpretation required during data analysis. This paper begins by introducing the challenges faced in developing an AE based structural health monitoring system and then gives a review of previous progress made in addresing these challenges. Subsequently an overview of a novel methodology for automatic detection of fatigue fractures in complex geometries and noisy environments is presented, which combines a number of signal processing techniques to address the current limitations of AE monitoring. The technique was developed for monitoring metallic landing gear components during pre-flight certification testing and results are presented from a full-scale steel landing gear component undergoing fatigue loading. Fracture onset was successfully identify automatically at 49,000 fatigue cycles prior to final failure (validated by the use of dye penetrant inspection) and the fracture position was located to within 10. mm of the actual location

Acoustic emission signal processing framework to identify fracture in aluminum alloys

Acoustic emission (AE) is a common nondestructive evaluation tool that has been used to monitor fracture in materials and structures. The direct connection between AE events and their source, however, is difficult because of material, geometry and sensor contributions to the recorded signals. Moreover, the recorded AE activity is affected by several noise sources which further complicate the identification process. This article uses a combination of in situ experiments inside the scanning electron microscope to observe fracture in an aluminum alloy at the time and scale it occurs and a novel AE signal processing framework to identify characteristics that correlate with fracture events. Specifically, a signal processing method is designed to cluster AE activity based on the selection of a subset of features objectively identified by examining their correlation and variance. The identified clusters are then compared to both mechanical and in situ observed microstructural damage. Results from a set of nanoindentation tests as well as a carefully designed computational model are also presented to validate the conclusions drawn from signal processing

Induction chemotherapy followed by concurrent standard radiotherapy and daily low-dose cisplatin in locally advanced non-small-cell lung cancer

Both induction chemotherapy and concurrent low-dose cisplatin have been shown to improve results of thoracic irradiation in the treatment of locally advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This phase II study was designed to investigate activity and feasibility of a novel chemoradiation regimen consisting of induction chemotherapy followed by standard radiotherapy and concurrent daily low-dose cisplatin. Previously untreated patients with histologically/cytologically proven unresectable stage IIIA/B NSCLC were eligible. Induction chemotherapy consisted of vinblastine 5 mg m−2 intravenously (i.v.) on days 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29, and cisplatin 100 mg m−2 i.v. on days 1 and 22 followed by continuous radiotherapy (60 Gy in 30 fractions) given concurrently with daily cisplatin at a dose of 5 mg m−2 i.v. Thirty-two patients were enrolled. Major toxicity during induction chemotherapy was haematological: grade III–IV leukopenia was observed in 31% and grade II anaemia in 16% of the patients. The most common severe toxicity during concurrent chemoradiation consisted of grade III leukopenia (21% of the patients); grade III oesophagitis occurred in only two patients and pulmonary toxicity in one patient who died of this complication. Eighteen of 32 patients (56%, 95% CI 38–73%) had a major response (11 partial response, seven complete response). With a median follow-up of 38.4 months, the median survival was 12.5 months and the actuarial survival rates at 1, 2 and 3 years were 52%, 26% and 19% respectively. The median event-free survival was 8.3 months with a probability of 40%, 23% and 20% at 1, 2 and 3 years respectively. Induction chemotherapy followed by concurrent daily low-dose cisplatin and thoracic irradiation, in patients with locally advanced NSCLC, is active and feasible with minimal non-haematological toxicity. Long-term survival results are promising and appear to be similar to those of more toxic chemoradiation regimens, warranting further testing of this novel chemoradiation strategy. © 1999 Cancer Research Campaig

Gemcitabine and cisplatin in a multimodality treatment for locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer

The role of new cytotoxic agents like gemcitabine has not yet been proven in the neoadjuvant settings. We designed a phase II study to test the feasibility of using gemcitabine and cisplatin before local treatment for stage III non-small cell lung cancer patients. Patients received three cycles of induction chemotherapy of gemcitabine (1000 mg m−2, days 1, 8, 15) and cisplatin (90 mg m−2, day 15) every 4 weeks before evaluation for operability. Operable patients underwent radical resection. Inoperable patients and patients who had incomplete resection received concurrent chemoradiotherapy with daily low dose cisplatin. All patients who did not progress after local treatment received three more cycles of adjuvant chemotherapy of gemcitabine and cisplatin. Fifty-two patients received induction treatment. Two patients had complete response and 31 patients had partial response (response rate 63.5%) after induction chemotherapy. Thirty-six patients (69%) were operable. Eighteen patients (35%) had their tumours completely resected. Two patients had pathological complete response. Median overall survival was 19.1 months, projected 1-year survival was 66% and 2-year survival was 34%. Three cycles of gemcitabine and cisplatin is effective and can be used as induction treatment before surgery for locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer patients