+ **Location: Port Moresby/ Remote, with extensive subnational travel** + **Commencement: March 2025** + **Flexible employment, whether short-term or long-term contracts** + **Open to all applicants** **About the Program** A stable, prosperous, peaceful, and resilient PNG is critical to Australia's interests. Australia is PNG's largest development partner; its main partner on economic and security issues. The **Australia PNG Subnational Program** (APSP) is an enabling mechanism comprised of three separately designed programs including: Bougainville Partnership (BP), Kokoda Initiative Partnership (KIP), and the Western Province Partnership (WPP). Each program has its own outcomes, theory of change, operational approach and separate monitoring and evaluation systems. The APSP also includes the Subnational Governance Implementation Plan (SGIP) that proposes a scalable foundational delivery model of subnational engagement. The SGIP is referenced in the APSP Contract and Strategic Framework as the continuation of the current network of subnational advisers (SNA) in the Western Province, Highlands, Sepik’s and Morobe. There are five high level outcomes which span all programs: + Output one: Effective gender-centred programs delivered for Bougainville, Kokoda, and Western Province + Output two: Support DFAT to coordinate Australian inputs in selected subnational contexts. + Output three: Technical assistance targeted at key institutions and policy reforms. + Output four: Rapid programming of resources in support of DFAT priorities. + Output five and six: Analysis, learning, and adaptation. Managed by Abt Global under a single contract from 2022 to 2026, the centralised approach is aimed to ensure and drive value for money by realising back-office efficiencies, ensure gender is consistently at the forefront of each program and deliver opportunities for learning and adaptation between programs. The **Western Province Partnership** (WPP) is a component of the Australia-Papua New Guinea Subnational Program (APSP). The objective of the WPP is for Australia and Western Province foster stronger ties and greater coordination to improve human and economic development, enabling infrastructure and regional security. The WPP will work toward the realisation of the following end of program outcomes (EOPO) by 2026: 1. Women and men participating in program activities have diversified livelihoods from agriculture and fisheries. 2. Targeted communities collaborate to strengthen welfare, production, and resilience. 3. Women contribute to decision-making and take on leadership roles in targeted provincial, district, and community structures. 4. Policy and practice at provincial and district levels are directed towards delivery of minimum priority services. The WPP is nested under the Western Province Strategy which aims to unify Australia’s development assistance and captures Australia’s whole-of-government engagement. **Position Overview:** Public finance management is important to ensure provinces maintain fiscal discipline in budgeting and expenditure, that resources are allocated strategically to areas that meet Western Province’s aims defined by the development and corporate plans, and financial resourcing targets effective and equitable service delivery. The PFM Adviser will support the implementation of the Western Provincial Capacity Development Plan specific to public finance management including budget planning, implementation, permitted areas of accounting and reporting. The role will work closely with technical advisers in Planning and technical performance management and to link planning effectively and operationally to budgeting. Focus will also be on provincial internal revenue, procurement, asset management, and internal performance, audits, and reporting. **Key Responsibilities** As required by the Team Leader, APSP Lead PFM Adviser, and the Subnational Adviser, WPP, the PFM Adviser tasks will be related to providing technical advice and support in the following areas: 1. Budget preparation + In setting the baseline, support the Western Province to review its past budgets and expenditure trends; fiscal capacity and revenue trends; and national government budget and expenditure for the province. + Identify and develop enabling tools for prudent budget preparations, including a budget calendar and tools in each stage of budget preparations. + Support the Western Province to prepare its budget in line with the budget calendar, monitor and provide strategic advice on budget prudency through sector AAPs. + Support the facilitation of tailored, effective, and fit for purpose capacity building and mentoring for budget/finance staff in using the tools for the budget preparation. 2. Budget implementation, monitoring, and reporting. + Support the province’s implementation of the budget by helping the Sector Managers monitor expenditure through quarterly budget reviews (QBRs). If QBRs are irregular, support establish regular QBRs. + In consultation with Sector Manager for Budgets and Provincial Financial Manager including PCab Adviser, support the province with analysis of budgeting and expenditure to inform S114 Reporting. + Support the province to connect S114 to S119 Reports in consultation with the provincial Finance Manager and the Provincial Planner. Establish links between expenditure performance and service delivery performance and document the results to inform Provincial Performance Reports + In consultation with the PCaB Advisers, support the province to develop subsystems of the IFMS (e.g., Fixed Assets Management) and furthermore to enable access to the system by senior management of the Provincial Administration. 3. Internal revenue + Review existing revenue trends and provide advice to the province on provincial fiscal opportunities. + Support the province to initiate innovative ways of raising internal revenue, including exploring opportunities from the private sector and/or existing legislations to empower subnational government financing. + Support the province in developing policy guidelines to manage internal revenue, including corporate governance operations relating to provincial business arms. 4. Procurement + Support the province to assess procurement arrangements under the National Procurement Commission and provide technical advice to align and improve procurement processes and guidelines. + In consultation with the National Procurement Commission, support the province to develop tools to implement a procurement policy. 5. Asset management + Review provincial asset management policy and its implementation. In the absence of a relevant policy, support the province to establish an asset management policy in line with the Public Finance Management Act, develop tools to effectively implement the policy. + Support the province to develop or update their fixed assets registers. 6. Internal performance and audit + In consultation with the internal auditor and provincial administrator, support the province to review the functions of the internal audit unit. + Provide clear recommendations to improve the functions of the internal audit division and support the implementation of effective internal audit processes. **Specific Deliverables** + Support the Western Provincial Administration to develop a Provincial Financial Management Improvement Work Plan + Delivery of agreed activities in accordance with the approved PFM Work Plan, PCDP and Assignment Tasking. + Technical advice and support for the development or strengthening of the operations of each Partner Province’s Provincial Audit committee + Provide quarterly progress reports to WPP. + Other analytical assessments and significant ‘activity’ reviews as required by APSP and/or DFAT **Key working relationships** + Team Leader(s) (to be determined) + Lead APSP PFM Adviser + Subnational Adviser, WPP + Planning and Performance Adviser, WPP + Provincial Administrator + Provincial Manager -Policy, Planning and Budgets + Provincial Finance Manager + Provincial Internal Auditor + Department of Provincial and Local Government Affairs + Department of Treasury and Finance including PCaB Advisers + National Procurement Commission + Internal Revenue Commission + National Economic Fiscal Commission + Other APSP Technical Advisers + Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade **About You** + Minimum of 10 years’ senior level experience in working within or with provincial, district administrations in finance and budgets area. + Excellent understanding of processes and operations of budgeting and public finance management systems at subnational + level. + Excellent understanding of political governance and administrative government systems at subnational level -Province, district and LLGs. + Demonstrated understanding of decentralisation system and its functionality in PNG + Familiar with political economy situations at the provincial and district level. **How to Apply** + Please ensure to address the Key Selection Criteria (About You) in your cover letter, and submit your application online, along with your CV as a single document. + Applications must be submitted personally by individuals only. Applications submitted by a company or organisation will not be accepted. + The successful applicant will be engaged through an employment agreement determined by Abt. We welcome and thank all applications; however only shortlisted applicants will be contacted. We encourage applications from experienced and capable women, and people with disabilities. **Closing Date: Friday, 31 January 2025, 12 PM (Midday, local time)** Abt Associates is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to upholding high standards of Child Protection, Anti-bribery, and Fraud Protection. **\#LI-AUSBRIT**