May news: Paul Collier kicks off Devpolicy week 22-25 May | Aid budget | PNG and Pacific Update Program | More

Devpolicy week

We have a feast of events next week from Paul Collier on the bottom billion to Francois Bouguignon, former World Bank Chief Economist, on globalization and inequality; and several more:

  • Tuesday May 21 (3pm at Finkel Theatre, John Curtin School of Medical Research, ANU) Paul Collier on “How can the private sector help the bottom billion?” Register here.
  • Wednesday May 22 (12.30pm at Acton Theatre, Crawford School, ANU) Uma Wainetti, who leads the campaign opposing violence against women in PNG will speak on “Combatting family and sexual violence in PNG: what has been achieved and what is needed?” Register here.
  • Thursday May 23 (12pm at Barton Theatre, Crawford School, ANU) Francois Bourguignon, Director of the Paris School of Economics and former Chief Economist of the World Bank, on how to prevent inequality derailing globalisation. Register here.
  • Friday May 24 (12:30pm at the Griffin Room, Crawford School, ANU) David Booth, who headed ODI’s five-year Africa Power and Politics Program, will challenge orthodox thinking and explain the politics behind economic success in Africa. Pre-register here.

Budget analysis and breakfast

Devpolicy Director Stephen Howes sets out the big issues of the looming 2013-14 budget in this blog post. For the best aid budget analysis, come to the 2013-14 aid budget breakfast, on Wednesday May 15. Tony Swan will explain the overall fiscal and macro context. Stephen Howes will dissect the aid budget. Helen Szoke, the new head of Oxfam, and Angus Barnes, an independent consultant and on the Executive of the International Development Contractors (IDC) Australia will also speak. Details and registration here.

Pacific and PNG Update Program

The Program for the Pacific and PNG Update on June 28 and 29 is now available [pdf]. Registration will be available shortly, but you can pre-register here.

Disability-inclusive development – Q&A

Members of AusAID’s Disability-Inclusive Development Reference Group will be speaking at an ANU public forum on Thursday May 30 (12:30 at Weston Theatre, Crawford School, ANU). Using a Q&A format, they will be reflecting on their own personal stories, and on reforms and programs they have been involved in. Pre-register here.

Speakers include: Mr Monthian Buntan, a Thai Senator, and President of Thailand’s Association of the Blind; Mr Setareki S. Macanawai, CEO of the Pacific Disability Forum; Ms Charlotte McClain-Nhlapo, Coordinator, Office for Disability and Inclusive Development, USAID.

PNG – poverty and gender-based violence

On June 5, Professor John Gibson will present his analysis on PNG’s latest (2009/10) Household Income and Expenditure Survey. It’s our first opportunity at ANU to hear about this important work. Registration will be available soon. Pre-register here.

Also, just in case you missed it above, don’t miss Ume Wainetti, National Coordinator of PNG’s Family and Sexual Violence Action Committee who will be speaking on the enormous challenge of family and sexual violence in PNG, what is being attempted, and what more is needed on Wednesday May 22 (12.30pm at Acton Theatre, Crawford School, ANU). Register here.

Aid stakeholder survey

As announced in our last newsletter, in June we will be conducting a survey of Australian aid stakeholders. While we will be targeting specific stakeholders (large NGOs and contractors), anyone and everyone who wishes to participate is welcome to. The survey will run in June and July, will be analysed in August and September, and will be released after the September election.

The future of international development in Asia and the Pacific

This conference, co-hosted by the Asia Foundation, the Australian National University, the Lowy Institute for International Policy, and the University of Melbourne, was carried off successfully last week. Stay tuned to the blog for related posts, our website for video of the conference, and the ABC’s Big Ideas for the panel it televised.

DP 28 When business meets aid: analysing public-private partnerships for international development

Devpolicy’s Margaret Callan and Robin Davies provide a roadmap for how donor agency resources, whether cash or in-kind, can most effectively be used to increase the development impact of business activity.

DP 29 Pollard’s Pacific reflections

In a series of Devpolicy blogs, now completed, collected in this Discussion Paper, Steve Pollard shares his personal reflections, after almost 40 years’ experience in development, on what is needed for a better future in the Pacific islands.

Blog posts

Here is a list of Devpolicy blog posts (organised thematically) since our last newsletter, a month ago.

Blog digest

April blog digest: Partnerships, nous and patronage by Robin Davies.

Aid

Australia’s 2013 aid budget: third time disappointed or the third largest increase in aid ever? By Stephen Howes.

Good news: the DAC likes Australia’s aid program by Robin Davies.

Greens go Tory on aid by Stephen Howes and Jonathan Pryke.

Agriculture good, employment better: a regional employment strategy for Timor-Leste by Richard Curtain, Robin Davies and Stephen Howes.

Enhancing aid cooperation – the Australia-China Development Cooperation Memorandum of Understanding by Sam Byfield.

Development

A ‘wicked problem’: using high stakes testing of student learning in development – Part 2 by Robert Cannon.

Final Report of the Solomon Islands Truth & Reconciliation Commission unofficially released by Tess Newton Cain.

Orphanage tourism: cute kids, cashed up tourists, poor outcomes by Ashlee Betteridge.

There’s smoke, but is there fire?—Pondering public-private partnerships for development by Robin Davies and Margaret Callan.

Careers in development: an interview with Susan Harris Rimmer on a career spanning the private sector, public sector, NGOs, and academia by Susan Harris Rimmer and Jonathan Pryke.

Pacific

Participate to grow by Steve Pollard.

Managing fiscal risks amid resource booms: lessons from Papua New Guinea and Timor-Leste by Aaron batten and Christopher Edmonds.

Would an Independent Service Delivery Authority accelerate service delivery in Solomon Islands? By Marcus Pelto.

Service delivery in Solomon Islands: a good start, but where to from here? By Marcus Pelto.

Speed-dating, solar panels and the importance of process by Joanna Spratt and Terence Wood.

Visible and invisible hands: developing the Solomon Islands economy by Ashley Wickham.

PNG

Resource development and peace building in Melanesia by Kylie McKenna.

Leadership for the next generation: Deakin University’s Symposium on PNG by Grant Walton.

image_pdfDownload PDF

Development Policy Centre

Leave a Comment