Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Forest management – Papua New Guinea'

[Truncated abstract] Globally, tropical rainforests are noted for their high biodiversity and key roles in carbon storage and influence on climate. Nevertheless, tropical deforestation in many parts of the world continues at an alarming rate. In Papua New Guinea (PNG), tropical rainforest is relatively well maintained, with about 70 % of the land area still covered by primary forest. However, PNG's native forests are coming under increasing pressure, particularly from selective logging for high quality timber. While the forests of PNG, and more broadly the entire New Guinea Island, are recognised as of high conservation and ecological significance, they remain grossly understudied with little knowledge of key ecosystem processes within lowland forests in particular. Such knowledge is urgently required if the impacts of logging and other land-use change are to be assessed and in order to develop sustainable management systems. This thesis investigated the impacts of logging on diversity and nutrient cycling in a lowland tropical rainforest growing on limestone soils in the area of the Mongi-Busiga Forest Management Agreement (FMA, which is a logging concession area), in northeastern PNG. These forests are on relatively young soils and provide a useful contrast to the majority of tropical forests. The research includes a four-year study of the recovery of diversity and structure after logging, and quantified forest structure, tree species diversity, forest biomass and productivity, and nutrient distribution and cycling. This thesis also examines the ecological sustainability of Eucalyptus deglupta plantations in Wasab, PNG as an alternative resource for timber and biomass energy. The thesis concludes with a discussion of long-term forest recovery and sustainable forest management in north-eastern PNG. Two adjacent one-hectare plots were established in lowland tropical rainforest at Mongi-Busiga FMA. One of these plots was subsequently selectively logged, one year after establishment. Before logging, the two one-hectare plots contained a total of 37 families, 70 genera and 110 tree species that were >5 cm in diameter at breast height. Mean basal area was 42.4 m2 ha-1. Two tree species, Madhuca leucodermis (Sapotaceae) and Pometia pinnata (Sapindaceae) accounted for ~60% of the total basal area. Gymnacranthera paniculata (Myristicaceae) was the most common species and accounted for 13% of individuals. ... This study concludes that the Mongi-Busiga forest has many unusual characteristics for a tropical forest, including relatively low diversity of tree species, high accumulation of P in the biomass, and N limitations, compared to other tropical rainforests. However, those extraordinary characteristics may be explained well by the underlying geology of young, marine-derived limestone. Sustainable management of the lowland tropical forests of PNG should consider the consequences of logging on nutrient cycling processes, with the possible significant removal of P from site with repeated logging, as well as the interactions between N and P in these systems. Establishment of Eucalyptus plantations on previously cleared land also has the potential to meet some of the timber and biomass energy requirements of northern PNG in ecologically sustainable manner.

This study was in two parts and involved two years of field research and nursery work in Madang and Lae respectively, in northern Papua New Guinea. The effect of different intensities of sunlight on the growth of twelve tropical lowland forest timber trees as studied using neutral shade in a nursery and artificial canopy gaps in natural forest. The twelve tree species were Albizia falcataria (*), Canarium schlecteri (*), Celtis latifolia (*), Intsia bijuga (+), Maniltoa psilogyne (+), Microcos grandiflora (*), Neonauclea sp (*). Pometia pinnata (* +), Pterocarpus indicus (* +), Terminalia complenata (* +), Terminalia impediens (* +) and Terminalia sepicana (*) . The species marked (*) were monitored in nursery conditions, those with (+) in natural forest. Seeds of the studied tree species were collected from the forest in Madang and were germinated and acclimated under 54&'37 RLI (Relative Light Intensity) in the Lae nursery. After about 2 weeks the plants were transferred to six shade houses at 4, 11, 31, 54, 74 &'38 100&'37 RLI. Height growth, leaf production, biomass growth and seedling mortality were measured. Seedling mortality was highest for some plants in 4&'37 RLI, while most plants attained maximum growth between 30-70&'37 RLI. Growth generally declined in full sun which was partly due to solarization, partly to herbivory, and partly to a pot effect. Clear differences were observed between the species which were ranked on a gradient from the most shade tolerant to the least : C. latifolia, M. grandiflora, P. pinnata, C. schlechteri, T. sepicana, T. impediens, Neonauclea sp., T. complenata and A. falcataria . The research in natural forest at Madang ran concurrently with the nursery research. Seeds of the tree species were collected from the forest in Madang and were germinated and acclimated under 28&'37 RLI in the village nursery in Madang. After about 6 weeks of acclimation, the plants were planted out into the light treatments (1, 29, 63, 84 &'38 100&'37 RLI) created by felling trees to open up the canopy. Pre-existing seedlings together with transplanted seedlings were assessed for height growth, biomass growth, seedling mortality and leaf production. Tree species growing under 1&'37 RLI showed significantly lower growth than at 29&'37 RLI, which was close to the maximum growth, for most species. Species were ranked on a gradient from the most shade tolerant to the least for transplanted seedlings : I. bijuga, P. pinnata, T. complenata, T. impediens and P. indicus ; and pre-existing seedlings : C. latifolia, M. psilogyne and P. pinnata . All tree species studied under natural and nursery conditions attained maximum growth in light levels below full sun.

Recovery of tropical rain forest in Gogol Valley, Papua New Guinea was monitored for 2 years following clear-fel1ing in the wet and dry seasons. Further redevelopment, reconstructed by measurements of regrowth of known ages from 1.5-10.8 years, were compared with forest heavily disturbed by fire 55 years ago and primary forest. The vegetation, survey was assessed principally by Counting and measuring trees. Because of the importance of soil seed bank in influencing vegetation recovery processes, special attention was given to the spatial and temporal changes in the soil seed bank and the seed rain which supplies it. The major findings were: (1) vegetation recovery was rapid and 97% of all colonizing trees regenerated from seeds while 3% were resprouts; (2) regrowth after felling in the dry-season differed from that following wet-season felling in having lower density, slower growth and mostly comprised resprouting tree species; (3) after 10 years, regrowth is composed principally of large pioneer trees (65% of basal area or 64% of stems); (4) the 55 year-old forest also had many (48%) pioneer trees: much of the forest in the area is of this kind and may be classified as advanced secondary forest; (5) forest soil seed bank following felling was rapidly depleted due to germination, but was rapidly replaced as early pioneer herbs matured and set seed. Trees in soil seed bank do not approach that of primary forest until after 10 years of regrowth; (6) the intensity of pioneer trees' seed rain was correlated with the fecundity of nearby parent trees and clearly controlled soil seed bank redevelopment. There was evidence of dispersal of pioneer seeds several hundred metres into an isolated area of closed forest; (7) trees left uncut following felling contribute significantly to seed rain and therefore to soil seed bank.

This study describes the resource management practices of a rural community located in Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea. Lababia, a community of 500 people, is located in a coastal rainforest environment and is dependant for its livelihood on swidden agriculture and fishing. Lababia is also the site of an integrated conservation and development project facilitated by a non-governmental organisation based in a nearby urban centre.
The key resources on which Lababia depends are managed as the common property of either the village-as-a-whole or the various kin groups resident in the village, and for that reason common property theory has been used to inform the design of the research project and the analysis and interpretation of research results. However, the social foundations of resource management systems and the influence of external factors, commodity markets in particular, are not adequately represented in some of the more widely used analytical frameworks developed by common property theorists. These factors are of fundamental importance to the Lababia commons because of the many social, political and economic changes that have occurred there over the last century. For that reason the Lababia commons is referred to as a commons-in-transition .
Ethnographic and historical analysis, informed by common property theory, is used to develop a description of the property rights system existing at Lababia and resource management practices in the key sectors of fishing and agriculture. The management of forest resources is described on the basis of a comparison with Kui, a nearby village that, unlike Lababia, has allowed industrial logging activities on their lands. The impact of the conservation and development project on village life is also assessed and the study concludes by developing an analytical framework suitable to the Lababia commons and one that facilitates the development of policy appropriate to the planning of sustainable development projects generally and conservation and development projects in particular.

This study is premised on the assumption that because of increased globalisation the trend towards strategic alliances is going to increase in the 21st century. This is evident in the phenomenal growth towards the establishment of alliances the world over despite high failure rates. The study also makes an important assumption that a major cause of alliance failure is managerial in nature and therefore relates to the task performed by alliance managers.Whilst research in the West has attempted to focus on such failings, few researchers have attempted to understand the state of alliances in developing country contexts as well as the reasons for the lack of their successes or otherwise. This study therefore seeks to fill this gap by exploring the managerial issues surrounding alliance management in a developing country, Papua New Guinea. It was found that alliance managers in countries such as Papua New Guinea faced managerial challenges similar to those in their counterparts in developing countries. However, the similary ends there.The research demonstrated that governmental and socio-cultural factors predominate in the national and local environments.It also found that resource deficiencies made alliances highly susceptible to misalignment in strategic intent and structure.Several other findings are discussed in detail. The research resulted in the development of a holistic approach to the study and management of strategic alliances.
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Behavioural difficulty is probably the least understood area of special education as it is very problematic to identify a specific cause. Behavioural difficulties are those behaviours that students sometimes exhibit that are inappropriate and unacceptable in the classrooms or schools, as they disrupt the smooth process of teaching and learning. This study investigated primary school teachers' perspectives of the causal factors of students' behavioural problems and what can be done to minimise this problem. The study was carried out in the Madang Province involving two primary schools. From the two schools, twelve teachers (six from each school) participated in the study. The same participants were involved in both the questionnaire and the semi structured interview. The data gathered for the questionnaire and interview were analysed and transcribed respectively. The findings discovered that the family and school factors contributed substantially towards students' inappropriate behaviours. Family factors include parental problems, abuse in the families, and the constant struggle to provide the basic necessities due to the high living cost. School factors, on the other hand, include negative teacher attitudes, teacher lack of knowledge and skills to adapt the curriculum to include social skills, lack of teacher support and encouragement, and peer influences. The findings also discovered that teachers were more bothered about externalising behaviours such as disruption and aggression than internalising behavioural problems like withdrawal and depression displayed by students. Further, teachers' limited pre-service and in-service training and lack of experience in teaching students with behavioural problems contributed significantly for teachers not attending to students who behave inappropriately. Based on the findings identified in the study, several recommendations were made on how to intervene to alleviate this problem. Of particular importance is teacher training at both the pre-service and in-service level. Also government support is needed in terms of funding for training, involving specialists and other resources to respond to student behavioural problems effectively and efficiently. The findings may have particular relevance to future studies in this area and provide teachers with effective and workable intervention strategies for students' behavioural problems in the classrooms.

Thesis (PhD) -- Macquarie University, School of History, Philosophy, and Politics, Centre for Conflict Resolution, 1995.
Includes bibliographical references and appendices.
This thesis presents the findings of a participatory action research project conducted in Enga Province, Papua New Guinea. -- The advantages and disadvantages of participatory action research in Conflict Resolution are discussed, with special reference to their common basis in a contemporary philosophy of cognition and learning. The practical and ethical issues of cross-cultural training in Conflict Resolution are reviewed. The research process is described and particular research methods evaluated. Comparison with the methods and findings of earlier research is also presented. The issues are illustrated by means of case studies drawn from a period of field work (March 1992-April 1993, December 1993-February 1994, and August 1994). -- The research involved the analysis and evaluation of both traditional and modern means of conflict resolution used by Enga people or by other agencies within Enga Province during the period of research. The outcome of resolved conflict is gutpela sindaun ("good sitting") a Tok Pisin (Melanesian Pidgin) phrase that translates the Enga phrases auu pyoo katenge and auu pyoo petenge ("being or staying well," conceived from a masculine "standing" [katenge] or feminine "sitting" [petenge] perspective). These phrases are frequently used to describe peaceful intergroup relations. In considering how this state might be brought about, special attention is paid to the preferred methods of the people themselves (cross-cutting alliances, exchange relationships, and violent self-help), government (the Village Court System, economic development, and punitive measures), and churches and religious movements (conversion, forgiveness, and reconciliation). -- The special role of new religious movements as social movements for peace is highlighted. A comprehensive policy proposal is presented for further discussion by interested parties. -- This information, its interpretation, application, and implementation are presently part of an ongoing participatory action research process sponsored by the Catholic Diocese of Wabag (Enga Province). This thesis therefore forms a summary of the data as of December 1994, which must in turn be evaluated by those whose practice it is intended to inform.
Mode of access: World Wide Web.
xxii, [3], 413 leaves ill. (some col.)

Since the introduction of computers in to organisations in the 1950s, computer information systems have become powerful organisational instruments. The uptake of information technology including information systems (IS) and the impact of these technologies have been phenomenal, particularly in the least developed countries (LDCs). Organisations in these countries have continued to utilise IS as a development tool with the belief that it will enhance business processes, in many instances accelerated by foreign assistance. IS can have a positive effect on users, organisations and national development, measured economically or otherwise at the individual, organisational, and national levels. Yet IS implementation and the measure of its success is characterised by a high rate of failure and disagreement among scholars and practitioners. The success of organisational IS is influenced by a fabric of many variables, including contextual elements. In this regard IS can be influenced by both the organisational context in terms of strategies, structures, politics and culture, and by the wider political socio-economic, cultural, and technological climate within which organisations exist. Understanding the contributing variables and the barriers that impede IS success, would better prepare organisations to overcome the inherent difficulties. There is a large body of work documenting the usefulness and consequences of IS. However, these studies have been concentrated in the developed countries (DCs), hence, little is known about IS implementation in LDCs. DCs and LDCs differ in their contextual and social settings, and a uniform analysis may not be applicable in their disparate settings. Indeed the paucity of research and data in the IS domain indicates that the study would benefit an LDC such as Papua New Guinea (PNG) and contribute to knowledge in understanding IS implementation in an LDC environment. This thesis reports on a study that examined IS implementation success in PNG organisations in the context of an LDC. Computers were introduced to PNG in the 1960s, however, no studies have been undertaken to date in this domain that the author is aware of. Hence, the objective of this study was to provide detailed analysis of IS, the context in which it was implemented, its interaction with organisational and external settings, and elicit the underlying elements associated with its success. It also explores the emphasis placed on each of the elements and the extent to which organisations effectively addressed these elements to ensure IS success. The exploratory study employs a multi method design - beginning in Stage 1 with case studies, followed by a survey in Stage 2. Stage 1 adopted a multiple case study approach. Eight case studies were undertaken, however, results of only four case studies are reported in this thesis. Data obtained in the case studies provide a useful basis for the survey. The study in Stage 2 consolidated and expanded on the case study findings from the perspective of a wider population. All the organisations contacted but not involved in the Stage 1 study contributed by participating in the survey. The study identified more than fifty elements that contributed to the success of IS in PNG organisations. There were significant similarities to the findings of studies in other DCs and LDCs despite the disparate contextual conditions. Several elements, not identified in prior studies, were also revealed. Based on this study, a set of principles pertaining to IS implementation and management in PNG were postulated. Similarly a set of recommendations were also outlined.

The research aim was to gain a more detailed understanding of the operation of different key segments for fresh produce supply chains originating in the Highlands Provinces in Papua New Guinea (PNG). The research investigates a number of supply chain dimensions of effectiveness which include, value creation and integration of processes, logistics, quality, information, relationship/vertical integration and overall effectiveness. These were linked together in SC framework. Two potato chains were investigated, one formal, the other informal. The informal potato chain involves small holder farmers, input suppliers and local markets including kai bars and the urban market. The chain originates and ends within the Western Highlands Province. The formal potato chain has farmers, input suppliers, wholesaler/marker, transport companies (trucking and coastal shipping agents), supermarkets, hotels and kai bars. This chain originates in Mt Hagen, Western Highlands Province and ends in Port Moresby, National Capital District. The effectiveness of both the formal and informal chains was identified, and comparisons were made to see how each chain differed. The informal chain was found to have different problems to the formal chains. However, participants to both chains demonstrate a high entrepreneurial behavior. A key finding of the study was that the chains spread their risk by operating in multiple market segments and this can help to solve issues with variable quality. The marketers in each chain position themselves in these different market segments. It was clear from this work that focusing on functions and not the whole chain can lead to a distorted view of chain performance. For example, for the informal chain, a focus on logistics issues, particularly poor roads and problems with availability of seeds, can misrepresent the effectiveness of this chain. Therefore, it was concluded that it is important to look at the overall performance of each chain rather than looking specifically at particular chain functions in isolation.

The impacts from climate change is among the most pressing issues that the international community is currently faced with. Climate change makes that thousands of people all over the world are and will continue to be forced to flee from their homes, thus becoming displaced. Very little is written about this group of environmental IDP´s and their protection by national policies. This is especially problematic for less developed countries, where little focus is on the IDP´s but where their plight is even more dire. This is due to the fact that those countries to a greater extent lack resources to manage climate change disasters in effective ways. The purpose of this study is to contribute to the debate on IDP´s, and to address the need to involve IDP´s in national policies, in an effort to protect those groups. This research problem was examined through analysing two cases, i.e. the development countries, Cambodia and Papua New Guinea, which have been studied through a qualitative case study with the use of structured focused comparison.    The analytical framework used to analyse the findings retrieved from the cases was the Policy implementation process framework, which offered different variables to examine and guide the analysis. This was further complemented by the concept vulnerability, in order to get a more comprehensive picture on influencing variables.     The findings illustrate that both cases has managed to introduce extensive policy frameworks on the subject of climate change and environmental disasters, but only PNG explicitly incorporates IDP´s in their policy plan. The study further recognised the shared challenges for both cases on policy implementations. Insufficient human and financial resources due to lack of commitment and mainstreaming at government-levels are the main problems facing both Cambodia and Papua New Guinea. For future research it is therefore important to continue efforts of recognising the need for national protection for environmental IDP´s and to continue evaluating national frameworks.

Disasters, emergencies, incidents, and major incidents - they all come back to the same thing regardless of what they are called. The common denominator is that there is loss of life, injury to people and animals and damage and destruction of property. The management of such events relies on four phases: 1. Prevention 2. Preparation 3. Response 4. Recovery Each of these phases is managed in a different way and often by different teams. Here, concentration has been given to phases 2 and 3, with particular emphasis on phase 3, Response. The words used to describe such events are often related to legislation. The terminology is detailed later. However, whatever the description, whenever prevention is not possible, or fails, then the need is to respond. Response is always better when the responders are prepared. Training is a major part of response preparation and this book is designed to assist those in the health industry who need to be ready when something happens. One of the training packages for responders is the Major Incident Medical Management and Support (MIMMS) Course and this work was designed to supplement the manual prepared by Hodgetts and Macway-Jones(87) in the UK. Included is what the health services responder, who may be sent to an event in which the main concern is trauma, should know. Concentration is on the initial response and does not deal in any detail with hospital reaction, the public health aspects, or the mental health support that provides psychological help to victims and responders, and which are also essential parts of disaster management. People, in times of disaster, have always been quick to offer assistance. It is now well recognised however, that the 'enthusiastic amateur', whilst being a well meaning volunteer, isn't always what is needed. All too often such people have made things worse and have sometimes ended up as victims themselves. There is a place now for volunteers and there probably always will be. The big difference is that these people must be well informed, well trained and well practiced if they are to be effective. Fortunately such people and organisations do exist. Without the work of the St John Ambulance, the State Emergency Service, the Rural Fire Service the Red Cross and the Volunteer Rescue Association, to mention only a few, our response to disasters would be far less effective. There is a strong history of individuals being available to help the community in times of crisis. Mostly these people were volunteers but there has also always been the need for a core of professional support. In the recent past, professional support mechanisms have been developed from lessons learned, particularly to situations that need a rapid and well organised response. As lessons are learned from an analysis of events, philosophy and methods have changed. Our present system is not perfect and perhaps never will be. The need for an 'all-hazards approach' makes detailed planning very difficult and so there will probably always be criticisms about the way an event was handled. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, provided we learn from it. That means that this text is certainly not the 'last word' and revisions as we learn from experience will be inevitable. Because the author works primarily in New South Wales, many of the explanations and examples are specific to that state. In Australia disaster response is a State, rather than a Commonwealth, responsibility and consequently, and inevitably, there are differences in management between the states and territories within Australia. With the influence of Emergency Management Australia, these differences are being reduced. This means that across state and territory boundaries, assistance is common and interstate teams can be deployed and assimilated into the response rapidly, safely, effectively and with minimum explanation. This text sets out to increase the understanding of what is required, what is in place and how the processes of response are managed. By way of introduction and background, examples are given of those situations that have occurred, or could happen. Man Made Disasters has been divided into two distinct sections. Those which are related to structures or transport and those related directly to people. The first section, Chapter 3, includes: • Transport accidents involving land, rail, sea or air vehicles. • Collapse of buildings for reasons other than earthquakes or storms. • Industrial accidents, including the release of hazardous substances and nuclear events. A second section dealing with the consequences of the direct actions of people is separated as Chapter 4, entitled 'People Disasters'. Included are: • Crowd incidents involving sports and entertainment venues. • Terrorism From Chapter 4 on, the emphasis is on the Response phase and deals with organisation and response techniques in detail. Finally there is a section on terminology and abbreviations. An appendix details a typical disaster pack content. War, the greatest of all man made disasters is not considered in this text.

The introduced species Oreochromis mossambicus was studied to determine biological and ecological factors which may underly the rapid initial distribution of the species from its introduction in the 1950's to the relatively low catch rates experienced in recent years. Actual yield, determined from catch statistics for all species, was significantly lower than theoretical yield, based on formulae developed from other similar river systems. The importance of O. mossambicus to the fishery was indicated by the proportional contribution of this species to the catch (approximately 50%). Fluctuations in catch may be related to changes in water levels with a significant decrease in O. mossambicus catch as the water levels rose and this species moved onto the floodplain areas. Analysis of stomach contents revealed a predominance of diatom species, algae and flocculent detritus. There were some differences in diatom species consumed between sites and season although the general food quality was thought to be good based on monthly condition factors. Reproductive traits were similar to those found in other areas. Females incubated the fertilised eggs orally and behavioural differences were noted from changes in sex ratios and mean size caught each month. Condition of females was significantly lower during the dry season post spawning which could relate to the behavioural trait of mouthbrooding when females do not feed. Mean fecundity was low (475 per 100g body weight) and there was evidence of bimodal peaks in spawning activity which corresponded to rising and falling water levels. Growth throughout the year was not significantly affected by the potential changes in food availability created by the degree of floodplain inundation and an increase in allochthonous food sources. Scale rings were found to be fonned bi-annually and may correspond to increased feeding prior to spawning. CPUE varied between sites but was low overall and von Bertalanffy growth parameters indicated that males reached a larger maximum size than females over the same time period (L∞ = 35 and 26.56 respectively). Total mortality was relatively high (Z = 0.56/yr) but figures may relate to local conditions only since many habitats and environmental conditions would be represented in a river of the size of the Sepik. The potential impact of proposed introductions of fish to the river are discussed with regard to management issues.

Mining and mineral exploration have been a source of considerable tension in the developing world and specifically where they take place on indigenous lands. This thesis investigates the nature of the relationships between different stakeholders to a mineral exploration project in Fiji. It is an examination of the obstacles to community participation, a key component of even-handed development, in the planning and policy-making process. It is argued that the Namosi exploration project has been the locus for emergent social disruption. It is also argued, that the causes of this conflict are anchored in a flawed process of policy-making between the state and exploration companies and the contest for authority between key actors, which has led to the disempowerment of some villagers from both within and outside the community. Equally, the political ideology of the state and the contentious history of mining in Fiji, have played a part in the tendency towards social conflict in association with minerals exploration.
The starting point for analysis has been a comparison with the social conflict literature as it applies to Papua New Guinea. The purpose has been first, to confirm the relevance of that work to situations encountered in Fiji, and second, to provide a broader critique of the literature than previously available; one that further develops understanding of social conflict related to natural resource development. Given the circumstances of state and village politics in Melanesia, the question is asked, whether the normative 'fully realised communities' anticipated by Selznick in his communitarian idyll can be achieved. The thesis concludes that the nature of community involvement in development planning for mineral exploitation, creates a very different type of participation than that outlined in the literature of mining corporations and states. Although some actors have recourse to other means of empowering themselves, this is not a prelude to development for the wider community.

This thesis analyses and explores the Culture and Practices of Public Managers involved in implementing projects in Papua New Guinea. Project Implementation is an integral part of the overall project management cycle that has received a great deal of attention as a major development problem. In order for us to gain an insight of the theme of the thesis, the National AIDS Council Secretariat (NACS) was selected as the site for this case study. To investigate'how things were done in NACS', a variety of approaches were used to gauge the views, perceptions and experiences of programme and project managers in NACS, to help us understand the factors that affect staff practices. Poor management practice and the lack of a sound management culture and work ethic in PNG, is often blamed for the break down in the state?s capacity to deliver public goods and services to its citizens. Performance culture and good practice by public managers employed in State Institutions to handle projects have regressed in the last three decades, and as a result, projects are seen as failing to meet the goals and objectives of the state. The research question which the case study had to answer was: What is the nature of project management culture and practice among public sector managers in the National AIDS Council Secretariat? The study sought to investigate the extent to which the areas of command and control, project training, project knowledge and staff motivation were important integral managerial qualities in the attitudes and practice of public managers. The study showed that, of the four elements of managerial practices investigated, the inability of public managers to assume leadership, command and control and motivate their staff, were the most important elements missing among managers in NACS. Based on the findings and the evidence collected during the research, this thesis argues for substantial capacity building programmes to be designed and conducted around 'programme and project management' roles in state institutions and agencies in PNG, as the way to improve staff capabilities so as to enable project managers and their staff to efficiently implement projects.

This research focussed on Fair Trade (FT) coffee supply chains in Papua New Guinea. Three research questions were asked. First, do small holders in the FT chains receive higher returns than the smallholders in the conventional chains? Secondly, if smallholders in the FT coffee chains receive higher returns from their coffee than the smallholders in the conventional chains, what are the sources of these higher returns? Finally, if smallholders in the FT chains don't receive higher returns than in the conventional chains, what are the constraints to smallholders receiving higher returns from the FT coffee chains than the conventional chains? A conceptual framework for agribusiness supply chain was developed that was used to guide the field work. A comparative case study methodology was selcted as an appropriate method for eliciting the required information. Four case study chains were selected. A paired FT and conventional coffee chains from Okapa and another paired FT and conventional chains from Kainantu districts, Eastern Highlands Province were selected for the study. The research found that smallholders in the FT chains and vonventional chains receive very similar prices for their coffee (parchment price equivalent). Hence, there was no evidence that smallholders in the FT chains received higher prices or returns from their coffee production than smallholders in conventional chains. This study also found that there was no evidence of FLO certification improving returns to smallholders in the FT chains over those returns received in the conventional chains, but the community that the FT smallholder producers come from did benefit. The sources of these community benefits lies in the shorter FT chains and the distributions of the margin that would have been otherwise made by processors to producers, exporters and the community. In addition, this study found that constraints associated with value creation are similar in all the four chains studies. However, there are some added hurdles for the FT chains in adhering to FT and organic coffee standards. Moreover, FT co-oeratives lacked capacity to trade and their only functions were to help with FLO certification and distribute the FT premium to the community. The findings of this research support some aspects of the literature, but not others. The research contribution is the finding that in this period of high conventional coffee prices, returns to smallholders from FT chains were no bettter than the returns gained in conventional chains, which leads to oppotunism and lack of loyalty by smallholders in the FT chains. The other contribution of this research is in identifying a particular type of free rider who is not a member of the FT co-operative but has right to the community benefits generated by the FT chain.

Lihir Gold Mine in Papua New Guinea is one of the largest gold mines in the world situated in a seismically sensitive zone. The gold deposit is located in an extinct volcano in close proximity to the sea shore and presents a series of geohazards. Some geohazards are uncommon and include: geothermal outbursts, cavities, water inrush and earthquake/ tsunami. After a major multi-batter (5 benches high) slope failure that occurred on the 1st of October 2009, a team of engineers, lead by the author investigated the incident and made series of recommendations. Arising out of these recommendations, a comprehensive Geohazard Management Plan was formulated by revisiting, revising and putting together all the individual geohazard management plans as a single document. This thesis describes the outcomes of the investigation and presents an overview and systematic approach in formulation of the Geohazard Management Plan, apart from a summary of the gaps that were identified in the existing system, major contributions that were made as well as the expected improvements and constraints in managing these geohazards.
Mining Engineering

The thesis describes diversity of birds along a complete altitudinal gradient and in forest fragments in lowlands of Papua New Guinea. It focuses separately on the diversity of different feeding guilds, and discusses their links to habitat and food resources. More specifically, it focuses on forest insectivorous birds, their predation pressure on arthropods, feeding specializations and preferences, and some of the ways how insectivores search for food.

For generations, communities in the Pacific islands have employed a range of resource management techniques (including reef closures, gear restrictions, limiting entry, and the protection of spawning aggregations) to limit marine resource use. Because of their perceived potential to meet both conservation and community goals, these traditional resource management techniques are being revitalized by communities, governments, and conservation groups as an integral part of national and regional marine conservation plans in the Pacific. However, it is uncertain whether traditional management can provide a solid foundation for the development of these conservation strategies. Little is known about the social, economic, and cultural processes that enable communities to employ traditional management and it remains unclear if the traditional management systems will be resilient to the profound socioeconomic changes sweeping the Pacific region. Indiscriminate application of “traditional” solutions to present day problems in Pacific communities without understanding the socioeconomic context in which these systems can operate effectively may lead to disappointment with results and disenchantment with the conservation process if results do not meet expectations. Theoretical and empirical studies have identified a number of specific socioeconomic factors that may influence the ability of a community to implement or maintain traditional management, but specific relationships between socioeconomic conditions and the use of traditional management practices are still not well understood. This thesis aims to examine the socioeconomic context within which select traditional management systems operate in Papua New Guinea and further debate on how these systems may be applicable in the modern conservation context by exploring the following research questions: Do communities with traditional reef closures have different socioeconomic characteristics than communities that do not? How do traditional closure systems reflect the socioeconomic conditions of the communities that implement them? This thesis identified socioeconomic factors that may influence whether a community employs or maintains traditional management and prioritised 11 that could be collected within the research timeframe. These factors were population, size of the resource, distance to market, conflicts, settlement pattern, dependence on marine resources, modernisation, perceptions about the complexity of human-environment interactions, perceptions about the condition of the marine environment, social capital and occupational mobility. These socioeconomic factors were examined in 14 coastal communities in Papua New Guinea, five of which had traditional closures and nine of which did not. Data were collected using a combination of quantitative and qualitative techniques, including household surveys, key informant interviews, participant observation, and oral histories. A technique called Rasch modelling, commonly used in psychology and education, was employed to aggregate household-level socioeconomic indicators into thematic interval-level variables. Then the socioeconomic factors in the five communities that employ traditional closures of coral reefs were quantitatively compared with the nine communities that do not. Results showed that the constructs used to measure modernisation, social capital and occupational mobility had a slight but significant relationship to the presence of traditional closures, and the construct of dependence on marine resources was strongly related to the presence of traditional closures. Two case studies were used to provide a more detailed examination of how dependence on marine resources influences whether and how communities can employ a traditional closure. One case study is from Ahus Island, Manus province where dependence on marine resources is extremely high. The other is from Muluk village on Karkar Island, where dependence on marine resources is low. These contrasting case studies help to provide more detail into the socioeconomic context within which these traditional practices operate and how a community’s dependence on marine resources may determine whether and how traditional closures may meet their goals. The thesis concludes by exploring how traditional closures in Papua New Guinea focus on providing the communities with benefits rather than biodiversity conservation and examining how this leads to a fundamentally different resource governance model than we see in western fisheries management and resource conservation. This utilitarian model of conservation may have a place in the modern conservation context of many developing countries where the social and economic burdens of Western conservation models are unrealistic.

Research into the use of information by health care professionals has generally been conducted in countries dominated by the biomedical model. In these contexts, illness is considered to have a scientifically identifiable physical cause, and treatment practices within the formal health care sector are prescribed and managed in accordance with this definition. Yet there are also contexts where other belief systems inform and guide the way that people think about their health. In comparison to the biomedical model, these contexts have contributed very little to our understanding of how health professionals develop their knowledge. This research investigates how primary health care workers (PHCWs) in one such context, Papua New Guinea (PNG), develop their knowledge about the health services they provide. In order to discover and understand the differing views of these PHCWs, 69 semi-structured interviews were conducted in three culturally and geographically diverse regions of PNG. In explaining the diagnostic and treatment practices they use, these participants provided insights into not only how PHCWs engage with information but also how it informs their professional practice. These data were analysed, interpreted and discussed using a framework consisting of four, primary but interconnecting aspects: the context in which information was provided, the interactions with the sources of information, the processes by which information was understood, and the outcomes realized as a result of the information being used. Findings indicated that the majority of participants in this study acknowledged, if not incorporated, information pertaining to biomedicine, Christianity and Indigenous belief systems into their diagnostic and treatment practices. Even when these belief systems clearly contradicted each other, PHCWs did not in general feel the need to make a conscious choice between them. From their comments it would appear that four factors contributed to this ability to incorporate diverse and often conflicting ideas into the way that patients were cared for. First, all of the belief systems were considered legitimate by at least one group of people connected to the community in which the PHCW worked. Second, although varying in degrees of availability and accessibility, members of these groups were able to disseminate information pertaining to the belief system they supported. Third, the PHCW had no particular affiliation with any one of these groups but instead regularly interacted with a range of different people. Lastly, the PHCW worked in situations where health practices were not generally well supervised by their employers and therefore they were relatively free to choose between various diagnostic and treatment practices. The qualitative interpretive approach adopted in this thesis contributes to the field of human information behavior by affirming that conflict is in the eye of the beholder. When a number of belief systems coexist and all are considered legitimate, information about them is freely available, and the recipients actions are neither constrained by their own dogma, nor imposed upon by others, individuals may quite comfortably embrace diverse beliefs. These findings may also contribute to a better understanding of health management practices in developing countries by suggesting that health professionals are not merely personifications of a biomedical model. Instead, the study demonstrates that multiple belief systems can be combined by PHCWs, and that in turn this benefits the formal health care sector through increased treatment options that are both appropriate and effective in such circumstances.

The thesis describes host specificity and species diversity in communities of frugivorous insect in lowland rain forest of Papua New Guinea. It focuses separately on weevils and Lepidoptera, as main groups of frugivores. Further, it focuses on fruit morphology and the structure of frugivorous communities.

Against the backdrop of the historical failure of official development assistance to alleviate poverty in the Third World, this thesis examines the current approach of Western aid donors toward development. The thesis asks whether aid policy processes indicate a willingness, or capacity, on the part of official donors to more fully engage with the causal complexity of development, and so potentially improve development outcomes. Considering the case study of the Australian bilateral aid program to Papua New Guinea from both top-down and bottom-up policy perspectives, the thesis concludes that, in relation to Australia, there are significant structural and institutional impediments to change. The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and its interpretation of national interest, dominate high-level aid policy-making, even though the objectives of foreign policy and those of foreign aid differ. Australia's official development agency, AusAID, is limited in its capacity to legitimately challenge this dominance, not least because its use of contracted-out projects restrict its corporate knowledge and its ability to influence policy agendas and networks. Overcoming this impasse requires creative management on the part of senior public servants and non-governmental members of the aid policy community alike.

碩士
國立臺北護理健康大學
護理研究所
107
Background: Over the years numerous studies have revealed that postoperative patients still experience moderate to severe postoperative pain and the prevalence has remained high. Little is known about the knowledge and attitude level of Papua New Guinean nurses and their practices in postoperative pain management. Purpose and Objectives: The purpose is to understand and determine the nurses’ knowledge, attitude and practice level towards postoperative pain management. The objectives are to assess the relationship of knowledge and attitude with the practice of nurses in Papua New Guinea towards pain management in post-operative patients and to identify the nurse’s demographic characteristics, influence the relationship of Papua New Guinean nurses knowledge, attitude and practice in postoperative pain management. Methods: This was a correlation study that used the Ferrell and McCaffery’s knowledge and attitude survey regarding pain (KASRP) questionnaire and practice questionnaire was a semi structured questionnaire in a Likert scale. The questionnaire was distributed to 109 nurses working at Port Moresby General Hospital in Papua New Guinea (PNG). The nurses worked in critical care unit, surgical unit, obstetrics and gynecology unit. Data was collected from mid July to August and was analyzed using ANOVA, t-Test and Hierarchical Multiple Linear Regression. Results: Nurses knowledge, attitude and practice mean scores regarding postoperative pain management were knowledge and attitude level were very low (score <60%) and their practice level was low to moderate (score 60-69.99% to 70-79.99%). Among the demographics, gender and years of experience were predictors to practice. There was a significant relationship between knowledge and attitude of the nurses and the practice of the nurses. Conclusion: It is very important therefore to initiate training on pain management in the hospital setting and the training should be ongoing. Also more nurse educators and preceptors are needed and recommended to supervise junior nurses and nursing students. Further studies should be done in hospitals in the provinces in PNG.

As úlceras cutâneas (UC), lesões cutâneas com perda das camadas superficiais da pele, são comumente encontradas em países de baixo rendimento da África e do Pacífico Sul. Em certas áreas remotas e rurais, como as ilhas da Papua Nova Guiné, a prevalência e a morbidade de UC são muito altas, representando, portanto, uma importante causa de sofrimento e estigmatização em crianças. Certas UC, se não forem tratadas, podem resultar em deformidades permanentes que afetam a vida das pessoas e que estão associadas a pobreza. Embora vários agentes patogénicos possam causar UC, dois deles representam um grande problema de saúde pública nas ilhas do Pacífico Sul - bouba (Treponema pallidum pertenue) e Haemophilus ducreyi. Estes dois agentes patogénicos são a base desta tese e foram selecionados por variadas razões: em primeiro lugar, são as duas causas mais comuns de UC na região tropical do Pacífico Sul, onde os estudos para esta tese foram realizados. Em segundo lugar, estes são co endémicos, mas a sua interação como doenças infeciosas não foi estudada. Em terceiro lugar, por motivos epidemiológicos, clínicos e terapêuticos, as duas doenças são potencialmente tratáveis de forma integrada por meio do tratamento total da comunidade (TTC) com administração em massa de antibióticos (AMM) . A bouba é classificada pela Organização Mundial da Saúde (OMS) como uma doença tropical negligenciada (DTN) que afeta principalmente crianças de 6 a 15 anos de idade em comunidades com falta de água e sem saneamento, levando à desfiguração e incapacidade crónica. No passado, a bouba foi sempre considerada a causa mais comum de UC, mas estudos de coorte recentes conduzidos na Papua Nova Guiné (PNG), Ilhas Salomão e Vanuatu identificaram o H. ducreyi como o agente etiológico que causa mais de metade de todas as UCs nos trópicos. Em cenários endémicos de bouba rural, onde há ausência de diagnósticos moleculares, as UCs são classificadas com base nos resultados dos testes sorológicos da sífilis. Por exemplo, uma UC com um teste serológico positivo é classificada como bouba e tratada com azitromicina oral de dose única, enquanto uma UC com um resultado serológico negativo é classificada como úlceras não-bouba (por exemplo, H. ducreyi ou outros agentes patogénicos) e tratada com curso de 5-7 dias de diferentes antibióticos de amplo espectro. Esquemas de dosagem de múltiplos dias de tratamento e várias vezes por dia comprometem a adesão e satisfação do paciente.Recentemente, um alarmante ressurgimento de bouba foi observado em vários países nos trópicos. O maior número de casos é relatado na Papua Nova Guiné, Ilhas Salomão e Gana. A OMS reagiu ao ressurgimento de bouba conduzindo campanhas de eliminação em áreas altamente endémicas usando tratamento empírico de UC com azitromicina oral de dose única. No entanto, se somente a bouba for tratada durante as campanhas, as comunidades podem ter a perceção de que a persistência de outros tipos de UC estará relacionada com um desfecho negativo da estratégia. A recente descoberta de que H. ducreyi é um dos principais agentes causadores de UC reforça a necessidade de maior investigação sobre o assunto. É preciso explorar novas estratégias para controlar a UC por H. ducreyi juntamente com a bouba. Em 2012, um ensaio clínico realizado na Papua Nova Guiné mostrou que a azitromicina era eficaz para tratar a bouba ativa. No entanto, para nosso conhecimento, há dados limitados sobre a eficácia do AMM com azitromicina para curar a infeção latente da bouba ou para eliminar a UC H. ducreyi como um efeito secundário benéfico. A azitromicina tem a vantagem de ser administrada em dose oral única e a um preço muito acessível em comparação com outros regimes de antibióticos. Se comprovadamente eficaz para o tratamento de UC por H. ducreyi e para a bouba latente, teria implicações para o tratamento de pacientes individuais e para o uso de antibióticos em estratégias de saúde pública para controlar a UC nos trópicos. Além disso, compreender a transmissão da UC de H. ducreyi permitirá definir novas estratégias para controlar e deter a propagação da doença. Os artigos originais desta tese pretendem fornecer uma atualização sobre a epidemiologia mundial da UC e bouba de H. ducreyi, investigar a eficácia da azitromicina de dose única no tratamento de pacientes com UC por H. ducreyi e bouba latente, explorar a transmissão e reservatórios ambientais de H. ducreyi e apresentar dados de eficácia a longo prazo da estratégia de AMM para eliminar a bouba e reduzir a prevalência de H. ducreyi a nível comunitário.
Cutaneous Ulcers (CU) presenting as skin lesions with loss of the superficial skin layers are commonly found in low-resource countries of Africa and the South Pacific. In certain remote and rural areas, such as the islands of Papua New Guinea, CU prevalence and morbidity is very high, hence representing an important cause of suffering and stigmatization in children. Certain CU conditions, if untreated, can result into permanent impairing deformities that will impact the person’s life and anchor that person into poverty. Although several pathogens may cause CU, two of them pose a major public health problem in the South Pacific islands, namely yaws (Treponema pallidum pertenue) and Haemophilus ducreyi and are the basis of this thesis. These two pathogens were selected for a number of reasons: first they are the two most common causes of CU in the tropical South Pacific region where the studies for this thesis were conducted. Second, these are co-endemic but its interaction as infectious diseases has not been studied. And third, because of epidemiological, clinical and therapeutic reasons the two diseases are potentially treatable in an integrated manner through total community treatment (TCT) with mass drug administration (MDA) of antibiotics. Yaws is classified by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a neglected tropical disease (NTD) that primarily affects children 6-15 years old in communities with poor water supplies and no sanitation, and leads to chronic disfigurement and disability. In the past yaws was always considered the most common cause of CU, yet recent cohort studies conducted in Papua New Guinea (PNG), Solomon Islands and Vanuatu have identified Haemophilus ducreyi as an aetiologic agent causing more than half of all CU in the tropics. In rural yaws endemic settings where there is absence of molecular diagnostics, CUs are classified on the basis of syphilis serological test results. For example, a CU with a positive serological test is classified as yaws and treated with single dose oral azithromycin, while a CU with a negative serological result is classified as non-yaws ulcers (e.g. H. ducreyi or other pathogens) and treated with a 5-7 day course of different wide-spectrum antibiotics.Multiple days courses of treatment and multiple times per day dosing schedules compromise patient compliance and satisfaction. Recently, an alarming resurgence of yaws has been observed in several countries in the tropics. The largest number of cases are reported in Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and Ghana. WHO has responded to yaws resurgence by conducting Elimination Campaigns in highly endemic areas using empirical treatment of CU with single-dose oral azithromycin. If only yaws is treated during campaigns, communities might have the perception that persistence of other types of CU is related to a poor outcome of the strategy. The recent discovery that H. ducreyi was as a major causative agent of CU calls for further research on this matter. New strategies to control H. ducreyi CU together with yaws need to be explored. In 2012, a clinical trial conducted in Papua New Guinea showed that azithromycin was efficacious to treat active yaws. However, to our knowledge there is limited data on the efficacy of azithromycin MDA to cure latent yaws infection, or to eliminate H. ducreyi CU as a beneficial secondary effect. Azithromycin offers the advantage of single oral dose at a very cheap price as compared to other antibiotic regimens; if proven efficacious for H. ducreyi CU and latent yaws, this would have implications for the treatment of individual patients and for the use of antibiotics in public health strategies to control CU in the tropics. Furthermore, understanding the transmission of H. ducreyi CU will helps us define new strategies to control and stop the spread of the disease. This thesis original research articles aim to provide an update on the worldwide epidemiology of H. ducreyi CU and yaws, to investigate the efficacy of single-dose azithromycin to treat individual patients with H. ducreyi CU and latent yaws, to explore the transmission and environmental reservoirs of H. ducreyi, and to present long-term efficacy data of the MDA strategy to eliminate yaws and reduce the prevalence of H. ducreyi at a community level.