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Aus AID/PNGMC Institutional Strengthening
Project.
This pages describe the AusAid
project completed in 1998
PROJECT
GOALS
The
primary goal of the PNGMC project was to support the development
of the PNG maritime industry by strengthening PNGMC so that it could
meet the training requirements of the industry, especially at the
higher or more advanced technical levels. The project's secondary,
more long-term, goals were to help implement the Government
of PNG's policies of position localisation and gender equity within
the PNG maritime industry. To achieve these goals, the project was organised into four main components: staff development,
curriculum development, facilities development, and gender equity.
Primary
Goal
The
rapid growth of the PNG maritime industry and the introduction
of the Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping,
1995 Convention (STCW95) in July 1995 both require suitably trained
PNG personnel at all levels. At that time, PNGMC was not in a
position to adequately meet those needs. It had no Class 1 and 2
courses (all Class 1 and 2 training had to be provided overseas at
considerable cost), and its training facilities for all other courses needed upgrading to meet STCW95 requirements.
The
project aimed to provide an integrated package of assistance in
three areas:
- staff
development
- curriculum
development
- facilities
development
The reasoning behind this integrated approach was simple. The
successful implementation of Class 1 and 2 courses and the adoption of
STCW95 required the development of new curriculum and the upgrading
of physical facilities at PNGMC. To support the curriculum work
required, ensure proper use of the new equipment, and have the new
and revised courses taught effectively, a program of staff
development was essential. This three-pronged approach
enabled PNGMC to significantly strengthen its institutional capabilities.
Secondary
Goals
In
addition to its primary goal, the project also aimed to advance
two broader and more long term government goals:
To
this end, the project, as part of the staff development
program, put greater emphasis on training PNG nationals on the PNGMC
teaching staff, and undertook special projects to encourage
female participation at PNGMC and the PNG maritime industry.
The goal of position localisation was addressed in the staff development
component of the project; that of gender equity was addressed
separately in the gender equity component.
For gender equity, the project's
aim was to promote awareness of opportunities for female participation
in the PNG maritime industry.
PROJECT
OUTPUTS
The project achieved 15 specific outputs. These outputs were categorised according to the four components of the project.
Staff
Development
The staff development component focused on improving staff competence
in three areas:
- technical
maritime knowledge
- curriculum
design and development
- instructional
methods
Fellowships were established in six technical areas to enable PNGMC
staff of PNG nationality to visit maritime institutions around
Australia, and while at these institutions, attend short-term
courses and/or work in close coordination with an expert (or
a panel of experts) to gain further expertise in the area covered
by the fellowship.
Running parallel to the fellowships were on-the-job training courses
on the same technical areas covered by the fellowships. While
fellowships were limited to PNG nationals only, these on-site
courses were
open to all PNGMC staff.
Workshops
will also be held for all staff to prepare them for the task
of developing and revising curriculum according to STCW95, and
to help them improve their instructional skills.
Curriculum
Development
Curriculum development involved three main activities:
- revision
of existing courses (up to Grade 3) and development of new courses
(Grades 1 and 2) that meet the requirements of STCW95
- upgrading
of the library system to meet the requirements of the new and
revised courses
- teaching
of maritime English at the higher grades
The
teaching of the new and revised courses is PNGMC's area of
responsibility, but the project was expected to help PNGMC prepare its staffing
plan to ensure the right mix of people are available to teach
each course.
Facilities
Development
Facilities
development targeted two main areas of improvement:
Teaching support facilities included equipment for general teaching
(video systems, books, etc), machine and workshop training and
demonstration, meteorology, tanker safety and construction, shipmaster's
medical requirements, communication, and marine control.
Gender Equity
Running alongside but independently of the three principal
components was gender equity. This component
was two-pronged:
-
to
promote awareness of maritime training and employment opportunities
for women through promotional videos and brochures, role model
visits and presentations, and newspaper features
-
to
conduct a feasibility study to identify viable maritime employment
options for women
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