Over the last four years local civil society organization, The Voice Inc (TVI) has been strategically engaging with government and community organizations, civil societies and its network of leaders, building coalitions to progress policy and reform on some of Papua New Guineas most critical issues such as sorcery Accusation Related Violence, Youth Opportunities and Early Childhood Learning.
Key to its efforts is the Problem Driven Iterative Adaptation (PDIA) Course facilitated by the Havard Kennedy School of Government and offered through TVI’s Local Leadership and Collective Action Program (LLCAP).
The PDIA course is a challenging 12-week program which helps teams break down problems into root causes, identify entry points and act.
The program has been delivered with governments and reformers around the world including LLCAP leaders in PNG since 2022.
Through the PDIA, TVI has been able to engage with 112 local leaders who are community advocators, organizational executives, public servants and government secretaries among others.
Speaking on behalf of TVI, Executive Director Maliwai Sasingian, shared that the organization has seen tangible results from engaging with the 3 Cohorts that have gone through this course.
These engagements have led to key partnerships and strategic interventions that LLCAP actively supports.
“Through the PDIA process, we have been able to mobilize and support key coalition actions such as our work to strengthen referral pathways and access to justice for survivors of SARV with key stakeholders on the frontline of addressing the issue in Kundiawa, Simbu Province.”
“Through our continued engagement with this important coalition and learnings from the PDIA, TVI in partnership with the Catholic Diocese of Kundiawa, established a free SARV Legal Help Desk in 2023 with a fulltime lawyer to assist partners in progressing their SARV cases.”
“This is among many examples of the utilization of key concepts within the PDIA course.”
Meanwhile, Communications and Marketing Manager, Mr. Dagia Aka, also added that the PDIA Course is a 12-week intensive course, with a face-to-face session to kick off with Professor Matt ANDREWS in Port Moresby and then a 12 week of course with a self paced module to complete on canvas (The Havard motivated online learning system).
It will be at least six weeks of taking action on team issues and then two online sessions, roughly halfway and at the end of the course as well as support from a TVI coach.
In addition, other key partnerships to date that have come to fruition through the PDIA process include Memorandum of Understandings (MOAs) and Joint Workplans with the Department for Community Development & Religion (DFCDR) and the National Youth Development Authority (NYDA).
TVI is pleased to announce the fourth iteration of the program and that the applications have opened on Friday the 11th of July and further information can be accessed by going to https://www.thevoicepng.org/pdia-cohort-4-application