Deputy Team Leader, Kokoda Initiative Partnership | APSPnew

• Commencement: August 2026 

• Long term role, based in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea

• Open to PNG Citizens ONLY

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 Associates 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.

Program Activity:

The Kokoda Initiative Partnership (KIP) is a partnership between the Governments of Papua New Guinea and Australia to sustainably develop and protect the Kokoda Track and surrounding areas. The KIP support is delivered under three pillars: Track, People and Environment in alignment with the PNG Government’s Kokoda Initiative Master Plan.

Pillar 1 - TRACK Objective: A safe and well-managed track whose special military values and historical integrity are protected.

The KIP works with the Kokoda Track Authority (KTA), the Tourism Promotion Authority (TPA) and the National Museum and Art Gallery (NMAG) to promote and protect the Kokoda Track and enhance Track safety for local communities and visitors through effective policies and governance systems, Track maintenance and communications networks.

Pillar 2 - PEOPLE Objective: Enhanced quality of life and income for landowners and communities of the Kokoda Track region.

The KIP works with the Oro and Central Provincial health and education authorities, church health and education providers and NGOs to improve the quality of life for communities through health, education and community driven development projects and income generation activities.

Pillar 3 - ENVIRONMENT Objective: The sustainable use of the protected area.

The KIP supports the Conservation and Environment Protection Authority (CEPA) to protect the Kokoda Track and surrounding region and preserve the region’s unique biodiversity and cultural environments.

About the Opportunity

The KIP Deputy Team Leader (DTL), is responsible for two primary functions:

    Program management and reporting:

• Working with the KIP team, the DTL will manage the implementation of approved KIP activities in counterpart Provinces (Northern/Central) in alignment with the KIP results framework, the KIP GEDSI Strategy and the APSP Climate Change Strategy. 

• The DTL will facilitate the engagement and participation of relevant Provincial and District Counterparts in KIP project design, planning, implementation, monitoring and reporting, with a focus on development of projects that attract co-contribution funding by counterpart provinces.

• The DTL will provide verbal and written updates to key counterparts, support the production of performance reports, briefing notes, program concept notes and acquittal statements for related activities 

   Monitoring and Evaluation: 

• Support the TL and MERLA team to monitor project progress and outcomes, ensuring that program activities contribute to our End of Program Outcomes. This will include: 

  • Manage and contribute to the production of six month and Annual Performance reports.

  • Undertake data collection for M&E as requested.

Provide ongoing performance information and data collection to update and maintain relevant activity baseline files.

Specific Responsibilities

Reporting to the KIP Team Leader, the DTL will be responsible for:

Partnership Development, Stakeholder Coordination and Community Engagement: 

• Develop strong and effective relationships with key KI stakeholders, including Government counterparts, communities, and traditional resource custodians (landowners).

• Liaise with Counterparts to ensure planned activities align with their shared objectives, service delivery mandates and the Kokoda Initiative Master Plan (KIMP).

• Maintain a network of key officers and officials at the district and provincial levels across health, education and community development.

• Build on existing networks and manage relationships with key stakeholders from the private sector, NGOs, and community-based organisations.

• Represent the KIP team at meetings with DFAT, INGOs and sub-national counter parts as required.

• Identify potential partners and foster relationships.

• Collaborate with KIP Team members to facilitate the development of community-based activities, with community participation.

Project and Budget Management: 

• Support the KIP Team Leader to design project activities.

• Support the KIP Team Leader to manage, implement, and monitor progress of relevant activity workplans and budgets.

• Manage program budgets, funds requests, acquittals, invoicing requirements of the activities and ensure compliance with Abt financial policies and processes.

• Ensure alignment of activities with the KIP Development Results Framework, the KIMP and Provincial and District service delivery priorities. 

• Support the TL to update the KIP Risk Register.

• As directed by the TL, support the delivery of special projects, including new activities under the KIP.

Monitoring and Evaluation: 

• Support the Team Leader to monitor project progress and outcomes, ensuring that program activities contribute to our End of Program Outcomes. This will include: 

  • Contributing to the production of six monthly and Annual Performance reports.

  • Undertake and support data collection, quality assurance and verification for M&E as required to ensure delivery of evidence-based reporting and identify meaningful case studies

  • Provide ongoing performance information and data collection to update and maintain relevant activity baseline files.

• Deliver quarterly provincial program reporting (like adviser reports).

• Update and implement the KIP MEL framework, ensuring commitment to Key Policy priorities (Gender, Disability, Climate Change and Subnational Governance), VfM, and localisation principles are embedded within.

• Support development of MEL systems, tools, and processes to support the APSP and KIP teams to collect data and monitor, evaluate and report on the progress of program activities for Health, Education, Livelihoods, and Infrastructure. 

• Work with Finance Officer and KIP team to track economic stimulus/ income earned by program beneficiaries across KIP workstreams.

• Develop appropriate reporting templates for sub-contracted services providers where appropriate and requested by APSP management.

Capacity Building: 

• Provide capacity development support to provincial counterparts to plan, budget for, implement and report on service delivery in health, education and community development.

Additional Specific Roles and Responsibilities 

• Quarterly and Annual meetings and coordination with sub-national partner agencies, creating workplans and schedules, liaison with community leaders.

GEDSI

• Work closely with KIP Team Leader, GEDSI lead and KIP team members to support consistent implementation and reporting against the KIP GEDSI strategy and effective delivery of gender and inclusion focussed activities within the Education portfolio of activities. 

• Ensure Gender equality, disability and social inclusion mainstreaming is coherent and visible within the KIP including:

  • Support the development and undertaking of KIP surveys incorporating relevant GEDSI questions and issues to inform activity planning, action research and case studies as required.
  • In close consultation with KIP staff, including implementing partners, AHC and Abt Associates representatives, identify and establish cross-partnership GEDSI linkages to enable coordination and coherence.

• Demonstrate leadership support for the implementation of key diversity and inclusion policies

• In the absence of the TL, act in the capacity of the Team Lead 

Others

• Other duties as reasonably directed by the Team Leader

Specific Deliverables 

• Support the KIP TL to develop Annual Work Plans and Budgets for the KIP.
• Support the KIP TL to update the KIP Risk Register.
• Support the KIP TL to draft annual performance reporting and six-monthly progress reporting for the KIP
• Support the KIP TL to implement the KIP MERLA Plan

• Monitor, track, and report on activities that contribute to Key Policy Priorities (Gender, Disability, Climate Change, and Subnational Governance).

• Monitor, track, and report on activities that contribute to the APSP collaboration, policy dialogue and research trackers.

Support the TL to manage staff performance in accordance with Abt systems and requirements.

Key working relationships 

• APSP Executive Director

• Team Leader, KIP

• MERLA Adviser/s

• KIP team and advisers

• APSP Partnership teams

• Colleagues across Abt PNG programs including MERL, GEDSI, Procurement.

About You 

For applications to be considered, a response to the key selection criteria below must be provided. 

• Demonstrated experience managing complex development programs or program components, with evidence of progressively increasing responsibility and accountability for planning, implementation, stakeholder engagement, team leadership, budget oversight, and delivery of development outcomes in Papua New Guinea, preferably in subnational or rural and remote operating contexts.

• Strong experience building and maintaining effective partnerships with government counterparts, communities, traditional resource custodians, civil society, private sector and donor stakeholders.

• Proven ability to support annual work planning, budgeting, implementation, risk management, financial acquittals and performance reporting in line with program and organisational requirements.

• Demonstrated experience applying monitoring, evaluation, research, learning and adaptation approaches, including data collection, quality assurance, results reporting and the use of evidence to inform adaptive management.

• Sound understanding of GEDSI, climate change, localisation, value for money and subnational governance priorities, with demonstrated ability to integrate these priorities into activity design, implementation and reporting.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to prepare high-quality briefs, concept notes, reports, updates and stakeholder communications for senior program, government and donor audiences.

• Demonstrated leadership capability, including the ability to work collaboratively across multidisciplinary teams, support staff performance, represent the program externally and act in the Team Leader capacity when required.

Applications are encouraged from candidates seeking to take the next step into a broader program leadership role. 

We welcome and thank all applications; however, only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.

Closing Date:  Sunday 26^th July 2026, 12PM (Mid-day, local time) #LI-AUSBRIT

Abt Associates is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer committed to fostering a diverse workforce. Abt Associates provides market-competitive salaries and comprehensive employee benefits. Local candidates strongly encouraged to apply.

Disclaimer: Abt Associates will never ask candidates for money in exchange for an offer of employment.