ATprojects is a Goroka based NGO which works with both district and provincial governments, churches, rural communities and other NGOs in the Eastern Highlands Province.

ATprojects' aim is to enable rural people to use appropriate technologies which give them more control over their lives and which contribute to the sustainable development of their communities.

ATprojects provides a number of project development services and is one of the few organisations in PNG offering practical technical support at a district level.

ATprojects increasingly sees its role as a supporting organisation working with projects generated at district level by local level governments, church groups and rural communities.

We feel that this supporting role is now more than ever needed given the government reforms that are taking place at the district level. These reforms were introduced largely in response to public anger over the poor delivery of government services. The reforms bring about a number of very important changes to the powers, structures, roles and responsibilities of all levels of government: national, provincial, district and local.

The problems the reforms hope to address are these:

• Services are concentrated in urban centres, and rural areas are neglected
• Politicians and public servants are isolated from rural populations
• Lack of decision making powers at the community and local government level
• Public funds being misused and unevenly distributed within the country

  The reforms then are aimed at:

• Improving the delivery of services, particularly in the rural areas
• Increasing participation in Government at the community and local levels
• Decentralising powers and responsibilities to local levels
• Relocating public servants to stations nearer the rural people
• Decreasing the number of elected politicians
• Reducing mismanagement or misuse of funds

Given that these reforms are still very new and that local level governments do not have the technical and project management skills to implement many of the aims of the reforms, ATprojects is developing a close working relationship with both the provincial government and the eight district governments to provide technical skills and other project support to assist in the development of projects that improve the lives of rural people.

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