On 19 January 2008, Development Assistance Database (DAD) for Papua New Guinea and the website of the Department of National Planning and Monitoring , the government ministry in charge of the country’s development policy, were launched during an official ceremony at DNPM in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. Senior government officials and the heads of donor agencies attended the launch.
With the support and technical assistance of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) country office, the Government of Papua New Guinea decided to establish a DAD to enhance national ownership of the development process and to harmonize the activities of development partners. And the key obstacle to national ownership, harmonization, and strategic planning is the lack of reliable, comprehensive, and transparent information on development activities in the country. As the Honorable Minister of DNPM Paul Tiensten remarked at the launch, “The reality is that when we meet with our development partners to plan new aid programs, we, as Government representatives, are completely in the shadows because we really do not have a clear picture of how and where aid resources are being invested.
DAD Papua New Guinea (DAD PNG) is a powerful online database that allows users to collect, track, analyze and report on all official development assistance (ODA) for Papua New Guinea. Specifically, DAD PNG includes a Core DAD that captures critical and up-to-date information on all development projects in the country, and Development Partners module that evaluates donor responsiveness and effectiveness and offers a complete picture of donor aid by including all aid modalities, including pooled funds and trust funds. Synergy also developed a portal/website for DNPM, which will knowledge sharing and collaboration through the posting of events, press releases, discussion forums, key documents, and other relevant information. Very important, the DAD and DNPM’s website are linked so that reports (reports, charts, maps) generated through the DAD can be automatically published on the website.
