Trialling the Millennium Villages project in Papua New Guinea

Abstract

Based on current trends, Papua New Guinea is unlikely to meet the national government’s customised Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Additional outside support and innovative ideas are required to assist rural smallholders to mobilise their own resources to produce higher incomes and to assist district governments to improve public service delivery. The Millennium Villages Project (MVP) philosophy is aligned with Papua New Guinea’s development priorities, as set out in its Medium Term Development Strategy. The proposed Millennium Villages trial in Papua New Guinea includes four rural and one urban location. The MVP trial in Papua New Guinea is designed to demonstrate that multi-sectoral rural investments can deliver practical, measurable development outcomes and show that the MDGs can be achieved. The trial will also provide practical lessons for scaling up community-level interventions that emphasise community participation and partnerships between government, community organisations, churches, the private sector and academic/research institutions.