DIRD on boards Milne Bay on BILUM

Technology is no longer an option; it’s a must in the current changing world. That was the support given at today’s launch of the Onboarding of the BILUM Digital Platform by the Department of Implementation and Rural Development in Alotau today.

Milne Bay is one of two provinces to pilot the system; the other is East New Britain which underwent training last week.

It’s been said that the Department of Implementation and Rural Development has had to play catch-up in the last few years on a lot of reports and acquittals from Service Improvement Program funds, some dating back to 2000.

DIRD Deputy Secretary Gordon Wafimbi explains that funds for Service Improvement Programs/ SIP, which account for nearly K2billion annually, can now be tracked and reported accurately when the BILUM Platform is rolled out to provinces.

Milne Bay, together with East New Britain have been selected to pilot this on boarding where district administration staff, who are key to the use of this Platform, will spend this week in training to achieve operational readiness, capacity building & support, enhance data management & reporting, facilitate government to government interaction, improve monitoring and evaluation and sustainability and long term impacts.

Alotau Open MP Ricky Morris opened the training in Alotau today, attended by all Milne Bay’s four district administrations, Esa’ala, Samarai/Murua, Kiriwina/Goodenough, and Alotau.
Morris, who is also Deputy Chairman of the Information, Communication and Technology Parliamentary Committee, welcomed this new platform for accountability, adding that technology is no longer an option.

This current onboarding will also see the Department pass on user accounts to those in the districts to begin using the platform and uploading their service improvement program reports.