The commitment to this Project goes far beyond the financial ties of the European Commission and Government of PNG; our project is one of great partnership. This is emphasised by a Memorandum of Understanding between the Department of Provincial and Local Government Affairs, Department of National Planning and Monitoring, Department of Treasury, Department of Finance, Department of Community Development, and the Public Sector Reform Management Unit. A representative from each of these Departments form the Project Steering Committee. The committee, among other tasks, will oversee and provide policy direction, coordinate with other donor programmes, approve work plans for programme grants, and approve capacity building strategies for districts and LLGs.

This is a pivotal project for the European Commission and DPLGA. The success of the next funding phase, 10th EDF, will largely depend on the foundation built by the SDLLG project. For details of the role and work of the Delegation of the European Commission in PNG, see http://www.delpng.ec.europa.eu/