Presentation For the Science for Impact- Building The Critical Mass. Workshop Facilitated by CTA and Jointly Organized by UNRE, NARI and USP School of Agriculture and Food Technology, Samoa Theme 4. Communication, Consultation and Cooperation. Justin Kehatsin from the PNG University of Technology’s Department of Language and Communications gave a presentation on communicating science for development. This is a major theme of his Department, emphasizing the critical need for agricultural practitioners to learn and find ways to communicate with farmers and their communities in meaningful and empowering ways to effect innovative development. He stated that communication skills are vital in establishing trust, goodwill and success in rural based projects and outlined the responsibilities of land users, governments, NGCs and universities. The university offers a two year Diploma of Technology in Communication for Development with another two year extension for a Bachelor in Technology degree. The Department also now administers and offers the modular Graduate Certificate in Communicating Science and Technology which has been tried, tested and proven useful in PNG.

1. COMMUNICATION SKILLS ARE VITAL IN ESTABLISHING
TRUST, GOODWILL AND SUCCESS IN RURAL BASED
PROJECTS
OUTLINE
INTRODUCTION
THE PAST
THE PRESENT
WHAT CAN LAND USERS DO?
WHAT CAN GOVERNMENTS DO?
WHAT CAN GOVERNMENT & NGOS DO?
WHAT CAN UNIVERSITIES DO?
CONCLUSION / RECOMMENDATIONS

2. INTRODUCTION
The world has changed greatly over the last three decades
Governments look for new ways to work together with stakeholders
Decentralization is the way forward
Social impacts in 80’s ignored while 90’s was the period of awakening
& learning while this new century is a period of implementation
There is a need to find a Pacific way to do things collaboratively ++

3. THE PAST
Interactions amongst stakeholders were minimal
Decisions were mostly made by National Governments &
companies
Landowners were usually pushed aside
Inputs usually came from self centered individuals / politicians
Individuals & politicians were mere rubber stamps ++

4. THE PRESENT
Land users use the most influential means
Money is their power
Land users bypass local people and deal directly with National
Government
National Government have often isolated landowners
Local people have no part in consultations ++

5. THE PRESENT (cont *)
The current trend:
• Most negotiations & agreements are dealt with the National Government
• Taxes and royalties are paid to government & govt instituted corporate
bodies
• Compensations are individually focused
• In-House services dedicated to land users
• Training dedicated to needs of land users
• Employment are filled by outsiders
• Inputs are sourced from outsiders ++

6. WHAT CAN LAND USERS DO?
Must try to understand the nature of their ventures
Must identify groups to be affected
Must establish a process of meaningful public involvement
Must collect factual information about people and their needs-social
mapping
Must inform people about their operations & on a continuous basis
eg. Moramoro- operations cannot occur unless community is
supportive of operation. Support is achieved through the process of
discussion, negotiation and consultation ++

7. Land users dos [cont]
Williams in Century project-Queensland- “Subject to broad community support”
Need to modify agreement to accommodate any realized genuine changes
Loney & Sheldon- involve community early in discussion-”process speeds up
success”
Discuss matters in a common language
Use local vernacular to boost local people
Dean Wells in James Cook Uni- spoke in Malay to Malaysian audience & Kevin Rud
spoke Chinese to Chinese audience in China
Communicate with local people more effectively & compassionately
Loney & Sheldon- “ Time and energy spent building a bank account of goodwill on a
daily basis can be a valuable asset to draw on in times of crisis”. ++

8. Land users dos [cont]
Use liaison officers to deal with people in initial stages
Should not only worry about being successful, they should also be
socially responsible
Must strive for a win/win outcome
Respect traditional rights and cultural self-determination
Develop community profile
Develop a high level of empathy
Must be honest in communication ++

9. WHAT CAN GOVERNMENTS DO?
Work closely with local people before committing itself to any project
Set up rules to regulate operations and to ensure information sharing
and consultation can take place in a practical and orderly fashion
Require project design to deal with social and environmental impacts
Make sure communities have good access to feasibility studies prior to
operation
Make sure people understand the cons & pros of operations
Listen to people also and not land users only ++

10. WHAT CAN GOVERNMENT & NGOS DO?
Aim to acquaint themselves with National Occupational Standards
(NOSS) via NATTB
• Provides benchmarks for training courses and issuing of
qualifications
• Provides benchmarks for assessment of skills and knowledge
• Clarify work organizations and allow for developing of job
descriptions
• Recognizing existing skills and knowledge held by people in both
formal and informal employment
• Identifying training needs ++

11. WHAT CAN UNIVERSITIES DO?
Educate local people in communicating effectively
Offer professional programs to help communicate development issues
Communication For Development Program
Diploma of Technology in Communication For Development
Year 1
Sem 1 Sem 2
Study Skills Reading & Writing Skills
Introduction to Business PNG Languages & Communication
Melanesian Society & Policy Introduction to information Technology
Introduction to Law Rural Sociology
Environmental Studies Principles of Management
Introduction to Communication Tech Rural Valuation

12. Diploma in Tech in C4D [cont*]
Year 2
Sem 1 Sem 2
Reporting & Writing for Media Fieldwork
Conflict Resolution /Nego. Skills Communication in Workplace
Critical Thinking Principles of Translation & interpret
Training, Law & Education & Society Public & Community
Relations
Introduction to and Stud Landownership Dispute
Mathematics for Communication Human Resource Management
Forestry, Forest Policy & economics

13. Bachelor in Tech in C4D [cont*]
Year 3
Sem 1 Sem 2
Writing a Research Paper Social Change
Develop Com & Com Devel Communication & Media Studies
Environmental & Socio Impact Monit Communicating Develop
Strategies
Social Mapping Crime & Development
Technology & Society Statistics for communication
Development Studies
Mining Techniques & Mining Economics

14. Bachelor in Tech in C4D [cont*]
Year 4
Sem 1 Sem 2
Industrial Training Writing Project Proposals
Dissertation, Commu. in Resource
development
Administrative Law

15. WHAT CAN UNIVERSITIES DO? [cont*]
Educate people in communicating science and technology
Graduate Certificate in Communicating Science and Technology
Module1 Communicating with Adults
Module 2 Language of Science & Technology
Module 3 Communication of Science and Technology in
Community
Module 4 Writing Scientific Reports
Module 5 Transforming Information to knowledge
Module 6 Advanced Roles for Scientists
Module 7 Directed product development

16. WHAT CAN UNIVERSITIES DO? [CONT*]
Help set up institutions of solving problems at Local Level
Governments
Provide regular short courses
Connect with industry & local communities as part of their networking
++

17. CONCLUSION / RECOMMENDATIONS
PNG is a land of the unexpected and this is no joke. It is full of unpredictabilities and
this alone is cause for immediate action to be taken by all people in order to instil
trust, goodwill, harmony and success to our people in rural communities.
Communication no doubt is the main ingredient that can unlock problems we face
today. Understanding and working collaboratively goes a long way to establishing
good productive organizations in communities.
It would be most ideal if we considered the following ideas.
1. Maintaining a meaningful consultation process
i) consultation is the cornerstone to sustain development
ii) meaningful consultation process closes the knowledge and capabilities gap
between all stakeholders
iii) helps build trust, goodwill , respect and success
iv) opens room for explanation of operation
v) can avoid creation of false expectations

18. Conclusions / recommendations [cont]
2. Training and capacity building for community
i) Local people can be rich source of training
ii) Development of new skills and capabilities to benefit all
stakeholders
iii) Land users must work with governments and communities to
develop partnership
iv) Land users to offer help and expertise to support training
institutions in local areas
v) Land users can contribute to communities by outsourcing different
tasks to be provided by communities
vi) Land users can help communities build their independent business
bases
## National Occupational Skills standards

19. Conclusion/ recommendations [cont *]
3. Provision of news media outlets
a) Governments to provide the following:
i) radio stations
ii) newspapers
iii) television
iv) telephones
b) Land users to provide the following:
i) internet services
ii) telephones
iii) bulletin magazines
iv) brochures / pamphlets

20. Good communication, healthy consultation and synergistic
cooperation will be the essence of successes in the world
over tomorrow
THE END
&
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION