Commencement: Mid-May 2026
35 input days over 12 months duration from contract start date
Location: Remote working arrangements
Open to all applicants
About the Program
A stable, prosperous, peaceful and resilient PNG is critical to Australia's interests. Australia is PNG's largest development partner, its main partner on economic and security issues.
The Australia PNG Subnational Program (APSP) is an enabling mechanism comprised of three separately designed programs including Bougainville Partnership (BP), Kokoda Initiative Partnership (KIP) and the Western Province Partnership (WPP). Each program has its own outcomes, theory of change, operational approach and separate monitoring and evaluation systems.
There are five high level outcomes which span all programs:
Output One: Effective gender-centred programs delivered for Bougainville, Kokoda, and Western Province
Output Two: Support DFAT to coordinate Australian inputs in selected subnational contexts
Output Three: Technical assistance targeted at key institutions and policy reforms
Output Four: Rapid programming of resources in support of DFAT priorities
Output Five and six: Analysis, learning, and adaptation
Managed by Abt Global under a contract from 2022 to 2030, the centralised approach is aimed to ensure and drive value for money by realising back-office efficiencies, ensure gender is consistently at the forefront of each program and deliver opportunities for learning and adaptation between programs.
Background
The GEDSI Strategy Development Advisor (STA) will provide short‑term, specialist strategic support to the Australia–Papua New Guinea Subnational Partnerships (APSP) to strengthen the coherence, quality, and DFAT alignment of GEDSI strategy architecture across the Facility.
APSP currently implements place‑based subnational governance programming through four program components:
Kokoda Initiative Partnership (KIP)
Bougainville Partnership (BPP)
Western Province Partnership (WPP)
Subnational Governance Implementation Plan (SGIP)
Each partnership operates in distinct political, social, geographic, and cultural contexts and has developed its own GEDSI strategy to guide gender equality, disability, and social inclusion outcomes at the program level.
The KIP and BPP GEDSI strategies were developed earlier in the APSP lifecycle and provide an established framework for integrating gender equality and inclusion considerations within governance, service delivery, and community engagement activities. These strategies reflect the specific institutional arrangements, community dynamics, and development priorities within their respective contexts.
The WPP GEDSI strategy was developed more recently, informed by foundational GEDSI analysis and stock take work undertaken during the design of the Western Province Partnership. As a newer partnership, WPP continues to refine its GEDSI approach as relationships mature and opportunities for more targeted and principal gender equality investments are identified.
While these program‑level GEDSI strategies are aligned in intent, they differ in structure, depth, and emphasis, reflecting their respective stages of development and contextual needs. In addition, APSP has recently completed a facility‑wide GEDSI Stock take, providing an evidence base on how GEDSI commitments are currently articulated and implemented across programs.
In addition, in 2025 a formative assessment was conducted on the APSP Facility which acknowledged positive examples of GEDSI mainstreaming in APSP component programs and recommended development of an overarching APSP GEDSI strategy. It further recommended the APSP GEDSI strategy should be evidenced based, informed by what is working and why across existing partnerships, be contextually nuanced and should support local ownership and localisation.
The objectives of this assignment are to:
Consolidate and finalize the APSP GEDSI Stock take as a credible evidence base.
Strengthen and update the KIP, BPP, and WPP GEDSI strategies to ensure continued relevance, consistency, and alignment with DFAT gender equality priorities.
Develop a cohesive APSP‑wide GEDSI Strategy that provides a clear, facility‑level strategic framework, while allowing for contextualized APSP program‑level GEDSI action plans.
Strengthen the articulation of gender equality interventions, including pathways to principal and significant gender investments.
Equip the APSP GEDSI team with practical gender programming tools to support consistent, high‑quality application of GEDSI across partnerships.
The role is time‑bound and deliverable‑focused, supporting APSP to transition from analysis and stock take findings to a clear, coherent, and DFAT‑aligned GEDSI strategic framework that can guide future planning, investment, and reporting.
Scope of Work
Under the direction of the APSP Executive Leadership Team and in collaboration with the GEDSI and Safeguarding Team, the GEDSI Strategy Development Advisor (STA) will provide short‑term strategic support to strengthen APSP’s GEDSI framework. This will include:
Finalising APSP GEDSI stocktake outputs and supporting engagement with DFAT.
Reviewing and strengthening program‑level GEDSI strategies to improve coherence, quality, and alignment with APSP and DFAT priorities.
Developing a cohesive APSP‑wide GEDSI Strategy to guide facility‑level planning, investment, and reporting.
Supporting the development of practical tools to assist program teams to operationalise GEDSI commitments.
Working closely with APSP GEDSI and program teams to support collaboration, knowledge transfer, and handover.
About the Opportunity
We are therefore seeking a qualified and experienced Gender Equity programming Short Term Adviser to work alongside a peer short term advisor for Disability Equity programming to deliver on the objectives of this assignment.
The Adviser will work closely with the GEDSI Lead and the GEDSI teams for each program component. The primary responsibility will be to develop a cohesive APSP‑wide GEDSI Strategy that will inform stakeholders, guide program decisions, and contribute to strategic planning for gender and disability initiatives in APSP.
Key responsibilities
Reporting to the APSP GEDSI Lead, the GEDSI Strategy Development Advisor (STA) will be responsible for the following:
1. Strategic Evidence Consolidation and Quality Assurance
Lead the review and quality assurance of the APSP GEDSI Stocktake to ensure accuracy, coherence, and consistency across APSP program components.
Ensure GEDSI Stocktake findings are analytically sound and clearly articulate strengths, gaps, and strategic opportunities related to gender equality, disability, and social inclusion.
Translate stocktake findings into a concise, DFAT‑appropriate summary report and presentation that supports informed dialogue and decision‑making.
2. DFAT Engagement and Strategic Communication
Prepare and deliver a clear, structured presentation of APSP GEDSI Stocktake findings to DFAT, tailored to DFAT’s policy, reporting, and accountability interests.
Respond to DFAT feedback on the GEDSI Stocktake and support refinement of outputs, as required, within the agreed scope of the assignment.
3. Program‑Level GEDSI Strategy Review and Refinement
Review existing GEDSI strategies for practical implementation of Gender Action Plans for a 24-month period: for the Kokoda Initiative Partnership (KIP), Bougainville Partnership (BPP), and Western Province Partnership (WPP), recognising differing stages of maturity and contextual requirements.
Assess program‑level GEDSI strategies against APSP GEDSI Stocktake findings and DFAT gender equality and GEDSI priorities.
Revise and update GEDSI strategies to strengthen clarity of strategic intent, alignment with APSP and DFAT frameworks, and articulation of gender equality, disability, and social inclusion outcomes.
Ensure consistency in quality and structure across revised strategies while retaining necessary contextual differentiation.
4. Development of an APSP‑Wide GEDSI Strategy
Design and develop a cohesive APSP‑wide GEDSI Strategy that consolidates program‑level insights and provides a clear facility‑level strategic framework.
Strengthen the articulation of APSP’s gender equality ambitions, including explicit guidance on gender equality intervention pathways and progression toward principal and significant gender investments.
Clarify linkages between the APSP‑wide GEDSI Strategy and program‑level GEDSI strategies to support coherent implementation and reporting.
5. Gender Programming Tools Development
Develop practical, fit‑for‑purpose gender programming tools to support APSP GEDSI and program teams to operationalise GEDSI strategies into Gender Action Plans.
Ensure tools support consistent application of gender analysis, quality design of gender equality interventions, and alignment with DFAT gender marker and reporting requirements.
Design tools that are adaptable to diverse APSP contexts and varying levels of program maturity.
6. Collaboration, Coordination, and Handover
Work closely with the APSP GEDSI Team to ensure shared understanding of strategic decisions, assumptions, and recommendations.
Coordinate inputs with relevant APSP program teams as required to inform strategy review and development.
Provide a structured handover of revised strategies and tools to enable continuity following completion of the STA assignment.
7. Professional Standards and Scope Management
Deliver all outputs in accordance with APSP quality standards, timelines, and DFAT expectations.
Maintain a clear focus on agreed deliverables and proactively manage scope boundaries to avoid unintended expansion of responsibilities.
An indicative activity schedule for undertaking the assignment, with the following schedule of activities earmarked for implementation, is provided below.
Key Working Relationships
The adviser reports to the APSP GEDSI Lead and Program Team Leads and collaborates with the Program Component GEDSI Teams.
Key deliverables
Deliverables and indicative number of days are outlined below:
Develop workplan detailing timeline and methodology for completing tasks
Finalise GEDSI Stocktake in partnership with Disability Equity STA
Create summary report and presentation for GEDSI Stocktake findings in partnership with Disability Equity STA
Revise program-level GEDSI strategies (KIP, WPP, BP) and operationalise into Gender Action Plans in partnership with Disability Equity STA
Develop Facility-level GEDSI strategy in partnership with Disability Equity STA
Develop tools to operationalise Gender Equity strategies
Create handover note for handover of tools and strategies to the GEDSI team in partnership with Disability Equity STA
About You
For your application to be considered, interested applicants must submit a response to each of the following Key Selection Criteria:
Demonstrated academic expertise and experience in GEDSI and gender equality strategy development, including experience designing, reviewing, and strengthening GEDSI frameworks for complex development programs and articulating gender‑principal and gender‑significant intervention pathways.
Proven experience conducting GEDSI stocktakes, assessments, or strategic reviews, with strong analytical skills to synthesise complex information into clear findings, concise summary reports, and strategic recommendations.
Strong understanding of DFAT gender equality and GEDSI policy frameworks, including experience preparing DFAT‑ready documentation and presentations and engaging with DFAT or similar donors.
Practical experience developing gender programming tools (e.g. guidance notes, templates, analytical frameworks) that support consistent application of gender analysis and high‑quality gender equality programming.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to produce clear, structured strategic documents and present complex concepts effectively to senior stakeholders.
Experience working in Papua New Guinea, the Pacific, or comparable contexts, and familiarity with place‑based or subnational governance programs (desirable).
How to Apply
Please ensure to address the Key Selection Criteria (About You) in your cover letter, and submit your application online, along with your CV as a single document.
Applications must be submitted personally by individuals only. Applications submitted by a company or organisation will not be accepted.
The successful applicant will be engaged through an employment agreement determined by Abt.
We welcome and thank all applications; however only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.
Closing Date: Friday, 8 May 2026 (Midday, local time) #LI-AUSBRIT
Abt Global is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to upholding high standards of Child Protection, Anti-bribery and Fraud Protection.
We encourage applications from experienced and capable women, and people with disabilities
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