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The Secretary will need to be skilled in the following competencies:
Strategic skills
An effective Secretary will possess a depth and breadth of knowledge and experience in management at a senior level. He or she will be intellectually sharp, and deal with concepts and complexity comfortably. He or she will have a strong grasp of key trends and issues facing Bougainville, the Government, the restoration of services, facilities and infrastructure and the wider capacity issues in the public sector.
The Secretary will have a detailed knowledge of the history of mining in Papua New Guinea, and Bougainville in particular. He or she will be familiar with the history of the Bougainville Crisis, and in particular the role of the mine at Panguna.
The Secretary will be able to articulate strategies and tactics for addressing the complex issues of mining, community, revenue-sharing and maintaining peace and harmony in Bougainville. These will include approaches to building the competencies of leaders and other groups to participate in the consultations and negotiations for mineral and energy projects, and related activities such as environmental and social protection.
The Secretary must be able to develop medium- to long-range strategies and plans for the functions for which the Department is responsible. He or she should be able to probe deeply into issues without losing sight of the bigger picture. The Secretary must be able to learn quickly when facing new problems and be comfortable handling risk and uncertainty. A willingness to take reasonable risks, be open to change and to experiment is essential. He or she must be future- and outcomes-oriented and take a broad perspective on issues, analysing both successes and failures for clues about how to improve. The Secretary will be able to guide the creation of a compelling vision for the Department and inspire the staff to support that vision.
Operating skills
The Secretary will create focus in government to get things done. Roadblocks will be eliminated by concentrating on the vital issues that need attention. He or she will create strong teams by empowering people, fostering open dialogue, effectively allocating resources and ensuring that individuals work together. The teams will work across boundaries. The Secretary must be able to communicate with leaders and senior officers in government individually and collectively. He or she will be able to communicate with staff at all levels. The Secretary will continually support the development of the Department’s senior management team; coaching them and providing opportunities that will stretch them.
Communications and Negotiations
The Secretary must be able to be communicate with leaders and senior officers in both Governments, and with communities, individually and collectively. He or she will be able to negotiate successful outcomes with communities, landowners, former combatants and others. Negotiations will be handled professionally, without emotion.
Courage
The Secretary must be able to be counted on by the Minister and the Chief Secretary when times are tough. He or she cannot shirk personal responsibility. Anticipating potential conflicts, he or she will look for common ground; resolving differences equitably and calmly. The Secretary must be willing to take the lead in resolving issues; giving independent, sound advice based upon law, technical standards and good practice. An ability to read situations and people accurately is essential.
Energy and drive
The Secretary will work consistently, demonstrating energy and drive for better results. He or she will not give up in the face of resistance or setbacks, however he or she must also be willing to adapt the approach, if necessary to achieve the desired result.
Personal and interpersonal skills
Effective chief executives know themselves well, are open to criticism and seek feedback. The Secretary will learn from mistakes and strive constantly to develop himself or herself. Seeking advice from the Minister and the Chief Secretary, the Secretary should be counted on to remain calm and hold things together in tough times. The Secretary should not be prone to defensiveness, frustration, nor easily knocked off-balance.
In his or her dealings with others, the Secretary will be a good listener and will easily establish rapport with others. Maintaining constructive external and internal relationships is a key function of this position.
A key role of the Secretary will be to create a climate within the Department in which people feel motivated to do their best, where people like working for and with the Secretary. The Secretary is required to meet the expectations and requirements of the Minister and Chief Secretary and act consistently with those expectations and requirements in mind.
Organisational positioning skills
The Secretary will understand the political and organisational context within which he or she works. In Bougainville this is emerging from the autonomy arrangements in new and unique ways. The departmental structure is new and emerging. Ministers and Departmental Heads will be feeling their way as relationships develop. Elections are likely to produce a new set of Ministers, who will come from a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences.
The Secretary will be sensitive to political processes and anticipate risks and how others may respond. The Secretary, with advice from the Chief Secretary and Minister, will be able to manoeuvre through complex political situations effectively and quietly whilst maintaining Public Service standards of political neutrality. A successful Secretary will know how to get things done within the Bougainville political and organisational context, and understand the origin and reasoning behind key policies, practices and procedures. He or she will understand how to work with different organisational cultures to achieve change.
Acting with honour and integrity
The Secretary will adhere to the highest standards of integrity and ethical conduct observing the Code of Conduct and Ethical Behaviour of the Bougainville Public Service, during both good and bad times and situations. The Secretary will be a role model for the ethics, values and behaviours set out in the Code. The Secretary will deliver on his or her promises and be direct and truthful in dealings with others. He or she will keep confidences and admit mistakes. The Secretary will not misrepresent himself or herself for personal gain. The Secretary will work fulltime in this role and will not maintain any other employment or business.
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