Does DFAT have the skills to assess PNG remote building projects?

While commenting on the ABC “Planet America” program of 7 February 2025, Dr Jeremy Konyndyke (president of Refugees International) made the following observation, “When other countries, including Australia, have merged their development ministries into their foreign ministries, their development missions and their development effectiveness and their aid effectiveness suffer … You shouldn’t merge your development experts into your diplomatic corps, because they are different skill sets, different areas of expertise and different functions.”

While I do not want to comment on the previous DFAT/AUSAID merger, I believe that DFAT appears not to possess the specialized expertise, necessary to effectively assess the cost-efficiency and the social effectiveness of international aid construction projects.  Partner Housing Australasia has, in partnership with local organisations over 15 years, constructed many houses, classrooms, school accommodation buildings and health care buildings, in the remote Papua New Guinea Highlands, and many village water supply schemes in the remote Solomon Islands Western Province. This program will cease unless we can obtain funding from a major Australian partner.