Sustainable Development Goals
The Project
The volunteer role aims to strengthen the overall effectiveness of the school by improving administrative systems and enhancing teacher capability in supporting diverse student learning needs. The first objective focuses on building the capacity of school principals, secretaries, and administrative staff through targeted training and mentoring in efficient school administration. By improving record‑keeping practices and increasing the quality and consistency of school reporting, the project will help establish stronger organisational systems that support better decision‑making and smoother daily operations.
The second objective seeks to improve teacher capability in identifying and supporting students with varied learning needs. Through mentoring and collaborative planning, teachers will be guided in developing targeted learning strategies that enhance outcomes for struggling learners and strengthen overall classroom effectiveness. This support will contribute to a more inclusive and responsive learning environment where all students have the opportunity to succeed.
Together, these objectives aim to build a more organised, capable, and student‑centred school environment, ensuring long‑term improvements in both administrative performance and teaching quality.
A local employee can sustainably take on this role in the long term, provided that structured capacity building is prioritised. This includes ongoing training, leadership development, exposure to best practices in educational management, and a clear transition plan supported by mentoring from the volunteer.
The Location
Papua New Guinea is one of Australia’s nearest neighbours and the poorest country in our region and Kundiawa is the capital of Simbu (Chimbu) Province in the central Highlands of Papua New Guinea. It is a small but significant administrative and commercial hub, known for its rugged mountain landscapes, strong cultural traditions, and reliance on subsistence and small‑scale agriculture. Life in Kundiawa blends traditional village culture with the administrative functions of a provincial capital. Most people live in rural hamlets and come into town for work, trade, education, or transport.
The Challenge
The Diocese of Kundiawa manages and implements several services including health and education. The school is experiencing operational inefficiencies and communication gaps that place a heavy administrative burden on staff and limit their ability to focus on teaching and student support. Coordination between departments is inconsistent, leading to delays, duplicated work, and missed information. Teachers face increasing challenges in meeting diverse student learning needs, particularly in large classes where individualised support is difficult to provide. These combined pressures reduce overall school effectiveness and hinder the delivery of a supportive, well‑organised learning environment.
To address these challenges, the organisation requires a volunteer who can strengthen administrative systems, streamline communication processes, and support teachers in improving classroom effectiveness. The volunteer will help reduce operational bottlenecks, enhance coordination across departments, and contribute to a more responsive and student‑centred educational environment.
About You
Palms participants for this placement will need to demonstrate the following qualifications, skills, and attributes:
- Minimum of 5-10 or more years’ experience in the field of education
- Proven experience in school administration, leadership or institutional management
- Strong knowledge of education policy and governance systems
- Demonstrated capacity in resource management
- Ability to supervise staff and oversee school operations
- Training expertise across design, delivery, implementation, and assessment
- Integrity, professionalism, and ethical judgment
- Adaptability and resilience
- Cultural sensitivity and the ability to work in diverse environments
- Strong relationship‑building skills
- Capacity to manage budgets, resources, and operational system
- Effective communication skills
- A commitment to teamwork, coaching, and mentoring others.
- The ability to cope with cultural isolation and different living standards
- Commitment to serve in Kundiawa for a minimum of 12 months and up to three years, working with limited resources and facilities
- Willingness to engage their Australian community in promoting the work of the host organisation and their role.
How You Will Help
First you must be willing to learn from the local community.
Over the first several weeks you are asked not to change anything or suggest a change to operations. During that period, you will take the time to learn language and cultural mores from a local counterpart willing to mentor you. You will also start a register of the strengths of the current personnel and the assets in the community/country that might be used to achieve the goals of the assignment.
You need to commit to clarifying why things are done the way they are rather than presuming from your own cultural lens to outline what is missing. So, you need to ask questions to enable you to learn from your hosts, rather than in ignorance make suggestions about how things can improve. Palms training will prepare you for this approach.
From then onward, your responsibilities are:
- Develop and implement training plans, monitor and document progress of target groups over time.
- Train and mentor school principals and secretaries in efficient administrative systems and practices
- Collaborate with the local team to strengthen school record‑keeping and improve the quality and timeliness of reporting
- Mentor teachers in providing effective student learning support
- Assist teachers in developing targeted learning strategies for students who are struggling