PAPUA NEW GUINEA
# XSPI Strategic Partnership Engine
Papua New Guinea (PNG) sits on the eastern half of the Island of New Guinea and within the Melanesia region. With its rich and diverse culture and ethnic and tribal identities, it is the most linguistically diverse country in the world having over 850 local languages within a population of just over 10 million people.
The PNG economy is dominated by the extractive sector, with major copper and gold mining projects, along with a growing gas sector. The abundance of natural resources and overall growth present the nation with considerable opportunity, but the rapidly increasing population, particularly in rural areas, limited infrastructure and complex governance and law and order issues pose serious developmental challenges. PNG has been challenged in its progress towards the realisation of the Sustainable Development Goals, although there has been marginal improvement across maternal mortality, immunisation coverage and primary education enrolment.
XSPI Partnership and Project Highlights - PAPUA NEW GUINEA
"Bringing together government, business, academia, and civil society to build lasting development frameworks in Papua New Guinea and the Pacific."
PNG Highlands Local Development Hub
Our PNG Working Group has partnered with lead NGOs in three PNG Highlands Region Provinces to co-create a unique Local Development Hub project. It will support local Civil Society Organizations (NGOs, FBOs, CBOs) building sustained, locally led frontline community support across diverse priorities including food security/sustainable agriculture, impacts of climate change, and violence against women.
Bougainville Sankamap Strategic Partnership
XSPI has developed a strategic partnership with the Bougainville Sankamap Australia Association (Sankamap). The partnership has 5 diverse project initiatives including: Accelerated Malaria Elimination; CSO Development Hub supporting local civil society organizations (similar to the PNG Highlands initiative), OOXii Community Vision Care, and PaCSIA Community Mental Health. All project concepts have been endorsed by the President, Autonomous Bougainville Government.
OOXii Community Eye Care Program
OOXii Foundation and XSPI have initiated a partnership that focuses on catalysing OOXii community eye care programs in PNG. OOXii has developed an innovative low-cost vision testing kit that can easily be used in low-resource settings, ensuring broader access to vision testing and immediate on-site provision of glasses and highly durable frames. OOXii plans to commence its initial Bougainville project in mid-2026 funded by a Rotary Grant.
International Care Ministries (ICM) Partnership
International Care Ministries (ICM) is a current strategic partner of XSPI. ICM is dedicated to supporting community level poverty relief with a unique, pastor-led, holistic core strategy (Transform) to ignite “HOPE” (Heart, Opportunity, Physical Health, Education) that propels change. XSPI is supporting ICM in identifying opportunities to expand their program into PNG.
VAKA Health Foundation Digital Health
XSPI has a strategic partnership with the VAKA Health Foundation. VAKA focuses on digital technology to increase access to healthcare and continuing education for nurses/midwives. VAKA is already well established in Africa and is partnering with XSPI to identify opportunities to introduce their programs into PNG.
Peace & Conflict Studies Institute Australia (PaCSIA)
Our strategic partnership with the Peace & Conflict Studies Institute Australia has a current focus in Bougainville and developing an initial project concept for addressing mental health.
Our PNG Stakeholders
"Establishing high-impact coalitions that bridge the gap between global resources and local action."
Our Stakeholders
A multi-sectoral matrix coordinating shared expertise across strategic geographies.
Business
NGO / NFO
Philanthropy & Private Capital
Academia, Health and Medical Research
Government
PNG Impact
Project Lifecycle vs 5 C's Framework — illustrating how XSPI catalyses, convenes, collaborates, co-creates, and builds coalitions across PNG development initiatives.
International Care Ministries (ICM)
VAKA Health Foundation
Western Province Nutrition
Bougainville Rotary Expansion
Bougainville-led CSO Development Hub
Bougainville Community Mental Health
RAM PNG Program of Scale Grant
Vaka eHealth PNG Pilot
ICM PNG Pilot
Bougainville Sankamap Project Development
Western Province Nutrition
OOXii Global PNG strategy development & OOXii Bougainville Project
Abt Global Provincial Malaria Projects
South Fly Nutrition
Highlands CSO Hub (Local Development Hub)
Provincial Malaria Control/Elimination
Hela Community Piggery
Project Phases