110726 BOUGAINVILLE TO BE BACKED BY A HIGHLY ROBUST, INDEPENDENT AND CAPABLE CIVIL SOCIETY NETWORK

The Bougainville Women’s Federation (BWF), alongside key Bougainville Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), were part of an intensive, 10-day strategic plan and MEL (Monitoring Evaluation and Learning) Framework review workshop aimed at bolstering organizational performance and strategic planning.

The workshop organised and facilitated by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) commenced on Wednesday June 15 and concluded on Wednesday, June 25, 2026, in Buka.

The comprehensive workshop brought together prominent local partners, including: the Bougainville Youth Federation (BYF), the Bougainville Disabled Persons Organisation (BDPO), and Nazareth Centre for Rehabilitation (NCfR).

The collaborative review was designed to update and strengthen the participating organizations' Strategic Plans, Theory of Change and MEL Framework. The primary goals included; presenting findings (assessing current data from CSO’s Strategic and MERL plans), providing recommendations (identifying clear pathways to strengthen organisational performance and learning systems) and facilitating validation (securing stakeholder consensus and validation on immediate priority actions for institutional improvement).

The activity began with an inclusive Joint Inception Workshop facilitated by a MEL Consultant to outline objectives and provide an overview of the process. Following the joint session, a one-on-one consultation with each individual organization was conducted to deliver specific feedback on their strategic frameworks, workplans, and evaluation metrics.

For the Bougainville Women’s Federation, the review delivers significant added value, directly enhancing its operational effectiveness, organizational learning systems, long-term planning capabilities and adaptability for long-term sustainable growth.

By sharpening these Strategic and MEL frameworks, it is envisaged that as the Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG) continues to draw down powers and pursue self-reliance, it will be backed by a highly robust, independent, and capable civil society network.