The Community Economics Section within the Community Governance and Economics Branch of the Community Development Division promotes income earning and self-employment opportunities for Papua New Guineans, especially in the informal sector. The informal sector comprises about 85% of the Papua New Guinea population.

The Section contributes towards public education in project identification, implementation, monitoring and evaluation training (known as Project Cycle Management) and also provides advice on micro-finance schemes and training and research that helps develop small scale projects in sectors of agriculture, fisheries and horticulture. Specifically, this has included:

• A unique partnership with the Japanese International Cooperation Agency, the National Capital District Commission, customary land owners and settler communities that has established 11 integrated community development projects (ICDP) in 9 settlement areas in Port Moresby, including water supply, sanitation, a police post, community halls, training centres and micro-credit schemes;
  
• Providing provincial and district administrations and other government departments with the PCM training module;
  
• Assistance with micro-credit schemes and training
  
• Training in sewing & cooking skills; and
  
• Gender analysis and piloting a Women’s Bank.

Key partners for Community Economics include the Office of Urbanisation and non-government organisations that are contracted to provide capacity building programs as part of the integrated community developments projects in urban settlements.

In 2006, the Section was able to carry out work in National Capital District and with urban local level governments in West New Britain, Milne Bay, Eastern Highlands, Morobe and Madang Provinces.

Key achievements for the Community Economics Section in 2006 are:

• Completion of the  ICDP pilot stage which has seen the identification, design and construction of 11 integrated community development projects in Port Moresby urban settlements in partnership with urban settlers (March 2005-March 2007); and
  
• JICA’s extension of the 12 months pilot stage to enable all NCDC urban settlements to receive training in asset management following the successful evaluation of the construction phase of the integrated community development projects

The Section anticipates accomplishing the following by 2008:

• Begin extension phase of the integrated community development project to a further 11 settlements in National Capital District and also in the urban centres of Kimbe (West New Britain), Lae (Momase), Alatou (Milne Bay),Goroka (Eastern Highlands) and Madang (Momase)  
  
• Complete pilot stage of the 11 urban settlements in National Capital District; and
  
• To have 14 groups of 50 women participating in a Women’s Bank

There are five staff and a manager in the section.