Cash for grades at UPNG?

At the beginning of July, Post Courier newspaper ran a story titled “cash for grades” following accusations from a Facebook post that senior IT employees from the University of Papua New Guinea (UPNG) accepted cash to change grades. This accusation resulted in UPNG announcing a system wide investigation. Below is an explainer of how the system works, and what to do about it.

  1. The IT Department

The IT Department itself has no powers to change grades. They enter the grades as approved by the university education board (UEB). If the IT is accused for changing grades, it’s an easy fix. Just check the final grade on the transcript, with the UEB list. If the IT changes grades, it should look different from the UEB approved grades.

Some of the accusations are usually because of a misunderstanding of the process. When the lecturer submits the grades to the UEB for approval, the UEB has the discretion to “chnage the grades.” For instance, if the lecturer allocates more Higher Distinctions (HDs) than allowed the HD of students who are at the bottom of the HD list are replaced with a Distinction (DI) – DI is one grade lower than HD.

It is usual practice for students to go to their lectures and ask what grades they were allocated, and then compare it with the grades on the transcript.

But that is not how the system works. If you wanted to, you’d ask the UEB why they changed the grades. However, this would only work if you got a HD, and the UEB changed it to Credit or Pass. HD to DI is a very minor shift.

The UEB is usually very reluctant to change the grade from Pass to Fail. Actually, they push most students from Fail to Pass to help students.

  1. Change of grade forms

A change of grade form is when a student appeals his or her grade, and the lecturer reviews the student’s marks and recommends a change of grade. Many argue that this is where the “cash for grades” takes place and not the IT system.

There are existing processes to prevent this potential abuse. For instance, when the student requests remarking, another lecturer from the department re-marks the exam or test paper. This procedure needs to be strengthened. Ensuring that existing processes are effective will help bring credibility back to the university.

  1. Adobe, online editing etc.

Anyone with internet connection or proper software such as Adobe, a laptop and the know-how, can change the grades on a transcript. In fact, those that are tech savvy offer their services for a fee. This is the real “cash for grades” industry. You can change the grades on a transcript, replace the name on the transcript, and even have a degree without going to university.

Employers: always call the university to conduct a background check on the applicants.

  1. Inefficiency

Much of the complaints arise from frustration. The transcripts sometimes has the wrong grades (not due to corrupt practices but plain inefficiency either on the part of the lecturer, UEB, or IT). Following up on these discrepancies is usually a very slow and frustrating process. Fire, hire, fire, hire, until the people involved realise that inefficiency is not accepted.

The headache is University wide. Students who have over payments wait for years to get their re-funds, if they ever get it at all.

  1. Selection process

This is the start of it all: Getting the selection process right.

First year students are selected through an online application process, through an algorithm. It’s technically impossible to cheat an algorithm. The concern arises when universities (not only UPNG) submit a “supplementary list” following the online selection. Supplementary list is a list submitted by each school within the universities where spaces are available after the online selection.

The supplementary list also allow selectors to ensure there’s some sort of balance across the country. This is done by allocating the spaces to students from regions/provinces where no students are selected or have a very low cohort entering the university. Between two competing students with the same grade point average, student from the low representation region/province gets the space.

Many have criticised the supplementary list as its controlled by humans, and is prone to abuse (cash for selection). But it also allows humans to consider factors an algorithm cannot. Way forward would be to have a panel decide the supplementary list instead of few individuals within the schools. A panel consisting of selectors across schools.

  1. Corruption

In a country ranking very high on the corruption perception index, one can expect the potential for corruption to be pervasive. But for institutions like UPNG, most of the systems are already in place to prevent corruption. It requires proper enforcement.

Bending the rules: Uniquely Papua New Guinean

“Dual Winners” of the Vice Chancellors Cup

The PNG tertiary institutions participated in a game of rugby for the 2023 Intervarsity Vice Chancellor’s Cup Tournament in Goroka, Eastern Highlands Province this week. Two Unitech teams made it to the grand finals – the Unitech Spartans and the Unitech Bulolo Pines.

Due to the competition running behind schedule, both teams decided not to play the finals because both are from the University of Technology in Lae, Morobe Province. The organisers instead declared both teams “dual winners” at the request of the two teams.

Imagine Sydney Roosters and Rabbitohs deciding not to play the National Rugby League grand finals because both are Sydney-based teams. Or Cowboys and Broncos agreeing to be dual champions because they are Queensland teams.

The decision of the two Unitech teams points to subtleties in PNG society: in PNG, we adapt formal rules to maintain our cultural norms. The gentlemen’s agreement between the two teams to prevent winners gets all was an expression of their cultural upbringing. Melanesians and especially Papua New Guineans strive to reach a consensus, prevent losers, and maintain harmony where possible.

Grand final is the pentacle of every game. It’s difficult to play grand finals, unless you’re Panthers, Roosters, Storms, or Brisbane Broncos of the late 90s and 2000s. Some players don’t even get the chance to play grand finals their entire careers. But in PNG, even a grand final is not worth families fighting over a trophy.

This wouldn’t make sense to most people who have no Melanesian or PNG connection. But it PNG, it makes sense. Culturally, it makes sense. We bend the rules to make it make sense to our values.

Corrupt uncles are not reported to responsible agencies because maintaining relationships are more important than creating divisions. Money is not everything. Family is. That’s always the logic.

So we keep our uncle who misuses state funds from going to jail. Relationship over rules.

We give ministerial portfolios to the unqualified. Coalition partners over merit.

We promote the unqualified in-law. Cultural marital commitments over professionalism.

We twist, and turn, and bend, and blend the rules. When it doesn’t work as a result, we blame the system for being incompatible with our way of life. We blame colonialisms. We cry out against the consultants.

PNG is not the land of the unexpected. It’s the land of ironies.

Edits and additions:

There are arguments on Facebook following this post that sharing a trophy is not unique. That’s true. But even sharing a trophy follows established rules, always after the finals is played. Or due to a brawl – which is a special circumstance.

Second, in Olympics, players can agree to share the medal instead of rematch or a finals. This is an established practice in Olympics, and it’s captured in the World Athletics Rules.

What doesn’t exit is declaring two teams dual winners without a finals. The NRL doesn’t provide for that. That’s a made up rule.

The comments prove one of the points in the original post: that PNGeans will always rationalise after the fact, when rules are bent. If you want to be dual-winners, write it into the VC Cup competition. Rules are meant to provide guidance, predictability and order. If you keep bending it, the only rule recognisable will be “bending of rules”. So that when the rules are bent the next time, everyone accepts it. It then becomes every man with his own rule.

Tribute: Impact of Lazarus Towa

This is a difficult article to write. I lost a good friend in Lazarus Towa on 13 June 2023. Lazarus Towa was know by many traits. For those who he assisted to find jobs or help develop their curriculum vitae (CVs) Lazarus was a real professional who loved his job, his country, and his people. For those who worked with him he was a gentle and a very respectful colleague. For those who knew him as a friend, he spoke from the heart and cared for you.

My first contact with Lazarus goes back to our days at the University of Papua New Guinea (UPNG), where I knew him more as a Catholic Christian than a friend. He was Mr Catholic. He would be seen setting up tables to organising events. For those who didn’t know him enough at that time mistook him to be too religious. He wasn’t only just doing these things as a devout Catholic. It was in his very nature to never do things casually. He was punctual and reliable. Impeccable. Even for someone who didn’t know him well back then, if someone asked me to describe his character I’d use the words “commitment and passion” in the same sentence.

We became friends after we both graduated from UPNG. He interned at the Australian Awards before graduation where he worked under one of my current PhD colleagues. After his passing, my colleague was telling me how he was the only guy in an all ladies team within the Australian Awards. Her recollection was that Lazarus was shy, but very hardworking. This internship would later shape his work.

He started work with the American Embassy in PNG. The lady who interviewed her for the job posted a tribute on Facebook after his passing about that interview. At the end of the interview she asked him “tell me something I didn’t ask about you.” Lazarus delved into his passion to help Papau New Guineans find jobs and get scholarships for further studies. He was given the job at the Embassy.

Apart from his job with the US Embassy, Lazarus had been running workshops on CV writing, how to prepare for interviews, and apply for scholarships. He had a huge following, but I was always intrigue by the amount of work he did. He had his phone number and email address on his Facebook page “Current Job Vacancies Repost with LT”, and even encouraged people to reach out to him using these mediums of communication. He would then post success stories on his page. That then brought more followers and work.

At that time of our meeting, he had more than 200, 000 followers on his Facebook page “Current Job Vacancies Report with LT” (now about 256, 000). He used to respond to 500 emails, text messages and Facebook messages per day! And these messages came from PNG, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji and many other Pacific island countries. Lazarus responded to every single one of them. He did these without compromising his job that paid him his salaries. And he helped these individuals without charging them fees.

Lazarus was awarded the Young Man of Honor by Digicel Foundation in 2018, and won the 2018 Commonwealth Youths Award from Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II

On 14 February 2021 I met him at Cuppa Coffee at Vision City, Port Moresby. I asked him “bro, why do you do what you do?”

He replied “we could walk out right now (from Cuppa Coffee at Vision City) and walk to the front gate. And before we reach the front gate, we will be stopped couple of times along the way, and people will thank me for helping them get a job, or scholarship or something I helped them with.”

Lazarus loved people.

My second question was “but that’s a lot of work, how to you do it?”

His response was simple (Lazarus was never a man of big and fancy expletives). He simply said “time management”. He then detailed what he meant. He made every single minute count. He broke down tough tasks into segments, and incrementally engaged with each segment. For 500 questions, he would use 3-5 minutes in every 20 to 30 minutes to respond to the the questions. He was actually so knowledgeable in how successful scholarships works and how to be successful with interviews that so he was very concise with his responses. He even developed templates which his “friends”, which is anyone who contacted him, use to answer questions asked on scholarship application forms, CVs and interviews respectively.

He would use his lunch time and hours after work to get most of of the job done. Three attributes made him so efficient: he was so knowledgeable, he strategically approached his volunteer work, and he had the passion of a deer starved of water in a desert.

The next day I wrote this blog about our conversation to at day. I told him he should write a book about what makes him so efficient and he asked me to help. Covid-19 struck PNG around May 2021 and we didn’t meet again. By 2022 I left for my PhD studies.

Two weeks ago I wanted to renew my passport, so I sent him an email. He had recently resigned from his job at the US Embassy and started a small business which included offering services to assist with passport applications. He personally got back to me with the requirements and fees. Within a week he got my passport ready for pick up. A few hours before he passed away we had a chat on WhatsApp where he advised me when his team would pick it up and have it delivered. I was on my way from Canberra to for a conference when I got the news that he passed on.

I really didn’t want to think about him in the past tense. After my conference ended, I came back to my hotel room, and asked “what am I doing with my life?”

This gentle human, in less than a century of a lifetime, impacted more lives than many get to do. I know it’s a cliche, but Lazarus lived full of purpose (in its truest sense), driven by an insane passion for others. He went out burning with passion.

As I write this article I can almost see the passion in his eyes. How it light up when he started talking about his passion to help others progress in life.

I would have loved to have a second chat with him (but not about passport). I would have asked about the meaning of life, of existence, of purpose, of charity to others. I would have asked about how to maintain consistency (not only efficiency), how to not feel discouraged, and how to wear a broad smile on my face. And more importantly, how to be selfless in a world that is obsessed with “me first”.

I’m heartbroken as I write this article. In a country not known for humility and sacrifice, the best among us was taken. But looking at the impact of my humble friend, I come to the conclusion that it’s not the length of time lived, but the impact one has on others.

There’s a scripture somewhere in the Bible that talks about the reception in heaven, when God the Father will welcome home his children with the worlds “well done my faithful servant.” If there’s one man I know that deserves these phrase, it’s you my friend.

Fly high Kumul. Wipa na kalap na hamamas na danis na go insait lo haus blo Papa. High five lo olgeta saints na angelo. You no man natin. You mekim wok na lusim hanmak lo graun. You gat namba. Yu pikinini blo Anutu strong tumas. You pikinini blo Papa.

“Small acts, when multiplied by millions of people, can transform the world.” – Howard Zinn. And Lazarus my friend, you touched many.

My sincere condolences to the family of Lazarus, and everyone who played a part in shaping the life of this beautiful human. Thank you for giving us Lazarus.

You barata tumas. Pen wantaim mi tok good bye.

PNG-US partnership: Fact sheet

(via US Department of State website)

As the largest Pacific Island country, a likeminded democracy, APEC member, and regional energy provider, Papua New Guinea (PNG) is a key partner for the United States in the Indo-Pacific region. The United States will continue to partner with PNG on strengthening economic relations, security cooperation, and people-to-people ties, as well as promoting inclusive and sustainable development, including through plans to work with Congress to provide over $45 million in new programming.

The United States and Papua New Guinea: Partners for Peace and Prosperity

The United States is committing to work with Congress to provide an additional $10 million to Implement the Strategy to Prevent Conflict and Promote Stability (SPCPS) in PNG, bringing our total planned funding thus far to $30 million over three years:

On March 24, 2023, President Biden transmitted to Congress the 10-year plan for implementing the Strategy in PNG. The plan will align and integrate U.S. activities in PNG to address the shared objectives of strengthening community capacity to prevent, mitigate, and respond to violence, including gender-based violence; supporting sustainable and equitable economic growth; and improving justice systems and professionalizing security forces. These efforts will elevate gender equity, equality, and women’s empowerment.

Announce Launch of 2+2 Strategic Dialogue with Papua New Guinea:

This strategic dialogue would deepen our diplomatic and security relationship with PNG, an important Indo-Pacific Partner. The strategic dialogue would discuss how key programs, including the Strategy to Prevent Conflict and Promote Stability, tie into the overall objective of a strong bilateral relationship.

Signing of U.S.-Papua New Guinea Bilateral Defense Cooperation Agreement:

On May 22, Secretary Blinken will sign a Defense Cooperation Agreement, which, when it enters into force, will serve as a foundational framework upon which our two countries can enhance security cooperation and further strengthen our bilateral relationship, improve the capacity of the PNG Defence Force (PNGDF), and increase stability and security in the region. The United States expects to publish the text of the Defense Cooperation Agreement after entry into force, consistent with U.S. law.

Announce Exploration of U.S. Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HA/DR) Support for PNG:

Following the announced signed DCA and to further ongoing U.S.-PNG dialogue, the United States will form a working group with PNG, to include USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (HA/DR) and the U.S. Department of Defense, to explore partnerships on supporting regional training exercises and potential HA/DR warehousing for disaster preparedness.

Supplying $12.4 Million in Equipment to PNG Defence Force:

On May 19, 2023, the U.S. Department of Defense provided the PNG Defence Force (PNGDF) with $5.4 million worth of personal protective equipment (PPE) funded by the Department of State’s Foreign Military Financing (FMF) program. The PPE includes ballistic helmets, flak vests with armor plates, elbow pads, knee pads, and eye protection, and will be provided to PNGDF members deployed to the border and domestically for security operations. The U.S. Department of Defense also intends to provide PNGDF $7 million in support to procure dress uniforms and name tags for the upcoming PNG 50th Independence Celebrations in 2025. This assistance is a step toward deepening the defense relationship between our countries while also demonstrating our commitment, dedication, and investment in the future of PNG.

Signing of a Bilateral Agreement to Counter Illicit Transnational Maritime Activity:

On May 22, Secretary Blinken will sign a comprehensive bilateral agreement to counter illicit transnational maritime activity through joint at-sea operations. This agreement will enable the U.S. Coast Guard’s Shiprider program to partner with and enhance PNG’s maritime governance capacity, enabling them to exercise their authority and enforce their laws and regulations where they have jurisdiction. Notably, this agreement will help to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing by closing global gaps in enforcement; improving cooperation, coordination, and interoperability; and building PNG’s overall maritime governance capacity.

Papua New Guinea Transnational Organized Crime (P-TOC) Program:

The United States plans to provide $4 million, subject to Congressional notification, to support PNG’s ability to address transnational organized crime-enabled corruption and money laundering. This U.S. Department of State Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement-funded program will provide technical assistance and advisory services to enable PNG authorities to conduct high-quality investigations, prosecutions, asset recovery, and reinvestment of proceeds of crime.
The United States and Papua New Guinea: Progressing on Sustainable and Inclusive Development

Supporting High-Quality Census and Statistics:

The United States Census Bureau, through support from USAID, will work with the PNG National Statistics Office to strengthen its statistical capacity to produce high-quality census data, which will support domestic programming and service delivery as well as elections.

Supporting PNG to Tackle the Climate Crisis and Promote Stability:

Through USAID, the United States will provide an additional $12.5 million to help PNG strengthen the critical resources and systems needed to make communities more climate resilient. USAID plans to increase PNG’s access to renewable energy and climate resilient water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) systems, support nature-based solutions, and protect the country’s biodiversity. USAID also plans to enhance the ability of communities, civil society, and democratic institutions in PNG to more effectively prevent and respond to conflict and increase the safe, meaningful participation of vulnerable groups, particularly women, in political, social, and economic spheres.

PEPFAR Support to Address HIV/AIDS in PNG:

The United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) intends to provide $5 million, subject to Congressional notification, to address HIV/AIDS in PNG, inclusive of technical assistance to local clinics and communities to improve HIV case identification, linkages to treatment, and increase retention of people living with HIV on antiretroviral therapy.

Co-host a Peace and Security Conflict Assessment in PNG with the World Bank and Australia:

To advance Strategy to Prevent Conflict and Promote Stability (SPCPS) goals and leverage U.S. and partner resources and expertise, USAID will join Australia and the World Bank for an adaptive learning event on peace and security programming, followed by a joint conflict assessment in Morobe province. USAID plans to provide $500,000, working with Congress, to support this collaborative partner effort, and Australia plans to provide $200,000. The impact of this effort elevates the vital importance of donor collaboration and leveraging resources to maximize planned SPCPS outcomes.

Technical capacity- Building and Cooperation with Mineral Resources Authority:

The U.S. Department of State intends to provide $1.25 million in technical assistance and expert advisory support to build PNG’s institutional capacity to strengthen investment and regulatory frameworks; support competitive and transparent tender processes for mineral resource assets; undertake mineral resource geoscience capacity building; and develop sustainable mining sector strategies.

Expanding Electricity Access – Through the PNG Electrification Partnership:

Since 2020, USAID’s support for the multi-country PNG Electrification Partnership, which aims to expand electricity access to 70 percent of Papua New Guineans by 2030, has improved energy access for over 600,000 Papua New Guineans. Seventy-two percent of new household connections were through off-grid technologies, including solar power, to support remote rural communities and key infrastructure like health and education facilities.

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