PNG ICT Professionals – PNG ICT Meri

The PNG ICT Professionals Network – Is it a new group?

No!

Then what is it?

It’s just that – ICT Professionals from/reside/have connections with PNG (Papua New Guinea) networking together.

But we already have so many PNG ICT groups!

Yes, we do – but there isn’t one single one that recognizes the ICT Professional INDIVIDUALLY – as a person, as an entity.

Actually, there is a registered group – PNG COMPUTER SOCIETY.

It’s recognized. It’s formally set up. It has executives and it exists.

But it currently is not as active as we would like it to be.

Been in a number of ‘voluntary’ organizations and not-for-profit-run associations – I am familiar with the reasons why it is not active.

It needs commitment
It needs time
It needs momentum and
It NEEDS FULLTIME ALL OF THE ABOVE!

and #4 is what currently we do not have.

So over the years, our formal, recognized association though exists by name – barely exists! Similar to that where once upon a time the Department of Communication and Information (PNG DCI) existed but barely! We would like the same thing to happen that everyone knows that PNGCS does exist!

So what about this survey?

The survey is a kind of starting block to get things going – gauge interest and start to collect some baseline data on the skillset and the IT Professionals that we have in the country. I have to say, some great data coming in, and as I type we are now with 73 respondents! and we aim to have reached 100 by the 31st of December 2022!

So many things we can do with data right? YES!

I’d like to share some of the raw data so far – as a way of encouraging others to fill in the survey I am sure there are more than 73 ICT professionals =)

Before I go on – I’d like to add a disclaimer!

I am not an executive of the PNG COMPUTER SOCIETY but am involved in many of the discussions of how we can better improve the membership drive and continuity of the SOCIETY and this in a way is me plus other volunteers who are putting our hands up to say – we would like to HELP our society! and in a way we are members but non-financial members (YET!)

Many have said there should be a name change to match that of the PNG Department of ICT – which we have very vibrant leadership that has brought the PNG DICT to greater light and surface in Papua New Guinea, Region, and the world and in the same way, our ICT professional groups should follow in the same path.

Thus there may need to be some re-branding, re-direction, re-everything – which can come up in a later discussion!

With that said also – an acknowledgment goes out to the ICT groups that are currently very active!

PNG Digital ICT Cluster – This is more or less THE ‘ICT Stakeholder’ group – that is the voice for the ICT body as a whole led by vibrant ICT Leadership also – much focus on ICT SMEs.

We have PNG ICASA which is the PNG Chapter of the ICASA and have also just sighted a formal IPA registration of the PNG Cybersecurity Association.

There is also the iPNGC which is the PNG Chapter of the Pacific Internet Society and Internet Society Group.

Each of these groups exist with a common special area of interest (ICT SMEs, Computer Security, Cybersecurity, Internet) and PNG COMPUTER SOCIETY is the core group which holds together ALL the ICT Professionals

of which this survey becomes the baseline data.

So back to the survey data – so far from the 73 respondents:

We have:

68% Male and 32 % Female

56% of respondents – Age Category 26 -40 years of age
78% No Specialised Certifications (MCSE, Cisco, etc), 22% YES

28 respondents have side hustles apart from full-time employment and out of these 22 are formally registered entities with IPA (Investment Promotion Authority).

Sidenote. We need to promote some of these side-hustles too!

Some have listed other skillsets they have and some include:

Media and basic video, graphic and photo editing.

Farming

Social media marketing

Google Apps Script

Project Management,

Comedy, Music and Photigraphy

Certified Terminal Installer by Kacific

VFX and CGI artist

Project Management

Tailoring

ICT infrastructure projects, ICT Governance, ICT policy, Network and Server Administration, IP PABX, ICT curriculum development and teaching, Information Management and Planning

Sewing

Network

Financial Accounting/Management Professional & Blockchain Developer

ICT Training

I have my own digital program developed

Yes. Mining Systems Information for Females to have interest in a male dominated field

Web Development, Graphic Design, Photography, Video Production

Really can’t say. I coded for a living many years ago. The platform I used is now dated..

Cyber Security

Graphics designing and software troubleshooting

Data Cabling

Teaching/Training

Network Engineer

e-government management

I work more with unifi devices and the unifi controller

Web Development, Telecommunications Technician

Customer service

Sidenote. We have very talented multi-skilled people who are not only ICT Professionals but have other amazing skillsets!

Highest formal qualification so far are 3 with Masters and over 50% with Bachelor Degree. This shows a need to encourage more to attain Masters and PhD and also shows the level of formal qualification we have, but having said that, this is only 67 out of the 73 who have responded that they have formal qualifications.

24 different institutions listed where formal qualifications were attained from, including institutions overseas.

Some general comments so far collected:

The PNG ICT Professional Network is a long name, change it to PNG ICT CLUSTER….secondly, a mobile app needs to be created for it where members can communication, register and update their details

How can we improve communication nationwide? Need more discussion on this.

I’m new to this forum and need some directions..

I’m happy to become volunteer to run this network

Looking forward to be part of this professional network

Use this place as a Think Tank for service improvement in Govt agencies. Get it legal and we can use our services FOC to bring development to our people in Rural areas. Not everything should be money making.

I commend the person responsible for this initiative and I’m happy to join

It is my utmost pleasure joining the great mindset in this Technological Industry. It is through this network that will innovate and transform Png as a country going forward in this Technological world. I also wanted to make a suggestion that let us keep in touch in this platform make sure we can create IT related companies for the future of our country men n women. Network in Papua New guinea is the major problems. Let’s make this platform as a catalysts for change in the IT industry.

Excited to join this network.

Happy to help out where needed

Let’s bring the Digital Literacy to the Rural Communities

Happy to be part of it, great initiative

Keep up the great work & initiatives.

Great idea in gathering data. I look forward to plans you have in place and meet and collaborate with like minded people

Am available for any Challenges

eGovernment rollout – should have a collaborative platform for all professionals to contribute and be part of this transformation

To work in Hand with other SMS that have digital program in place. They can be part of the program to run national wide Digital trainings .

There are many good ICT professionals in PNG, especially in private sectors. Its good reach out to them. Most are good at what they do but keep quiet.

I wish you well in this effort. There so much to do..

Get PNGNOG revived too

DICT PNG platform is capturing everything except PayPal payments and other online third-party transaction that needs to be supported using Amazon Web Services (AWS).

Way forward

Seek corporate sponsorship and host annual or biannual national conferences to discuss ideas and present how technology can offer solutions to current society issues like elections, citizens data collection, census, etc. Ideas/suggestions from these conferences can be presented to the government via DICT.

Curious to know how I can contribute to PNG and her growth thru this and anynother group.

We are in a changing world and in PNG we need to come up with a strong professional group affiliation. The current PNG Computer Society is not operating effectively and also many ICT professionals are not members.

I would like to learn more

PNG ICT should now be fully control by PNG Citizen without nepotsm,

Having to join the ICT professional network is a path way into contributing ideas and views as to how to bring png ICT to the level that is expected.

Attend more free online short courses

I need help to set up my Ecommerce Marketing Strategy to bring forth free internet browsing in PNG.

These are just some of the raw data being collected –

From these, some thoughts for the next steps:

Create a mailing list for the respondents to give feedback from the survey (like this one)
Through the mailing list create more specific surveys as to how best and suggestions for PNG COMPUTER SOCIETY OPERATION
Put together a database of ICT Professionals from the data collected
Identify registered SMEs to be part of the ICT DIGITAL CLUSTER for promotion
Baseline data for a further ICT Research topics on ICT Professionals in Papua New Guinea

Any suggestions on other data worth capturing that has been captured here?

Some not mentioned – full-time employment vs part-time and business owner

Associations that the respondent is part of…

I hope that this sharing of results from the survey may encourage others to complete the survey so we can have a greater dataset on ICT Professionals in Papua New Guinea

To those who have yet to fill in the form ! Please do! Appreciating you!

What are your thoughts? Do comment, share!

So much more to do in 2023!

I recently shared a post on the Cybersecurity 2-day Training that took place on LinkedIN and there was a question asking about how to join the PNG Digital ICT Cluster – which calls for another blog post 🙂 Thank you Nathanael for asking!

So what is the PNG Digital ICT Cluster?

I remember sitting in the very first meetings of when the ICT Cluster initiative was being developed and watching this logo take form – and that exactly what it is all about – Connecting people, connecting the dots through and around PNG via the Digital Space with the vision for PNG to be the “SILICON VALLEY OF THE PACIFIC”

Those initial meetings started in 2014 led by two passionate ICT women – Priscilla Kevin and Winifred Kula-Amini who were able to bring to a room together PNG ICT professionals and others who could contribute through discussions and planning on way forward for the cluster.

Why Cluster?

You will have to do some reading on the PNG ICT Cluster Profile on the background and thoughts about Clusters. Below is a snippet of the Profile on the Background of the Clusters.

The PNG ICT Cluster now runs on a voluntary basis and over the 5 years it has made its mark and presence felt within the country and region and even on the global front.

One might ask – why are there so many different ICT groups and associations in Papua New Guinea?

There are about four recognized registered ICT associations within Papua New Guinea – all have its importance and functions and work hand-in-hand together to address and try its ultimate best to meet this ever changing every growing and developing industry.

PNG Computer Society – Possibly the longest established association: for the identification and registration of all ICT Professionals in PNG

iPNGC – Internet Papua New Guinea Chapter – Established to be the PNG Chapter for the Internet Society and Pacific Internet Society addressing Internet Development, and Internet Policies

ISACA – Information Security and Audits

PNG ICT Cluster represents more or less the ICT Entrepreneurs, the ICT SME’s, Innovation and Business Entrepreneurship

So, if you are an ICT person reading this – and would like to be a part of the groups to contribute and network and be a part of the greater PNG ICT body of Professionals and Entrepreneurs – please do so.

The more we come together as one body or groups of bodies towards one big ‘cluster’ we can continue to develop and improve ICT standards, contribute to Policy Write ups and ICT Development throughout PNG on a greater scale.