2021 Excellence in Risk Initiatives Award Winners
Bronze
Papua New Guinea Defence Force Capability Program – PNGDF Air Element
In early 2020, following a period of discussion and audits, the Royal Australian Air Force established a task force to work with the Papua New Guinea Defence Force (PNGDF) to enable the PNGDF to undertake flying operations once again.
The aim of the task force was to remediate sovereign PNGDF air capability through the establishment of a new bespoke Defence Aviation Safety Framework, then using that framework to undertake flying training and operations in a PAC-750XL aircraft.
The work of the task force involved developing the systems, procedures, and agreements with external stakeholders to establish a new aviation governance framework. This, in turn, enabled the PNGDF to re-establish its air element and to manage and operate it in accordance with contemporary aviation standards. A key pillar of the framework was to establish a means for the PNGDF to identify and treat hazards and, by being well informed and analytical, have the ability to actively manage risks and associated treatments. Overall, the activities have enabled and supported the growth of a safe military aviation capability through developing the means to safely maintain and operate PNGDF aircraft.
To support this program the Department of Defence demonstrated how they have built on their approach to managing risk through lessons learnt. The approach to the program reinforced the importance of having a strong governance framework in place to inform decision making and the need to constantly engage with stakeholders along the way to ensure successful delivery.
