This month staff profile, we feature Bernadette Maino, a dedicated public servant with over three decades of service with the Department of Personnel Management. Hailing from the Rigo District in Central Province, Bernadette embarked on her public service journey on February 28, 1994. Now in her 32nd year, her path from a Steno Secretary to a respected acting manager is a powerful story of self-driven growth and unwavering commitment to her department.
Bernadette’s career is a testament to her determination. She started as a Steno Secretary and steadily advanced through the ranks, participating in a rotational program that gave her a broad understanding of the department. A key promotion in 2007 saw her join the Human Resource Management Branch as a Recruitment Officer. This was followed by another promotion in 2013 to Senior Compliance Officer.
Her dedication to professional development is clear. The department sponsored her for a Diploma in Somare Institute of Leadership and Governance (SILAG), which she completed in 2016. Not stopping there, she pursued a Bachelor’s Degree in Human Resource Management and Business at the University of Papua New Guinea, graduated in 2021.
Bernadette’s expertise has placed her at the forefront of significant HR initiatives. In 2021, she was promoted to an acting capacity to lead a portion of the workforce planning team. She coordinated the 30-year Human Resource Development Strategic Plan, presenting it at regional workshops.
Upon her return, her team identified critical skill gaps, particularly among officers from the colonial era who entered service with foundational certificates.
This research directly influenced policy, leading to the creation of a Career Capabilities Needs Analysis to address these gaps.
Currently, Bernadette is the team leader for the long-awaited General Order’s 5th Edition.
After delays since 2017, she has steered the project to its final stages and looks forward to launch it, once approved by National Executive Council (NEC).
Reflecting on her own journey, Bernadette highlights a significant gap she experienced. “Since I have been employed in this department, I was not being coached or mentored. I struggled.
I made my way up through a lot of research and reading,” she shared. This struggle equipped her with deep, self-taught knowledge of legislation and policies, making her a sought of expert in her workspace.
She candidly admits that her strength—being proactive and self-reliant—has also been a weakness. “I don’t want to coach and mentor others, and that is the weakness I have. I am sort of selfish to my knowledge,” she says. However, she is consciously changing, recognizing the importance of passing on her skills.
“I cannot keep my own knowledge and skills to myself. I need to train others, and in the future they are going to take up the questions that we are asking.”
Bernadette speaks of the Department of Personnel Management with deep pride. “I regard myself as the daughter here,” she says. “I’ve been developed and groomed by the department… I will give the best to this department.” She sees the department as a central agency vital to the entire public service and is committed to serving her people through it.
Looking ahead, Bernadette envisions a public service where everyone, regardless of level, contributes as a team to achieve national goals like Vision 2050. As for her own future, she plans to leave her legacy through the General Order and, in a few years, make way for new trainees. “We cannot be here all our lives,” she noted. “While we are active and energetic, we need to get out there and do our own small, medium enterprises.”
Bernadette Maino’s story is one of resilience, lifelong learning, and a profound dedication to serving her department and her country. Her career is more than a job—it is a legacy.