Colin Wiltshire

Colin Wiltshire is a Research Fellow at the Department of Pacific Affairs, The Australian National University. His work focuses on the political economy of budget and expenditure practices in Papua New Guinea (PNG) and their impact on development outcomes. He has conducted extensive fieldwork in PNG, including one of the largest independent expenditure tracking surveys in the country's history and hosting influential budget forums.

Education: Completed his honours degree at the National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health at ANU in 2005. Early research focused on China and Indonesia before transitioning to Pacific Island nations through roles at AusAID in Timor-Leste and PNG.

Research Interests: Applied policy-relevant research on service delivery, public expenditure, and governance in the Pacific region. His interdisciplinary approach combines political analysis with practical policy solutions.

Grants & Projects: Led the PNG Promoting Effective Public Expenditure Project with PNG’s National Research Institute. Currently involved in projects like 'Village Democracy in Southeast Asia and the Pacific' and election observation studies in Solomon Islands. Collaborates widely with institutions like the National Research Institute (PNG) and regional governments.

Labs/Teams: Works closely with the Department of Pacific Affairs' research networks and international partners in PNG and Solomon Islands.