Tax Compliance Risk and Industry Benchmarking Adviser | APEP

- Adviser assignment commencing February 2027 with 120 days of inputs delivered through to February 2028.
- Based in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
- Open to International and Papua New Guinea citizens

*Abt is committed to advancing women’s leadership in PNG’s economic development and are building an environment where women can lead progress and shape economic outcomes. Abt promotes an inclusive, respectful and safe working environment for women and encourages PNG women and men to apply.

About the Program

The Australia–Papua New Guinea Economic Partnership (APEP) is a flagship partnership supporting Papua New Guinea’s economic development priorities. Delivered by the Government of Australia in close collaboration with the Government of Papua New Guinea, APEP focuses on strengthening economic systems, institutions, and opportunities that support sustainable and inclusive growth through to 2028.

Working alongside government, research institutions, and development partners, APEP delivers coordinated and high‑impact outcomes across four key engagement areas:

- Safeguarding Macroeconomic Stability
- Supporting More Efficient and Inclusive Markets
- Fostering Inclusive Growth and Expanded Livelihoods
- Catalysing Economic Research and Dialogue

Gender equality, disability social inclusion (GEDSI), women’s economic empowerment, and climate are central to APEP and integrated across all engagement areas and activities.

Under its macroeconomic stability and public financial management workstream, APEP provides targeted technical assistance to strengthen revenue administration and efficient revenue collection. This assignment responds to a request from the Internal Revenue Commission (IRC) Tax Intelligence Unit to strengthen industry benchmarking and improve the identification of potential corporate income tax underreporting.

About the Opportunity

The Tax Compliance Risk and Industry Benchmarking Adviser will work alongside the IRC Tax Intelligence Division and partner divisions to strengthen industry benchmarking, sector profiling, pre-audit analysis and risk-based audit case selection.

The Adviser will support IRC to map taxpayers from nine broad SIGTAS industry categories to the 21 PNGSIC 2014 classifications, develop practical sector benchmarks and risk indicators, and improve the use of available administrative and third-party data for peer comparison and compliance-risk analysis.

The assignment will focus on sustainable capability transfer. The Adviser will jointly develop and test methodologies and tools with nominated IRC counterparts, document procedures, deliver coaching and mentoring and structured capacity building activities and establish clear local ownership and handover arrangements.

Objectives

- Strengthen IRC capacity to develop and maintain industry benchmarks and sector profiles using PNGSIC 2014 classifications.
- Improve the data-driven identification and prioritization of potential corporate income tax underreporting before audit.
- Improve the quality and consistency of compliance-risk indicators and audit case-selection inputs.
- Strengthen practical use of IRC and authorised third-party data for taxpayer peer comparison and sector analysis.
- Establish practical methodologies, tools, standard operating procedures and capability-transfer arrangements that IRC can own and maintain.

Key Responsibilities

- Conduct an inception assessment of current industry classifications, benchmarking, sector-profiling, data-management, pre-audit and audit case-selection practices.
- Confirm priority sectors, taxpayer segments, available datasets, data-quality constraints, counterpart arrangements and decision requirements with IRC.
- Support mapping from the nine broad SIGTAS categories to the 21 PNGSIC 2014 industry classifications, in coordination with relevant IRC and external technical counterparts.
- Design a practical industry benchmarking and sector-profiling methodology, including financial ratios, indicators, analytical steps, assumptions, limitations and quality controls.
- Work with IRC counterparts to develop and pilot benchmark models, peer-comparison tools and risk indicators using data authorised by IRC.
- Develop a repeatable process for identifying and prioritising potential corporate income tax underreporting cases for further review.
- Advise on practical data-cataloguing and data-sharing requirements, including coordination with National Statistics Office, National Institute of Standards and Industrial Technology, Investment Promotion Authority, PNG Customs Service, Bank of PNG, and others determined by IRC.
- Prepare standard operating procedures, templates, user guidance and case-selection guidance for ongoing IRC use.
- Develop and implement a structured capacity-development plan and indicators, including hands-on coaching, applied case studies and competency checks for nominated counterparts.
- Present findings tested tools and implementation recommendations to IRC, APEP and the Australian High Commission, and complete a structured handover and exit roadmap.

Key Deliverables

- Inception report and agreed work plan confirming scope, priority sectors, data requirements, counterpart arrangements, risks and delivery schedule.
- Diagnostic assessment of current industry classifications, benchmarking, data, pre-audit analysis and audit case-selection practices.
- Industry benchmarking and sector-profiling methodology, including PNGSIC 2014 mapping, financial-ratio templates, assumptions and quality controls.
- Pilot benchmark models and sector profiles for agreed sectors or taxpayer segments, with documented findings and lessons.
- Risk indicators and a documented case-prioritisation process for identifying potential corporate income tax underreporting.
- Data-cataloguing and inter-agency data-sharing roadmap, including draft operational protocols that are requested and authorised by IRC.
- Standard operating procedures, user guidance and templates for maintaining benchmarks and using outputs in risk-based case selection.
- Capacity Development Plan and training package, supported by evidence that nominated IRC officers can apply the methodology.
- Final transition, governance and exit roadmap, including ownership, maintenance responsibilities, update arrangements, risk mitigations and prioritised next steps.

About You

For applications to be considered, a response to the Key Selection Criteria below must be provided .

- Advanced tertiary qualifications in economics, tax administration, statistics, data science, accounting, public policy or a related discipline.
- Substantial practical experience in tax administration, tax intelligence, industry benchmarking, compliance-risk management, audit case selection or econometrics within a revenue authority.
- Demonstrated experience with industry-classification frameworks such as ISIC or PNGSIC, sector risk profiles, financial-ratio analysis and data-driven compliance methods.
- Strong quantitative and diagnostic skills, including demonstrated ability to work with incomplete or imperfect tax administration data, assess data quality, and clearly document assumptions and limitations.
- Experience designing standard operating procedures, technical guidance and practical analytical tools for institutional use.
- Proven experience transferring capability through structured coaching, applied training and joint delivery with government counterparts.
- Experience facilitating inter-agency coordination and data-sharing arrangements is desirable.
- Experience in Papua New Guinea, the Pacific or comparable developing-country revenue-administration environments is highly desirable.

“ We value capability and potential, and welcome applicants who believe they can succeed in this role”

How to Apply

- Please ensure to address the Key Selection Criteria (About You) in your cover letter, and submit your application online, along with your CV as a single document.
- Applications must be submitted personally by individuals only. Applications submitted by a company or organisation will not be accepted.
- The successful applicant will be engaged through an employment agreement determined by Abt.

We welcome and thank all applications; however, only shortlisted applicants will be contacted .

Closing Date: Monday, 30 November 2026 (Midday, local time) #LI-AUSBRIT

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Abt Associates is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer committed to fostering a diverse workforce. Abt Associates provides market-competitive salaries and comprehensive employee benefits. Local candidates strongly encouraged to apply.

Disclaimer: Abt Associates will never ask candidates for money in exchange for an offer of employment.