About
Climate Change Adaptation and Sustainable Development Specialist ,adapt-develop
Summary
Paul Mitchell has over a decade of international development experience in more than 20 countries across five regions. Paul is an expert in climate change adaptation, disaster risk reduction and sustainable development. He has led adaptation programs for the Australian aid program and international NGO Save the Children. He has also provided consultancy services for government, non-government and international organisations. Paul focuses on helping organisations integrate climate change risk and adaptation into development programs at all levels and throughout the project cycle, as well as developing and implementing capacity building programs. He holds a BA (Hons) in Cultural Studies and Sociology and a Masters in International Development from UNSW. Paul has completed consultancies in the Pacific for a range of organisations, including: DFAT, the World Bank, Save the Children, CARE and Oxfam. More information is available at www.adapt-develop.com
Qualifications and credentials
Doctor of Philosophy (climate change adaptation and sustainable development in the post-2015 era), 2014-present, On-going, RMIT University
Master of International Social Development, 2004, Completed, University of New South Wales
Bachelor of Arts with Honours (Sociology and Cultural Studies), 1997-2003, Completed, University of New South Wales
Planetary Boundaries and Human Opportunities, 2015, Completed, Stockholm Resilience Centre
The Age of Sustainable Development, 2014, Completed, Columbia University Earth Institute
Climate Change and Cities, 2013, Completed, World Bank Institute
Economics of Climate Change Adaptation, 2013, Completed, World Bank Institute
Serious Games for Climate Change Education, 2013, Completed, Red Cross Climate Centre
Climate Futures (downscaled projections for decision-making), 2013, Completed, CSIRO
Climate Change for Development Professionals, 2011, Completed, World Bank
Community-based Adaptation Design, 2011, Completed, Center for Sustainable Development
Climate Change, Environment and DRR in Development, 2011, Completed, AusAID
Community-based Adaptation Training, 2009, Completed, Global Environment Facility
Climate Change Policy and Economics, 2009, Completed, Australian National University (full semester Masters level)
SEA Change Co-Op (Asia-Pacific climate change adaptation evaluation association), ordinary member, 2010-current
International Sustainable Development Research Society, ordinary member, 2015-current
English, Excellent, Excellent, Excellent, Excellent
Work experience
M & E specialist
Climate financing specialist
Community development specialist
Proposal writing/Report writing
Community trainer specialist
Capacity building specialist
Adaptation planning
Independent Consultant, Climate Change and Sustainable Development Consultant, Australia, Vietnam, Consultant, Technical Guidelines on Climate-Resilient Livelihoods, I developed a technical guideline for CARE Vietnam to build staff capacity on integrating climate change risks and adaptation into livelihoods sector , Global, Consultant, On-call technical assistance for climate change adaptation programming, Provided on-call technical support for Save the Children Australia’s child-centred community-based climate change adaptation programs in Bangladesh, t, Timor-Leste, Consultant, Case study development for community-based adaptation project, Researched and drafted four sector-based case studies for Care Australia’s DFAT-funded community-based climate change action grants project in Timor-L, Australia, Consultant, Climate change strategy and action plan, Developed a climate change strategy and action plan for Save the Children Australia, Australia, Consultant, Climate change and urban children in Asia, Reviewed and ensured quality of three country-level reports on climate change and urban children in Asia (for Save the Children in Bangladesh, Philipp, Vietnam, Facilitator, Climate change and urban children in Asia workshop, Facilitated a workshop on climate change and urban children in Asia for Save the Children, Timor-Leste, Philippines, Vanuatu, Vietnam, Consultant, Case studies on community-based adaptation, Researched and drafted case studies for Oxfam Australia’s DFAT-funded community-based climate change action grants projects in Timor-Leste, the Philip, Australia, Consultant, Climate finance research, Researched and developed a briefing paper on climate finance and opportunities for NGOs for Save the Children, Australia, Consultant, Guidelines for integrating climate risk and adaptation into community-based programs, Developed and drafted a guide for the Australian aid program on integrating climate risk and adaptation into community-based programs, Bangladesh, Consultant, Appraisal of climate change training manual for child-centred climate change adaptation, Appraised a climate change training manual for child-centred climate change adaptation in Bangladesh for Save the Children, Nepal, Facilitator, workshop on community-based climate change action for the Australian aid program, Designed and facilitated a workshop on community-based climate change action for the Australian aid program, including 37 participants from NGOs and g, Australia with travel to the Pacific, Consultant, DFAT Interim Climate Change Support Unit, Working with another consultant to help DFAT Pacific programs better track climate change support and to more effectively integrate climate change ris
Save the Children, Global Climate Change Advisor, Global, Global, Global Climate Change Advisor, In this position I worked with country offices across the global south (mainly focused on the Asia-Pacific) to address the risks climate change poses
Australian Agency for International Development, Program Manager Climate Change Adaptation, Australia, Australia, Pacific island countries, Asia, Africa, Caribbean, Program Manager Climate Change Adaptation, In this role I managed the Australian Government’s $328 million, five year International Climate Change Adaptation Initiative. I worked with country
Australian Agency for International Development, Program Manager, Pacific Climate Change, DRR and Environment, Australia with frequent travel to the Pacific, Australia with frequent travel to the Pacific, Program Manager, Pacific Climate Change, DRR and Environment, In this role I managed regional climate change and environment programming for AusAID’s Pacific Branch. I was also responsible for the management of h
Australian Agency for International Development, Senior Program Officer, Mekong Section, Australia and Laos, Australia and Laos, Senior Program Officer, Mekong Section, In this role I was responsible developing and managing activities in environment, rural development, basic education, civil society, mine action and t
Lao PDR Ministry of Information and Culture, Human Resource Development Advisor, Lao PDR, Lao PDR, Human Resource Development Advisor, In this role, working with the Ministry’s News Agency and daily English and French language newspapers, I helped build the capacity of 20 staff in all
Technical guidelines on climate-resilient livelihoods, CARE Vietnam, Consultant, Vietnam, Develop, test and finalise guidelines for integrating climate change risks and adaptation into livelihoods programming in Vietnam
On-call technical support for climate change adaptation policy and programs, Save the Children Australia, Consultant, Bangladesh, the Philippines, Vanuatu and Vietnam, On call technical support for Save the Children Australia’s child-centred community-based climate change adaptation programs in Bangladesh, the Philip
Case studies for community-based climate change action program, CARE Australia, Consultant, Timor-Leste, Researched and drafted four sector-based case studies for Care Australia’s DFAT-funded community-based climate change action grants project in Timor L
Climate change strategy development, Save the Children Australia, Consultant, Australia, Developed a climate change strategy and action plan for Save the Children Australia
Climate change and urban children in Asia, Save the Children Australia, Consultant, Bangladesh, Philippines, Vietnam, Reviewed and ensured quality of three country-level reports on climate change and urban children in Asia (for Save the Children in Bangladesh, Philipp
Climate change and urban children in Asia workshop, Save the Children Australia, Facilitator, Vietnam, Facilitated a workshop on climate change and urban children in Asia for Save the Children
Case studies for community-based climate change action grants projects, Oxfam Australia, Consultant, Timor-Leste, the Philippines, Vanuatu and Vietnam, Researched and drafted case studies for Oxfam Australia’s DFAT-funded community-based climate change action grants projects in Timor-Leste, the Philip
Research on climate finance access, Save the Children Australia, Consultant, Australia, Researched and drafted a briefing paper on climate finance and opportunities for NGOs for Save the Children
Guidelines for integrating climate risk and adaptation into community-based programs, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Australian aid program), Consultant, Australia, Developed and drafted a guide for the Australian aid program on integrating climate risk and adaptation into community-based programs
Child-centred climate change training manual, Save the Children, Consultant, Bangladesh, Appraised a climate change training manual for child-centred climate change adaptation in Bangladesh for Save the Children
Independent appraisal of climate change integration program design, Australian Embassy in Vietnam, Consultant, Vietnam, Provided an independent appraisal for a climate change integration program design for the Australian aid program in Vietnam
Advocacy document for COP21 for Children in a Changing Climate Coalition, ChildFund, Plan International, Save the Children, UNICEF, World Vision International, Lead author, home-based, Researched and drafted an advocacy document on child-centred adaptation for COP 21 for members of the Children in a Changing Climate Coalition (ChildF
DFAT Interim Pacific Climate Change Support Unit, DFAT, Consultant, home-based with travel to the Pacific, Develop tools and modalities to track Australian climate finance in the Pacific
Assist DFAT Pacific programs to better integrate climate change risks
Publications
Children in a changing climate: how child-centered approaches can build resilience and overcome multiple barriers to adaptation, In Phoebe Godfrey and Denise Torres (eds.). 2016. World Turning: Race, Class, Gender, and Global Climate Change. New York: Routledge., https://www.routledge.com/Emergent-Possibilities-for-Global-Sustainability-Intersections-of-race/Godfrey-Torres/p/book/9781138830059
Mainstreaming children’s vulnerabilities and capacities into community-based adaptation to enhance impact, Climate and Development 6:4, pp. 372-381. DOI: 10.1080/17565529.2014.934775, http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/17565529.2014.934775
Inequality, climate change and children’s development, UNICEF Office of Research (ed.). 2014. Challenges of Climate Change: Children on the Front Line. Florence: UNICEF Office of Research, http://www.unicef-irc.org/publications/716
Seeking sustainable financing mechanisms for upscaling community-based adaptation, Lisa Schipper, Jessica Ayers, Hannah Reid, Saleemul Huq and Atiq Rahman (eds.). 2014. Community Based Adaptation to Climate Change: Scaling it Up. New, http://www.routledge.com/books/details/9780415623704/
Child-centred adaptation: Realising children’s rights in a changing climate, Children in a Changing Climate Coalition, https://plan-international.org/file/7182/download?token=pDjJ7guZ