I am a highly experienced climate change and development consultant with extensive experience in the Pacific region working with national and sub-national governments, NGOs and Red Cross Societies. I have designed, managed and evaluated climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction projects in Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu and Timor-Leste. Some project I have recently been involved in include: (i) Development of an activity design document (ADD) on ocean acidification in the Pacific (funded by NZ MFAT and implemented by SPREP); (ii) Review of sanitation and water services in informal settlements in Melanesia (commissioned by the World Bank); (iii) Evaluation of the Vanuatu Humanitarian Team (Oxfam); (iv) Design of marine ecosystem based community based adaptation project in Nissan district, Bougainville, PNG (CARE International); (v) Evaluation of the project "Supporting Community Planning for a More Resilient Vanuatu" (French Red Cross and Vanuatu Red Cross Society)
Barbara is a climate change and disaster risk reduction specialist with more than 16 years of direct professional in-the-field experience. She has provides advisory services in policy and program development, program and project evaluation, training and capacity building, to national and local government agencies and international and regional organizations, including the United Nations system and NGOs with focus on disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation for resilient development, food security, gender, policy leadership and advocacy. She is specialised in programmes aiming at climate change and disaster risk reduction mainstreaming into national and sector response policies, strategies and plans.
She has used multi-stakeholder participatory approaches in Pacific countries and has proven hands-on expertise in-the-field. She worked with government and beneficiary institutions to formulate policies and implement programmes. She was responsible for the formulation of national policies, vulnerability assessment, gender, disaster risk reduction and natural hazards prevention and mitigation through the promotion of long-term strategies to adaptation planning for effective aid delivery at national and regional level. In her work she has developed funding recommendation, strategic positioning, partnership and recommended doable and realistic implementation plans, including timelines, costing and roles and responsibilities.
She holds a Master’s Degree in Global Environmental Protection and International Policies and is an active member of the Pacific Infrastructure Advisory Centre and Adaptation Learning mechanism as well as the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery East Asia and the Pacific Disaster Knowledge Network. Barbara is serving on United Nations Women National Committee Aotearoa New Zealand.
An in-depth knowledge and extensive experience of environment and development issues, including technical assistance and capacity building projects in many parts of the world, particularly in Asia and the Pacific. During my work in 59 countries, I have demonstrated a strong commitment to the use of participatory planning and evaluation methodologies at the national and community levels, including local and national sustainable development planning and evaluation. My analytical skills include highly developed policy analysis skills with experience of integrated approaches to a wide range of issues including governance, environment, natural resource management, disaster risk management, climate change, livelihoods, resilience building, community development and social policy. In my work over the last 40 years, I have shown an ability to assess complex situations in order to succinctly and clearly distil critical issues and draw forward looking conclusions, identifying practical lessons for practical application and policy development.
Palanitina is a highly qualified, experience and respected senior Samoan public service leader with significant experiences in health governance and health system strengthening. public health services in general, public health education, health promotion, disease prevention and high level public health leadership, management and administration. She had held senior executive positions in the Samoan Government, including the Director General of Health (DGoH) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ministry of Health for 9 years (Feb 2005 – Feb 2014) and Assistant CEO of the Division for Women in the Ministry of Women, Community and Social Development (MWCSD) from Sept 1998 – Jan 2005. Palanitina has championed health system strengthening (HSS) based on the WHO Framework on HSS 2005. She led and completed in 18 months (Feb 2005 – July 2006) the realization of the public health reform which began in 1998. She was instrumental in the development and advocacy for passage through Parliament of 18 legislations plus several health policies within her terms of leadership; to practically implement the MOH’s new monitoring and regulatory functions. She has been advocating for women’s empowerment at policy and program levels. She led the practical translation of regional and international conventions through empowerment programs, including the establishment of women’s leadership networks. She led the establishment of the Partnership for the Convention on Elimination of Discrimination against Women, which the Samoan Government ratified in 1992. A sought after adviser, Palanitina has evaluated a number of Pacific regional and country programs, including for AusAid before becoming DFAT, WHO and the Secretariat of the Pacific Community. She has facilitated country and regional collaborations and, through her consultancy and government CEO appointments, Palanitina has had significant involvement in the delivery and review of regional and some international programs through WHO.
The consultant's key fields of expertise include Environmental Management (Env Mgt Sys, Env Audit, EIA, SEA), Sustainable Development, Climate Change (Adaptation, Mitigation, Science, Policy), Community Waste Management, Community Based Adaptation, Ecosystem-based Adaptation. Proficient project management and project performance management skills that include practitioner skills in project management in controlled environments; skills in concept, grant and full project and funding proposal writing, climate financing proposal writing, design, work planning and budgeting. Skilled in project appraisal of project aspects such as costs, timescales, quality, scope, risk and benefits; deliver of quality project products, monitoring, reporting and evaluation. Offers training and workshops on V&A Assessments that include technical and community-based tools and frameworks, socio-economic assessments, lessons learned, results-based management, survey design and implementation, M&E design and implementation, gender & climate change. Range of working experiences at different levels of development intervention - international and regional (negotiations, policy, advocacy, lobbying, media campaigns and presentation, knowledge management); regional and national (project management, policy, science, gender, adaptation, mitigation, media campaigns, public awareness) and community (CBA, EbA, V&A, negotiations, training, gender mainstreaming level, implementation, negotiation skills on climate change, waste management, attitude and behavioral change campaigning). Have on-the-ground and field experiences in 14 Pacific Island communities, particularly in Palau, Marshall Islands, Fiji, Niue, Cook Islands, and Papua New Guinea. Sector expertise areas of climate change adaptation activities and results in integrated coastal zone management, water resources management (specializing in low-lying atolls), food security, food production, agriculture, aquaculture, forestry, tourism and health.
Dr. Bartlett has been living and working in Melanesia since 2002, currently as Knowledge Manager for the Australia-Pacific Climate Partnership. His extensive work with communities, civil society, private sector and governments in the Pacific have shaped his current action research interests. These include innovative and science-based solutions and strategies for dealing with change in the Pacific, including climate change. After his PhD at James Cook University, he joined Nobel Laureate Elinor Ostrom's lab at Indiana University to investigate the emergence of networks of community-based MPAs and taboos. Dr. Bartlett resides in Port Vila, Vanuatu and makes frequent consulting, speaking and training trips around the world.
Lisa is a manager within KPMG’s Climate Change and Sustainability practice. She as over fourteen years experience quantifying and developing solutions to mitigate the impacts from climate change and sustainability. As a civil engineer specialising in climate change and sustainability, Lisa has worked with asset owners to determine how they are best positioned to respond to the impacts of climate change. She has extensive experience interpreting climate models and has worked closely with CSIRO to run specific climate models for clients. She applies her knowledge to understand and consider the risks and uncertainty of climate change to guide and inform decision making for business and government. She has worked across the major infrastructure phases, design, construction and operation, and assets, from buildings, roads, mines, water, costal settlements, electricity to rail. She has practical design and construction experience, which she has applied to develop design solutions to mitigate the short and long term risks posed by climate change. Lisa knows how to evaluate the costs and benefits of adaptation to determine the most optimal adaptation solution (i.e. optimising investment decisions).
Key skills: providing strategic, targeted knowledge network, evaluation and technical services to international environmental and development programs and institutional capacities. Thematic interests and work experience: project design, implementation and results based monitoring: child rights, disability mainstreaming in UN funds and programs, inclusive education sector planning, biodiversity strategic planning, disaster risk reduction , climate change and resilience, natural resources and protected area management, ecosystem services and environmental science. Policy and bottleneck analysis and implementation problem resolution including work in environment sectors, poverty alleviation and education, improved service delivery and transparent government initiatives. Advocacy interests focusing on one UN programming, education for sustainable development, education systems and planning, climate change adaptation, emergencies, disaster risk reduction and resilience. Communication: training and education experience, including organizing and leading workshops. Research: data analysis, writing/editing materials for a wide variety of audiences and preparing content for websites.
Environmental strategy and policy, specializing in climate change and community development; Project management, M&E, O&M programming, training manual and
module development; Sustainable development tools & frameworks: EMS, SEIA, EIA, ISO; “Triple bottom line” assessments and reporting (social, environmental
and economic factors); Occupational Health, Safety, Security and Quality Assurance
GRI Stakeholder Council Oceania (Vice Chair) GRI Focal Point Australia (Chair) Environment Institute of Australia and New Zeenaland (EIANZ) Association for Sustainability in Business (ASB) International Association for Public Participation (IAP2 The Total Environment Centre – Board member The Climate Institute – Climate Partner Green Cross Australia – Business Adaptation Network Infrastructure Sustainability Council Australia – Founding member Asian Pacific Network for Climate Adaptation
Director - Environment Policy of Department of Environment and Climate Change (DECC) Sydney, Australia; key negotiator to provide policy advice to the Minister of Climate
Executive Director - Environment at Hornsby Shire Council, Hornsby Australia
Senior Researcher, Sustainability at Institute for Sustainable Futures, ISF, Sydney Australia
Legal Specialist (Climate Change/Environmental Law/MEAs)
Community Development Specialist
Proposal Writing
Community Trainer Specialist
Capacity building specialist
Environmental and social safeguards specialists
Countries of Work Experience: Australia, New Zealand USA Canada England Europe Union countries Japan South East Asia Pacific India Africa Brazil
Senior Executive -Sustainability and Climate Change at RPS Group. Worked with leading international and Australian organisations on a host of climate risk strategies. Role was to help clients understand the exposure, adaptive capacity and sensitivity of assets, operations, services, suppliers and communities to climate risks and to assist them in proactively improving their planning and preparedness. Role included providing training and mentoring in climate and sustainability across the private and public sector. Board member and Vice Chair of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Stakeholder Council for over six years representing Oceania – collaborating on corporate social responsibility (CSR) with governments, international agencies and leading companies across the globe. Chair of GRI Focal Point Australia over that same period. Member of the Asia Pacific Network for climate adaptation.
Responsible for managing a service line of 50 plus professional staff globally who provide sustainability services. Stella provided services to many of Australia’s top 100 companies on their sustainability performance and services; this work has included corporate social responsibility work. Stella lead consultancy advice to major public and private sector clients internationally on urban planning, green building, environment, CSR, Sustainability Strategy and GRI reporting. She led the development of tools, methodologies and protocols, and was also responsible for the oversight of GHD’s 2009 CSR Reporting framework, including an advisory role to GHD Board. While at GHD Stella was responsible for many of the firm’s strategic partnerships, including the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) – both the global network and the GRI Focal Point Australia based at the Saint James Ethics Centre.
Key Government’s negotiator with major local government, corporate, industry and other stakeholders on complex environment, planning and sustainability reforms. Provided policy advice to the Minister of Climate
Change, Water and the Environment, as well as the Premier, Planning, Local Government, Health and Transport Ministers. This advice spanned a large variety of policies, strategies or legislative changes. Pioneered climate change adaptation plans (COAG National Climate Change Adaptation Framework) and led the publication of NSW State of the Environment Report as well as running water and air community education campaigns (Water for Life, greenhouse and Clear the Air Campaigns. Responsible for the delivery of major multi-million dollar environmental and sustainability programs including the Sustainability Advantage, Clean Air Fund, the Stormwater Trust and more recently work on the Urban Sustainability Program and Clean Air Healthy Communities Fund
While working at Hornsby Shire Council, was responsible for a April 2009 Australia Director -Environment department of 140 staff and managing a budget of AUD 23 million. Within this position was responsible for the planning and delivery of Council’s environment services, strategy and policy development. Role also included the delivery of award-winning sustainability initiatives and projects.
Established the ISF Local Government Unit from scratch -a small scientist and professional team.
In the first year of operation of the Unit generated > $400k consultancy income. The Unit undertook research and consultancy for broad range of clients on sustainable development, community development community, water, transport, waste, energy and environmental policy. Project included environmental management reviews and sustainability reporting for wide range of business, government and local council clients. Responsibilities included leading a pioneering action research project on local sustainability involving a large number of key councils in NSW and was author of the Commonwealth Local Agenda 21 Manual (1999).
Member of Linnean Society of London (FLS)
Visiting Fellow of Nottingham Trent University, UK
Officer for Environmental Science for the government of Tuvalu Honorary Ambassador
Project Team Leader for PACE-SD USP, Suva Fiji
Leading the 8 million Euro European Union Global Climate Change Alliance Project. Working in 15 P-ACP countries. http://eugcca.usp.ac.fj/Home.aspx
Principal Supervisor for 7 MSc & 3 PhD students plus 2MSc completions in 2012. Developing and delivering courses for PGDip in Climate Change. Developing a new programme for PGDip Disaster Risk Management. Developing and administering "on-line" resources for full delivery of these courses to studnets in isolated small-island nation states (USP has 12 campuses in nations across the Pacific). Face-to-face teaching on various postgraduate and undergraduate courses as and when required.
Responsible for the proper and timely coordination, management and implementation of the project “Meeting the Challenges of Climate Change in the Pacific Islands through Training, Applied Research and Community Engagement”. The project ambit consists of 15 Pacific nations, 11 of which have a USP campus. CCA adaptation plans and activities in 43 communities.
Member of various committees: Research Committee; Academic Standards; Academic Audit (Research); Faculty Programming (designing new undergraduate "Environmental Science" programme); organizing committee for 4 international conferences (Local Governance and Climate Change; Pacific Climate Services Forum; 12th Pacific Science Inter-congress; 2nd International Renewable Energy and Climate Change Conference).
Lecturer at Nottingham Trent University, UK
Lecturing and development of Undergraduate modules: “Sustainability” and “Rural Communities and Planning”. Lecturing on Post Grad MA International Relations: Theories, Practices and Policy. Supervision of undergraduate students; setting & marking coursework. School of Animal, Rural & Environmental Science Research Committee. Secured SPUR funding for research in Tuvalu
Scientific Advisor for Alofa Tuvalu (French-Tuvaluan NGO)
Author of the renewable energy technology component of the 10-year “Small Is Beautiful” project, Tuvalu.
Currently implementing renewable energy related sustainable development/environmental management & adaptation activities in Tuvalu (biogas, biodiesel, gasification, solar pv & thermal, wind). Selected as one of UNESCO’s decade of achievement projects.
Preparing funding proposals & securing funding.
Programme Manager for Cusichaca Trust, UK
Planning projects and devising/implementing/evaluating strategies for natural resource management, sustainable development & adaptation of rural Highland Peru. Major environmental management project - completed in September 2007 - research, agricultural extension and rehabilitation of land, vegetation, Inca terraces & irrigation systems in the Pampachiri District, Peru. Defining and implementing management structures and systems of an NGO with 40 full-time employees. Directing research and funding programmes, securing funding (1,500,000 Euro - EU, DFID & Community Fund).
Member of Siosiomaga Organisation of Samoa
Treasurer of Goshen Trust Board
Member of Woman Floriculture Club of Lautoka Fiji
Manager at Micro Finance Unit, Lautoka, Fiji
Lecturer in Agriculture/Horticulture and Business Manager APS, Samoa
Countries of Work Experience: Fiji, Hawaii