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).
Countries of Work Experience: India
Project Manager for Nexant Inc; Prepare budget for project, prepare progress reports for client. Facilitating stakeholder consultation. Developing innovative financing instruments and market deployment strategies for up-scaling re technologies for rural, commercial and industrial sectors in India
Project Manager for Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation in 2013-2014; Map the International sources of climate finance. Provide recommendation for setting appropriate institutional structure for effective climate finance
Project Manager for UNDP in 2013-2014; Develop a detailed financial resource assessment for implementing recommendations and strategies in the MP SAPCC;
Estimate the finance that need to be invested for fully operationalizing the strategies proposed for identified sectors
Classify the sectoral recommendation and identify the fund requirement for each activity
Identification of financial options and gap-filling strategies by assessing current budgetary allocations/expenditure of the department; working on issues falling within these sectors, to explore funds that could be made available for implementation
Development of plan of action along with details on the methodology proposed to be used for making the estimates of financial requirements
Project Coordinator for IKEA Trading Pty Ltd, India; - Set up a Project Monitoring Unit comprising of a Field Coordinator, Project Officer and a team of village level motivators
Worked closely with beneficiaries to understand their problems related to energy and health
Planned and organized mass awareness generation campaigns for beneficiaries, students, financial institutions, entrepreneurs, electricians and mechanics
Promoted and customized solar home lighting systems and centralized charging stations
Solar street lights and a solar water pump were installed for irrigation and drinking water supply in one village as part of a larger mandate to set up a model solar village
Project Coordinator for European Commission in 2005-2007; -Co-operation between India and European Union. Encourage both technology transfer and investment flows. Direct beneficiaries for both the ethanol and biodiesel sector were farmers; sugar industry; oil expelling/processing companies; urban areas (due to clean environment); and the country as a whole as a result of savings in foreign exchange and CDM opportunities for the country. Partnership with EU organizations ensured value addition by bringing forth the knowledge, experience, management, and technologies to India
Editorial Coordinator for the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy 2009-2011; UNDP/GEF supported a major Biomass Energy based project with the Ministry for New and Renewable Energy (MNRE)
Raise awareness level about the technical and other aspects of biomass energy under a major capacity building initiative among all possible stakeholders
Raise awareness and coverage of technological, operational, financial and regulatory aspects of various biomass conversion technologies such as combustion, cogeneration, gasification and biomethanation
Grant Administrator; Developed the Operational manual to provide grants. Promote program through web based technologies and other networks to ensure active participation of renewable energy enterprises to submit proposals. Careful screening of applications and developing a decision matrix to arrive at results. Preparation of contract documents to follow up on project deliverables of sub-grantees, clearing financial payments of sub-grantees
Project Manager - PIGGAREP; Energy Coordinator - Ministry of Finance, Samoa; Senior Research Officer - Energy, Economic Policy and Planning Division, Ministry of Finance; Manage delivery of national and regional activities of the project in 14 Pacific Island Countries; Project coordination and reporting, strategic planning, policy and implementation strategy formulation, project management and procurement, monitoring and evaluation and capacity building; Foster and establish strong links with all project partners and other related programmes and projects in the Pacific; Widespread dissemination of PIGGAREP best practices and experiences and raising the PIGGAREP profile and SPREP; Energy Coordinator - Establishment of the Energy Demand and Supply (EDS) database and publication of the Energy Review Reports (ERR); Coordinate and manage the upgrading of the Petroleum Tank Farm Facilities and Rationalization of Petroleum Supplies
- Establish a structural process and criteria for issuance and renewal of petroleum licensing; Coordinate and manage all national energy projects including national activities for regional energy projects - Implement project on upgrading the petroleum facilities; Research Officer - Establish and maintain a computer-based economic statistical base; Collect, process and disseminate IMF-based government financial statistics; Coordinate with line departments the collection and systemizing of economic indicator; Coordinate in collaboration with the Statistics Department; sample surveys for economic development purpose
- Assist with the compilation of national, accounts and balanced of payments data; Prepare analytical and appraisal reports; Assist in the preparation of national development plans, sector plans and project evaluation reports
1. Formulation, development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation processes of ecosystem-based adaptation to climate change and mitigation programmes
- Coordination of inception phases for Global Environment Facility & Adaptation Fund- Formulate and design logical framework; - Design specific, measureable, attainable, relevant, time-bound (SMART) Indicators; - M & E frameworks - Management and institutional arrangements - Multi-year and annual work plans - Management of co-financing issues - Response to Global Environment Facility comments on submitted project documents
- Administrative Support - Definition of TOR’s, procurement, recruitment and contract management - Management reports consultation on ATLAS (UNDP project management system) - Budget allocation and budget revision - Monitoring and evaluation support - Strategic programming - Ensure consistence of projects outcomes and objectives with UN Development Assistance Framework regional priorities and outcomes - Technical review of relevant documents to match Global Environment Facility - Knowledge management and communication - Client focused relationship
2. Support the management of Global Environment Facility and Adaptation Fund projects Familiarization with project cycle, allocation mechanisms, processes and reporting procedures
3. Assist World Bank Team in elaboration of Post-Disaster Need Assistance document in response to Cyclone Evan (Samoa, 2012)
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
Conduct assessments of knowledge systems, conduct advisory missions with the US-based endowment on knowledge management, future development, vision and strategic partnerships: New foundland government, IGA England and IGA Boston
Review annual grant proposals for community health and development in northern Newfoundland and Labrador.
Coach Junior Directors
Conceive original concept and mandate; define audience for company products and services, promote technical vision and mandate among directors
Design global knowledge management strategy on education, health and agriculture as technical advisor; providing leadership to four regional knowledge managers to implement the strategy
- Build strategic partnerships: UN regional commissions, UNDP, UNEP, UNV, UNICEF, UNESCO, IDRC, ISDR, etc
Mid-Term Evaluation Capacity Strengthening and Knowledge Management for Protected Areas Management
Activities Performed: i) Undertook comprehensive Midterm Evaluation MTE of GEF/UNDP PA program and demonstration of PA learning and ecosystems management approach ii) Conducted in-depth consultations and focus group work with key stakeholders and government planning staff. iii) Compiled evidence to support management and governance positive changes to program; conducted assessment of knowledge and learning systems. iv) Critiqued the program me indicators and all changes incurred during implementation by project staff. Suggested new indicators. v) Delivered and presented report to multi-sector and institutional stakeholders
Mid-Term Evaluation Capacity Strengthening and Knowledge Management for Institutions for Natural Resources Management
Activities Performed: i) MTE of GEF/UNDP INRM program and demonstration of integrated ecosystems management and climate change adaptation approaches ii) Conducted consultations and focus group work with key stakeholders and government planning staff. iii) Compiled evidence to support management and governance positive changes to program including assessment of knowledge and learning systems. iv) Critiqued the programme indicators and all changes incurred during implementation by project staff. v) Delivered and presented report to multi-sector and institutional stakeholders
Evidence, Coaching and Policy Research on South-South Cooperation (SSC) Principles
Developed framework and conducted assessment of IBSA Trust Fund portfolio 11 projects at various stages of completion;
Authored evidence-based policy/resource mobilization paper on the Trust Fund as good South-South Corporation with UN practice
Terminal Evaluation Capacity Strengthening and Knowledge Management for Sustainable Land Management
Activities Performed: i) Undertook comprehensive Midterm Evaluation MTE of GEF/UNDP environmental mainstreaming program and demonstration pilot sustainable ecosystems approach ii) Conducted in-depth consultations and focus group work with key stakeholders and government planning staff; conducted assessment of knowledge and learning systems. iii) Compiled evidence to support management and governance positive changes to program. iv) Critiqued the program me indicators and all changes incurred during implementation by project staff. Suggested new indicators. v) Delivered and presented report to multi-sector and institutional stakeholders
Knowledge Management (KM) Strategy/Advisor/Author - Climate Resilient Infrastructure /Coastal Zone Development
Conducted in-depth consultations and focus group work with key government and civil society stakeholders, UN and other partners, NGOs and Local Government and Engineering Staff; conducted assessment of knowledge and learning systems
Compiled evidence to support inter-sectoral knowledge management and learning strategy and provided recommendations related institutional reforms for climate resilience infrastructure and coastal zone management
Delivered and presented KM Strategy and Architecture for Climate Resilient Infrastructure to multi-sector and institutional stakeholders and inclusion into multidisciplinary Climate Change Resilience PPTA.
Created a climate infrastructure learning network - documented and shared PA - KM activities
Abyei Area Development Programme
Activities Performed: i) Produced an inception report for UNDP Khartoum concerning delivery of the requirements outlined in the ToR and a detailed evaluation with an analytical response to all key components. ii) Used qualitative/quantitative techniques to obtain information; developed new indicators to assess project outcome. iii) Conducted field visits to rural offices, meeting with relevant staleholders; visited UNDP senior management, team leaders and program officers; consulted women, children and other marginalized groups and devised other means to measure progress, effect and impact. iv) Organized a debriefing session for UNDP staff, partners and collaborators; v) Re-developed UNDP’s programming strategy
Study and Policy Paper - UNEPs Contribution to South South Cooperation- A Knowledge Management Approach
Activities Performed: i) Conducted baseline research on UNEP’s role in promoting South-South cooperation on environmental capacity building; interviewed UNEP staff. ii) Authored relevant paper for UN-wide publication. iii) Authored related policy recommendation/paper on cooperation for staff
Developing a National Knowledge Management Platform for Action on Disaster Risk Reduction
Activities Performed: i) Coordinated development of a new national policy framework and 10-year action plan on disaster risk reduction. ii) Conducted community profiling exercise to establish baseline and set targets for support; designed and wrote proposals for strategic partnerships iii) Advocated support extension to implement national strategy on community-based DRR
Instituting and Implementing a Global Knowledge Management Strategy for UNDP on Environmental Issues
Activities Performed: i) Established first Energy and Environment Practice Network, managing network budget of $1/4 M. ii) Managed network and designed monitoring and evaluation plan. iii) Organized, recruited and managed network volunteers, two professional staff iv) Facilitated the Human Rights Knowledge Network – HURITALK (2001). v) Piloted regional/sub-regional support networks – Zambia, Mauritania, Senegal, Malaysia, Costa Rica, and Bratislava. vi) Provided environmental management policy and reported to country offices. vii) Participated in global water partnership technical meeting; conducted knowledge management needs assessment. Provided recommendations to senior management concerning GWP KM reforms
UNDP Global Policy and Programme Support
Activities Performed: i) Conducted Terminal Review of UNDP Global Programmes: UNCED (1992), WSSD (1995) and Partners in Development (1995). ii) Conducted research for 2 UNDP Global Poverty Reports (1999-2000). iii) Conducted a GEF Climate Change Portfolio Review – Africa Region (1998). iv) Conducted statistical analysis of UNDP sustainable livelihood programme. v) Researched and drafted policy statements vi) Conducted and statistically represented programme research (governance, poverty, HIV and AIDS, environment, gender)
UNDP Support Programme in Indonesia
Activities Performed: i) Located and interviewed policy experts; reviewed project/policy concepts; developed briefing materials; ii) Fostered strategic partnerships with the Ministry of Education and the Minister of Religious Affairs to develop programs and projects concerning expanding access and quality of education; leveraged resources from development partners and the international monetary institutions. iii) Researched/drafted educational policy statements; developed strategic partnership with UNICEF and UNESCO; coordinated UN input for the conference ‘Education for All – Nine Most Populous Countries’. iv) Monitored/developed projects: environment, energy, women, education issues. v) Backstopped three gender projects on behalf of UNIFEM
Member - Global Development Professionals
Member - SEA Change Community of Practice (M&E in climate change)
Member - Adaptability Climate Adaptation Network
Member - Climate Change Professionals Network
Member - Climate- Evaluation of climate change and development)
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 to key thematic and sectoral programming. My responsibilities included providing technical advice for the development, implementation and monitoring of climate change programs as well as integrating climate
risk and resilience building into sector-based programs. I also provided policy advice and authored academic and popular publications advocating for a child-centred rights-based approach to climate change adaptation. I was also the global lead on climate change for Save the Children International’s Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation
Working Group and a member of the International Organizing Committee for the annual International Conference on community based Climate Change Adaptation. My role included a substantial research component including drafting and publication of research papers and keeping abreast of the latest in science and social research on climate change and development.
Selected Projects/outputs are listed below:
Designed a 2.5 year, $3 million multi-agency community based adaptation project in Vietnam which was successful in a global AusAID funded project window
Developed a multi-year proposal to integrate climate change adaptation into children's club in Bangladesh which was successful in attracting AusAID funding
Designed a multi-country research project on child-centred climate change adaptation in Asian cities which received funding from the Rockefeller Foundation
Developed a monitoring and evaluation framework for a large community based adaptation project in Vietnam
Developed a results framework for Save the Children International Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation Strategy 2012-2015
Reviewed project proposals for a range of donors (AusAID, DFID, EU, USAID) to ensure climate change risks and resilience were adequately addressed
Reviewed country and regional strategies and provided advice on integrating climate risk
Drafted save the children Australia's program environment management system to help program staff address environment and climate and disaster) risks and safeguards in sectoral programming
Developed a climate change and adaptation training program and implemented it across 10 country offices
I co-managed the Australian Government's $328 million, five year International Climate Change Adaptation Initiative. I worked with country and regional program areas to develop and implement activities to help vulnerable communities in the Asia Pacific and beyond enhance their resilience to the impacts of climate change. this role had a strong focus on small island developing states and least developed countries with a particular emphasis on integration, adaptation and disaster risk reduction into AusAID-funded activities in the Pacific.
Member of the Environment Institute of Australia
Associate Director and Adaptation Subject Matter Expert in;
• International pension fund climate change risk assessment
• Risk apportionment in the insurance sector
• Green Cross Australia’s Business Adaptation Network
• City of Sydney Climate Change Risk Assessment
• State Government Department Climate Change Program
Manager for United Energy Climate Risk and Resilience Assessment, Energy networks Association National Climate Risk and Resilience Guidance Manual, Development of Climate Vulnerability Criteria for Ausgrid power stations
Manage Climate risk assessment for investment management and retirement living property portfolio in Australian and New Zealand for Lend Lease
Manage Infrastructure Interdependencies and Business-Level Impacts thought leadership paper for the Climate Institute
Investa Property climate risk assessment for office and residential portfolios
Manage Climate risk assessment for Stockland’s national property portfolio, Climate risk analysis for Mirvac Limited covering investment, development and hotel portfolios in Australian and New Zealand
Development of national community resilience guidelines for developers for Green Cross Australia
Climate vulnerability assessment of the Barwon South West region in Victoria
Climate risk assessment for Hornsby Shire Council’s operations and services
Development and delivery of a national climate adaptation training course targeted for the Australian rail sector
Project Manager for the Community sustainable indicators program
Research collaboration with the City of Cebu, Philippines and the City of Fukuoka, Japan on climate change initiatives
Managed Implementation of Australia’s largest local government energy performance contract
Implementation of Australia’s first trigeneration system.