RESUME

Freelance Consultant – Senior Advocacy Specialist

January 2021 to current date

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• Supported the UNICEF East Asia Pacific Regional Office (EAPRO) and 9 Country Offices to co-create a Regional Advocacy strategy on Climate Change and Children through a series of on-line workshops. 

• Developed an Advocacy and Communication Strategy on Climate Change, Environmental Degradation and Children, on behalf of the UNICEF East Asia Pacific Region, for the period June 2021 to November 2026.

• Supported UNICEF HQ and EAPRO to co-create a regional advocacy strategy on child overweight and obesity, through a series of on-line workshops.

• Developed a UNICEF EAPRO Strategic Framework for Advocacy, identifying added-value, strategic partnerships and key shifts needed for the regional office. Developed an implementation plan based on the conceptual framework, defining the key shifts needed to move from the current state to a desired state of regional advocacy.

 

Chief Advocacy, Partnership and Communication, UNICEF, Myanmar

​2014 - 2020

 

• Provided leadership for advocacy for the UNICEF Myanmar Country Office (MCO); developed the MCO advocacy, partnership and communication strategy for 2014-17 and 2018-22, led its operationalization, and managed the Advocacy, Partnership and Communication section.

• Set a clear advocacy agenda for the Myanmar Country Office; formulated advocacy and communication strategies for UNICEF’s response to the humanitarian crisis in Rakhine (Rohingya); for children affected by armed conflict; and for increasing overall government budget allocations to children in Myanmar; and engaged in direct advocacy on these issues.

• Established strategic partnerships for child rights in Myanmar with parliamentarians, religious leaders, civil society organisations and youth (U-Report), and mobilised them as champions for children at critical influencing moments for example during the historic elections in Myanmar in 2015 and the various Peace Conferences. 

• Managed the media and communications team to develop a media engagement strategy, digital strategy and engaged the media to increase public debate on the advocacy priorities including on many politically sensitive issues.

• Built organizational capacity for advocacy and communications through the delivery of a series of workshops, for UNICEF Myanmar, Myanmar United Nations Human Rights Thematic Group, UNICEF Communications officers in the East Asia Pacific Region, and UNICEF China Country Office.

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Child Rights Advocacy Specialist, UNICEF Private Fundraising and Partnership Division, Geneva

​2008 - 2014

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• Drove a change initiative to build the capacity of UNICEF’s 36 National Committees, present in OECD countries, to engage in strategic advocacy on behalf of children in low, middle and high income countries.

• Developed guidance documents setting the overall framework for advocacy by National Committees on UNICEF child rights priorities.

• Assisted UNICEF National Committees to develop their 3-year Joint Strategic Plans for child rights advocacy.  Gained agreement and commitment from Executive Directors and staff on their advocacy focus, strategies and allocation of resources.

• Supported National Committees to advocate for policies to: combat child poverty and social exclusion; to ensure the full implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, General Measures of Implementation; and to influence the development policies of donor governments. 

• Strengthened the skills of National Committees to advocate for children’s rights by developing an “Advocacy Toolkit “ a guide to influencing decision making through advocacy; and by delivering international training workshops for staff.

• Developed a Training of Trainers module on advocacy strategy, and trained  staff from 8 National Committees as trainers on advocacy strategy.

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Programme Manager, Child Protection, Save the Children, Azerbaijan

​2006-2008

 

• Led the USAID funded Community Based Children’s Support Programme, which established community-based social services for vulnerable children and families in 3 areas of Azerbaijan, to demonstrate an alternative system to the existing models of institutional based care.

• Managed a budget of $1.8 million USD; and successfully led a team of 40 national staff.

• Contributed to the development of Save the Children’s five year strategy on child protection in the South Caucasus, to engage with governments at national and local levels to achieve social care system reform for vulnerable children.

• Developed a partnership with UNICEF Azerbaijan, to pilot national child welfare reforms and case management and networking methodologies in the three areas where Save the Children had its centres.

• Member of the Azerbaijan Government’s National Coordination Council on De-Institutionalisation, which was responsible for finalisation of a master plan of action on de-institutionalisation and social welfare reform.

• Established the National Child Protection Network, a national advocacy group comprising INGOs, NGOs and UNICEF working in the child protection sector.

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Country Director, Cambodia Trust, Cambodia

​2003-2005

 

• Developed the long range strategic plan (2004 to 2009) to achieve Cambodia Trust’s mission to provide people with disabilities in Cambodia with sustained access to comprehensive rehabilitation services.

• Introduced a major organisational change from a charitable technical service delivery approach to advocacy and rights based programming for people with disabilities.

• Managed an annual budget of $1.5 million US and successfully led a team of 100 national and international staff.

• Built the capacity of national staff to deliver; manage and sustain Cambodia Trust’s rehabilitation programmes so that in the long term all operations in Cambodia could be managed locally.

• Established and maintained relationships with international donors (DFID; USAID; NZAID) and reported on implementation of funds. Prepared detailed funding proposals and won funds for the country office’s portfolio.

• Chaired the Board of Governors of the Disability Action Council: the national coordinating body for disability issues in Cambodia.

• Worked in close collaboration with Cambodian Government; the Disability Action Council; and disabled people’s organisations to achieve an inclusive, barrier-free and rights-based society for persons with disabilities in Cambodia.

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Special Needs Education Advisor, UNICEF Bhutan 

​2000-2003

 

• Persuaded the Royal Government of Bhutan of the need to develop a long-term programme to promote access to education for children with disabilities.

• Developed the first national policy and long-term strategy on the provision of basic education for children with disabilities, on behalf of and in collaboration with the Royal Government of Bhutan.

• Designed and initiated a number of demonstration projects for inclusive education in Bhutan including projects for visually impaired children, hearing impaired children, and children with physical impairments.

• Worked closely with international donors, prepared detailed funding proposals for specific projects in Bhutan and won funds from Danida, AusAid, CBM International, and German-Bhutan Health Friends.

• Designed and delivered training programmes and national conferences for government policy makers, health workers and education professionals.

• Developed media campaigns through TV, radio and the press, to achieve a shift in attitudes towards people with disabilities in Bhutan.

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Principal Policy and Practice Officer, Barnardos, UK

1995-1999​

 

• Designed and implemented a number of national strategies for Barnardo’s UK to lead programmes of change on children’s rights, disability equality, social inclusion, disabled peoples’ participation.

• Analysed the impact of new government legislation and social policy on vulnerable children in the UK and designed advocacy campaigns to achieve the required change.

• Met with Ministers, Members of Parliament, and senior civil servants in the UK to communicate Barnardo’s views on legislation that would impact upon children.

• Promoted and developed good practice across Barnardo’s 300 social services projects for children in need (adoption, foster care, respite care and family support), by producing national guidelines, developing quality standards, publishing research, and organising internal workshops and national conferences.

• Designed and delivered staff development workshops and national conferences for health, education and social care professionals working with disabled children.

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