Katherine Grace Email and Phone Number

In my role as Field Officer, I support UNHCR in implementing confidence building measures that aim to build trust between displaced communities after over 40 years of of separation. Activities undertaken in my role include liaising with donors, developing briefing materials, reviewing budgets and programme plans, and organising high level meetings with other UN Actors and external agencies.

As a Reporting Officer, I support the emergency response to meet the needs of those affected from Cyclone Idai by ensuring timely reporting of activities, coordinating Protection Cluster responses, and engaging external actors from the humanitarian sector, Government, NGOs, as well as community leaders and the displaced.

In my previous role as Adviser with the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, I assisted in developing the content and engaging participants to attend the inaugural ASEAN-Australia Summit (specifically, the Business Summit). My role included analysing opportunities to enhance Australia-ASEAN businesses linkages by working with the Australian and ASEAN business community, as well as key stakeholders within Government, to identify recommendations to put to ASEAN and Australian Leaders. Other duties included writing speeches, drafting the Business Summit Report to Leaders, liaising with foreign officials and event management.

In this role, I was responsible for facilitating the inaugural strategic planning retreat for the Mission to Western Sahara. This involved developing a program for the retreat that would elicit proposals to further develop UNHCR programming in Western Sahara, and meet the needs of persons of concern. Key activities included developing a three-day program, event management, and finalising a report of outcomes for headquarters.

As a Research and Communications Officer with UNHCR, I undertook research on the implications of refugee urbanisation on UNHCR's programme delivery. This included meeting with Chief's of Section, and interviewing colleagues at headquarters to better understand various programmatic challenges and opportunities, as well as compiling a report for consideration by senior staff. I also reviewed UNHCR's knowledge Management systems within the Division of Programme Management and Support, sourced best practices to publish in the Making it Work Series, as well as the Key Initiatives series administered by the Division of Programme Support and Management, and provided editorial assistance on a needs basis.

As an intern with UNHCR, in the Director's office of the Division of Programme Management and Support, one of my key roles was to review and administer the Diagnostic Tool for Alternatives to camps, a tool that seeks to measure UNHCR's success in meeting the needs of refugees in out of camp contexts. I was also responsible for providing briefing materials for senior staff in the Division of Programme Support and Management, including in relation to UNHCR's involvement in the bi-decennial UN-Habitat conference, held in Quito, Ecuador, in 2016.

As a Research Officer, I undertook research and data analysis to inform the Department's annual publication, the State of the Region, which highlights key trends in regional and rural Australia.

My role as Accommodation Team Leader was varied and multi-faceted. My primary responsibilities included sourcing appropriate accommodation for refugee clients, managing employees within team, coordinating a volunteer workforce, and negotiating with a range of contractual providers. Other responsibilities include liaising with local and Commonwealth Government to ensure program delivery is in accordance with contractual arrangements.

As a Budget Officer, my primary role involved consulting and advising senior staff to ensure timely and effective delivery of the Australian Budget. Other responsibilities included writing Executive Minutes, coordinating Cabinet Submissions, handling Ministerial Correspondence, and advising the Minister on new policy proposals from the Department of Health.