Work collaboratively with my team, partner local authorities and external stakeholders to agree our approach to climate change and low carbon investment.

I was the Programme Manager for the North East Yorkshire and Humber Local Energy Hub which includes Humber LEP, Sheffield City Region, North East LEP, Tees Valley Combined Authority, West Yorkshire Combined Authority and York, North York and East Riding LEP. The role of the hub is to work collaboratively to accelerate the delivery of local energy projects.

Jointly supervised a first year Geography and Environmental Management tutorial group, setting and marking assignments and developing research skills (including using skills plus and library resources). From September 2012, I taught 2nd year undergraduate module Energy and Climate Change. I updated all lectures, developed seminars and one-to-one sessions, set and marked assignments for 120 students and organised out of hours participation at the Durham Energy Futures Film Festival for interested students. Also did ad hoc lectures including qualitative methods and sustainable development for the Masters Disaster and Development course focusing upon the role of international regimes, geopolitics and social justice. Supported Big Lottery Communities Living Sustainability Project proposal and development Grant for Scotswood.

I coordinated the Tees Valley Climate Change Partnership (TVCCP) which included the 5 Tees Valley Local Authorities, Environment Agency, Energy Saving Trust, Teesside University, the Tees Valley Primary Care Trusts and Renew@CPI, as well as regional stakeholders including Climate North East, and formerly Government Office North East. I rewrote, and undertook an Equality Impact Assessment on the Tees Valley Climate Change Strategy in 2009 which was subsequently adopted by all 5 Tees Valley Local Authorities in June 2010. I supported the Tees Valley and North East Local Authorities to meet their commitments under the Covenant of Mayors (CoM) in developing Sustainable Energy Action Plans and identifying opportunities for implementation. I contributed to the Tees Valley Low Carbon Transition Plan and Tees Valley Investment Programme established to support skills diversification and low carbon economic development, and the low carbon components of the Tees Valley Statement of Ambition which is the overarching economic strategy for the Tees Valley. I developed and project managed a Tees Valley resilience project and provided regular updates and summaries on wider policy context for climate change (mitigation and adaptation) to the Tees Valley Climate Change Partnership (TVCCP), Tees Valley Unlimited and partners, drafting and coordinating responses to Government consultations and providing specialist input into tenders and research on the economic opportunities associated with climate change.

I successfully tendered and coordinated a feasibility study on the potential to promote a domestic biogas market development programme in Kenya between the principal stakeholders that developed the Africa-wide initiative on biogas, project donor, internal staff across 3 countries, and specialist subcontractors in Kenya. As well as developing and undertaking participatory qualitative research in Kenya, I ensured that project reporting was completed to a high standard, and that Kenyan stakeholders were provided with a platform to participate fully in the ongoing process. I also supported a team to develop and implement a biogas feasibility study in Sudan. I provided technical assistance and research support to implementing agencies in Mozambique and Tanzania, and management monitoring support for the Netherlands Climate Assistance Programme which was focused on adaptation to climate change within the context of poverty alleviation. I lead a Mozambican team of researchers to qualitatively investigate vulnerability to climate change in farming and fishing communities in Maputo province in 2006. I was responsible for writing proposals for future projects, developing strategic plans in collaboration with country partners and delivering and presenting results to government ministries, donors, and other interested parties both at national and international level. I provided regular progress reports, keeping web-based project management database updated, and ensuring good lines of communication between implementing agencies, management team, technical assistance and research teams. I supported 14 implementing agencies to develop posters on key adaptation priorities.

I supported members of the Newcastle User Carer Forum (NUCF) to develop and undertake participatory peer-to-peer qualitative research on crack cocaine and opiate dependency in the west end of Newcastle. I supported research design and piloted the research in Cowgate on a voluntary basis, as well as jointly establishing and coordinating a multi-agency steering / ethics committee to oversee the research. I also volunteered at the NUCF drop in centre that was open to all and supported substance users and carers to run the drop in sessions.

I was responsible for both desk and field research on the social scarcity of water in South Africa. Desk research focused on discourses that shaped multi-scalar water governance. Policy analysis concentrated on the application of these sometimes conflicting discourses, particularly the interface between formal and informal water management strategies employed by a range of stakeholders and actors. My field research followed a grounded theory approach and used situational analysis to elucidate the range of often conflicting perspectives and representations of a wide variety of actors and stakeholders from governmental to academic, to commercial and subsistence farmers and rural communities, the private sector, and NGOs. This included analysis of water legislation and policies governing pricing and access, and how these were implemented and experienced ‘on the ground’. I was responsible for compiling, and contributing to a bi-monthly newsletter that informed and integrated interested stakeholders in the project, as well as organising and participating in workshops and conferences.

I jointly led identification and project scoping missions to Mozambique, Yemen, and Zambia for the Netherlands Climate Assistance Programme. I led stakeholder consultations, supported implementing agencies in partner countries, and during international meetings and UNFCCC Conference of Parties (CoP). I also assisted in establishing and jointly coordinating an international working group to address the gendered impacts of climate change during CoP9 in Milan.