Michael Burnside

Experience

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  Land and Marine PTY LTD

  Dec 2008 - Mar 2009

  Marine Research assistant
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  International Humanity Foundation

  Mar 2009 - Jul 2009

  Volunteer
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  The Oaktree Foundation

  Sept 2009 - Aug 2010

  Led 8 volunteers to conduct monitoring & evaluation of some of Oaktree’s projects in Papua New Guinea and scoped for new opportunities in the Solomon Islands. In addition, I organised and facilitated meetings with UN agencies, INGOs, and local NGOs. Conducted information sessions and speaking engagements upon return to Australia to share information and findings with Oaktree’s members. Working with some of the best young leaders from across the country, this role was the central coordination point which oversaw implementation of the 2010 Make Poverty History Roadtrip – a national campaign which brought together over 1,000 youth from around Australia to ask the Australian Government to play their part in ending extreme poverty.

  • MEAL Officer & Senior Mentor

    Feb 2010 - Aug 2010

  • National Operations Manager for the 2010 Make Poverty History RoadTrip Campaign

    Sept 2009 - May 2010
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  University of Melbourne

  Feb 2010 - Nov 2010

  Casual Academic

  Taught and supported the administrative delivery of "ENVS10001: Natural Environments", a foundational course that introduces students to natural environments, and the elements and systems that shape the natural world, including biodiversity and recreation management, primary production (agriculture and forestry), urban and regional land-use planning, environmental design (architecture and engineering), and global environmental policy.

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  GroundCover

  Mar 2011 - Sept 2011

  General Manager & Co-Founder

  Working with two others I established GroundCover, an organisation that works on environmental and agricultural sustainability in southern Ethiopia. GroundCover’s programme is a knowledge sharing platform which builds capacity of communities to tackle environmental degradation, improve local food security and nutrition, whilst also providing local schools with an income generating activity and valuable vocational skills appropriate to their rural setting.

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  Youth Food Movement Australia

  Sept 2011 - Nov 2012

  Campaign and Advocacy Coordinator (voluntary)

  Led campaigns and advocacy, including strategy, management of volunteers, and stakeholder relations, as well as supported operations and provided input and advice on the direction of the organisation.

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  The Salvation Army

  Dec 2011 - Mar 2012

  Case Worker

  Worked asylum seekers from Iran, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka who were placed in community detention. Assisted and supported them to carry out day-to-day activities, become comfortable and familiar with their new society, and to liaise with the (then) Department of Immigration and Citizenship.

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  University of New South Wales

  Jan 2012 - Nov 2012

  Casual Academic & Research Assistant

  Research assistant for a project investigating the long-term human history in Papua New Guinea; and taught GEOS 1701: Environmental Systems and Processes, a subject focussed on people’s interaction with the environment.

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  Pubocracy

  Jun 2012 - Nov 2012

  Co-Founder and Director

  Pubocracy is a social initiative started with the aim of encouraging public discussion and personal ownership of social issues. Thought provoking or funny conversation starters were printed on drink coasters which were sold to pubs and bars in Sydney and Canberra. We also facilitated networking nights, brainstorming sessions and “speed dating” for clients.

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  United Nations World Food Programme

  Nov 2012 - Nov 2013

  Food Security Officer

  • WFP appointed focal point of a joint UN & government technical team to design, implement, and mobilise resources for a multi-million dollar climate change adaptation, disaster risk reduction & sustainable landscapes pilot project.• Managed WFP’s civil society partnership for the Scaling-Up Nutrition movement by supporting, advising and building the capacity of a local partner to operate an effective community advocacy and awareness campaign.• Collaborated with government and civil society to author and create Ghana’s first National Nutrition Plan.• Government-WFP focal point for the Resilience to Climate Shocks and Support for Livelihoods program.• Coordinated WFP’s relationship with a variety of government ministries and partner organisations to ensure effective programing and logistics from conception through to implementation of several projects in northern Ghana, including the creating of a skills training and associated social safety net program for tens of thousands of beneficiaries. Show less

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  UNSW Australia

  Feb 2015 - Oct 2017

  Academic & Researcher (International Development)

  Taught (in both lecture and small class format) and supported the administrative coordination of five university courses in the Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences and in the Faculty of Science. Conducted research on a project to enhance machine-learning for the analysis of complex and protracted conflict events in Afghanistan.

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  Engineers Without Borders Australia

  Jan 2017 - Jan 2017

  Humanitarian Design Summit Facilitator

  Facilitated the learning experience of Australian student engineers in Indian communities; ensured meaningful community participation and culturally appropriate engagement to achieve humanitarian outcomes via a strengths-based approach using principles of human centred design.

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  Oxfam Australia

  Aug 2017 - Jan 2018

  Consultant

  Developed and designed materials and programs to be used in building the capacity of Provincial Women’s Councils and their members in targeted communities to enhance local capacity for disaster risk management and humanitarian response. The project ensures that women and girls affected by crisis lead, participate in, and benefit from relief and response efforts in disaster prone areas of Solomon Islands.

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  Office of Environment and Heritage (NSW)

  Oct 2017 - Apr 2018

  Policy Officer

  Provided policy advice and developed strategic policy for the Minister and OEH executive. Worked as part of a diverse team who engaged in whole-of-government policy formation, from conducting community consultation for the Aboriginal Cultural Heritage reforms through to legislative reform drafting, and associated engagement with the cabinet process.

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  UNSW Institute for Global Development (IGD)

  Apr 2018 - Nov 2020

  Senior Project Officer

  • Used project and financial management skills to deliver development and research projects across the Asia-Pacific in collaboration with academics from all disciplines. Projects included: photovoltaic implementation in health extension posts and sustainable energy mini-grids in remote island communities; infectious disease screening technology provision and training; and youth engagement and education via sport-for-development programs in drug and conflict affected communities.• Lead author for a book chapter on poverty in the Pacific in Securing Water, Energy and Food in the Pacific (forthcoming).• Cultivated institutional partnerships with international and Australian organisations to realise strategic mutual opportunities.• Organised and hosted the UNSW-Myanmar Development & Research Dialogue to progress existing relationships, establish new partnerships, create new opportunities, and generate research evidence to support sustainable development in Myanmar. • Hosted a symposium that brought together communities and government representatives from 12 Pacific Island countries to co-develop solutions to achieve resilient infrastructure and sustainable housing in the region.• Appointment as a member of the Australia-Pacific Climate Partnership Support Unit Expert Panel for Food and Water Security, managed by Palladium and the Global Water Institute at UNSW. • Delivered objectives under the Global Impact priority of the UNSW 2025 Strategy; provided strategy and fiscal management for budgets in excess of $1m dollars; and represented the UNSW’s development agenda externally to hundreds of stakeholders. Show less

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  UNSW

  Nov 2020 - now

  • Associate, Institute for Global Development

    Nov 2020 - now

  • Honorary Associate Lecturer, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences

    Nov 2020 - now
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  Global Ocean Accounts Partnership

  Mar 2021 - now

  Secretariat Manager

  The GOAP brings together a diverse range of stakeholders (national governments, intergovernmental organisations, research institutes and others) with a common interest to ensure that the values and benefits of oceans are recognised and accounted for in decision-making about social and economic development. The Partnership will achieve this objective by developing a shared technical framework for ocean accounting, coupled with collaborative capacity-building activities that support the development, maintenance, and ongoing use in decision-making, of ocean accounts that link together social, environmental and economic statistics. Show less

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  Sustainable Development Reform Hub

  Jun 2022 - now

  Manager - Programs

  Partnerships for sustainable development, environmental science & economics, recognising nature in decision-making, disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation, and zero-carbon transitions