Iraq
I support timber and wood-product companies to develop practical PEFC and FSC Chain of Custody systems, strengthen timber legality and sustainability compliance, and prepare for increasingly complex market-access requirements. This includes EUDR due diligence obligations. I have more than 15 years of international experience across forest certification, timber legality, supply chain systems, programme management, and regulatory compliance. This includes over 8 years working directly with EFC projects and stakeholders across the Asia-Pacific region. My work has included projects in Indonesia, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Solomon Islands, and other challenging operating environments. Earlier in my career I worked with the United Nations, international NGOs, and non-profit organisations in post-conflict and post-disaster contexts. I have also worked in sectors including community forestry, conservation, illegal logging, livelihood development, disaster response, education, HIV/AIDS, and peace building/social cohesion. I focus on building workable systems that companies can realistically implement and maintain — not overly theoretical compliance frameworks that fail under operational pressure. My approach combines operational practicality with a strong understanding of certification requirements, donor accountability frameworks, and international compliance expectations. Areas of work have included: PEFC & FSC Chain of Custody and Sustainable Forest Management systems EUDR readiness and due diligence systems Internal audits and corrective actions Supply chain mapping and risk assessment Management systems and ISO implementation Training and capacity building Monitoring, evaluation, and donor reporting Financial and programme management Stakeholder engagement Through TimberChain®, I work with manufacturers, exporters, traders, and processing companies seeking practical support for certification, legality compliance, and market-access readiness.
Various roles including donor report writing, proposal writing. Sustainable Forest Management and Chain of Custody system development.
• Provided regional leadership and management for the UNREDD project focused on Sustainable Forest Trade in the Lower Mekong Region. The project was aimed at enhancing governance and addressing forest crime across five countries: Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam. The project aimed to promote sustainable trade practices to reduce pressure on forests and improve regional collaboration.
Supporting projects aimed at developing sustainable forest management (SFM) and Chain of Custody (CoC) certification through transparent stakeholder engagement. Wrote policies and procedures and developed SFM/CoC management systems. Conducted SFM/CoC and ISO training.
· Conducted a detailed bamboo market study for Climate Asset Management (a partnership between HSBC Asset Management and Pollination) focused on the investment potential of giant bamboo cultivation and processing in the Philippines, with particular emphasis on Mindanao. · Produced an evidence-based market analysis examining bamboo supply chains , production capacity, market demand, technical suitability, pricing dynamics, and barriers to sector development for institutional investment decision-making. · Assessed commercial opportunities across multiple sectors including engineered bamboo construction materials, timber substitution, biomass energy, biochar, pellets, and renewable energy feedstocks. · Analysed domestic and international market dynamics, import/export flows, pricing benchmarks, regulatory frameworks, logistical constraints, and long-term growth prospects for bamboo-based industries in Southeast Asia. · Evaluated technical and operational considerations related to bamboo processing, biomass conversion, boiler compatibility, carbon sequestration potential, and sustainable plantation development models. · Developed market projections, investment strategy recommendations, and risk analysis to support long-term plantation planning and offtake structuring. · Produced a full market study report, executive summary, presentation deck, and supporting data annexes including supply/demand modelling, pricing analysis, and carbon revenue considerations. · Worked directly with senior stakeholders to support strategic investment assessment in nature-based carbon and sustainable forestry sectors. · Delivered the assignment under a high-intensity consultancy timeline involving extensive desk research, market synthesis, technical analysis, and commercial evaluation across a rapidly evolving sector.
· Technical support to the Pacific Horticultural and Agricultural Market Access (PHAMA Plus) programme in the Solomon Islands to develop SITPEA Certification systems. · Assisted in strengthening timber certification management systems, operational procedures, documentation, internal controls, and compliance processes required for independent third-party certification. · Designed and delivered training and capacity-building activities for the Group Entity and group members covering PEFC Group Certification requirements, internal procedures, compliance obligations, documentation systems, internal auditing, and certification readiness. · Guided certification preparation activities including management system alignment, internal audit support, corrective action management, certification coordination, and close-out of non-conformities (NCs). · Worked directly with stakeholders to address certification findings and successfully support the organisation through the certification process to achieve PEFC Group Certification through Soil Association Certification. · Provided ongoing technical support beyond the initial assignment period to help close outstanding certification issues and strengthen long-term system implementation. · Participated in and contributed to final project and stakeholder workshops related to certification outcomes, implementation lessons, and operational challenges. · Contributed to broader DFAT-funded market access and sustainable forestry objectives through strengthening certified timber supply chain systems and export readiness in the Solomon Islands.
· Conducted end-of-project evaluation for two EU-funded resilience and humanitarian preparedness programmes (P4R and BeCapable) operating across 15 countries in Africa and Asia, with a combined project portfolio exceeding US$1 million. · Assessed programme performance against OECD DAC evaluation criteria including relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, impact, and sustainability. Led remote multi-country evaluation processes during COVID-19, including stakeholder interviews, virtual consultations, focus group discussions, survey analysis, and review of monitoring and evaluation data. · Evaluated organisational resilience, volunteer management systems, disaster preparedness planning, humanitarian capacity-building initiatives, and community resilience interventions across multiple VSO country offices. · Analysed EU Aid Volunteers (EUAV) certification systems, volunteer deployment mechanisms, safeguarding, security, and operational preparedness processes. Facilitated learning and knowledge-sharing processes between country teams, helping offices capture lessons learned, strengthen programme reflection, and formulate operational recommendations for future programming. · Produced evaluation findings, presentations, and final reporting for senior management, global programme teams, and donor accountability requirements. Applied mixed-methods evaluation methodologies including document review, qualitative interviews, stakeholder analysis, participatory approaches, organisational capacity assessment, and Most Significant Change (MSC) methodologies. · Assessed partnership development and coordination mechanisms involving government agencies, UN actors, NGOs, disaster management stakeholders, and community volunteer networks. · Evaluated how resilience and preparedness approaches were embedded into wider organisational programming, systems, and operational culture.
Main duties: 1) Overall responsibility for UNV Iraq’s strategic programme development and operational management of the Country Office including management of the UN volunteer cycle, 2) UNV Iraq country level representative taking the lead on UN Volunteer mobilisation, advocacy, and UNVs strategic programme partnerships with UN Agencies, Government and CSOs, 3) Represented and positioned UNV in UN and UNDP Country Team thematic task forces and strategic planning processes and forums, 4) Shared and managed knowledge through weekly UNV team meetings and monthly activity reports for UNV HQ and UNDP Country Office, 5) Oversaw the security of UN Volunteers (40 in Iraq). Key results and achievements: a) Provided technical guidance to regional Iraqi Government, UNDP Iraq and local NGOs to establish a volunteer management infrastructure platform and 3-year implementation strategic plan, b) Facilitated a significant expansion (100%) in the mobilisation of UN Volunteers, c) Led 5 successful collaborative events with UN Agencies, the UN Youth Ambassador and NGOs, promoting UNV’s global mandate and examining the role of volunteerism in achieving the SDGs, d) Implemented a web-based information management system for information sharing, and reporting for the UNV Iraq Office, e) Managed a US1.6M Government and UNDP funded youth project, and monitored and supported the recruitment of a dedicated Project Coordinator.