International Child Protection Adviser & Consultant

I support governments, United Nations agencies and other international and national organisations to strengthen child protection and achieve better results for children.

Just after retiring from UNICEF in March 2019, a friend sent me a photo of graffiti he had seen in his neighbourhood. It read: “Stubborn on strategy. Flexible on detail.” It captured my approach well: clarity about the change we are trying to achieve, while remaining adaptable to evidence, challenges and opportunities.

I have spent more than 30 years working in human rights and child protection across the United Nations, government and civil society. My experience spans child protection systems, justice for children, violence against children, harmful practices, child labour, children affected by armed conflict, alternative care and social service workforce strengthening, across development, humanitarian and fragile settings.

How I can help

My consultancy work includes:

  • Child protection strategy, policy and systems strengthening

  • Programme design and technical advice across major child protection issues

  • Research, evidence synthesis and policy analysis

  • Programme reviews and evaluation

  • Facilitation, consultation and strategic positioning

Current assignments

Alongside consultancy work, I contribute to international research and debate on the future of child protection. I am a member of the Editorial Board of Child Protection and Practice and Executive Guest Editor for the journal’s special issue The War on Children.

I am also a member of the HDPI Child Protection Reference Group, a global think tank examining what needs to change now in child protection and care to better meet the needs of children, families and communities over the next 10–20 years.

Awards and recognition

  • UNICEF Executive Director’s Award for Dedicated Service, March 2019

  • Certificate of Appreciation: Best Motivator, UNICEF Cambodia Staff Association, September 2018

  • First-class honours for my Master’s thesis, Child Protection in Development, University of Melbourne, 2008

  • Churchill Fellowship, 2002, to research juvenile justice practice in the United Kingdom, United States and Canada.