Engagement Collaboration Specialist
Dr Piet Filet
I have had over 30 years working in natural resources and environmental management roles in State, Local government and NGOs, where my focus has evolved from a science specialist, to a strategic planner, to a science advocate and now as an engagement and collaboration specialist.
My experience has included working in remote locations as a grasslands ecologist, developing property grazing management strategies with skilled cattle managers, developing and implementing environmental interpretative programs for local communities, developing policy and planning outputs, building a shared vision with politicians on resource management issues. Along the way using science information, strategic planning, motivating and skilling colleagues with integrated approaches to environmental issues and by being an active participant in regional and collaborative planning teams I have experienced a breadth in ways to build a deeper understanding and awareness of complex water related issues.
As a result of the 2011 Queensland wide floods, I opportunistically built a consortium of interested professionals who are striving to better develop ways to design, implement and sustained flood resilience solutions in local communities. This type of network collaboration and shared learning through a “community of practice” approach has proved to be an ideal pathways for skills sharing among colleague from diverse disciplines and at all stages of a professionals career. The approach also opened up ways to bring Dutch and British flood and water experiences into the mix as a shared and motivating learning opportunity. The application of this technique to engage and activate water professionals was also used in projects in Myanmar and Indonesia, where the need to rapidly build holistic “water security” skills is vital.
Contact Email: p.filet@griffith.edu.au
