Dr Patrick O’Connor
Dr Patrick O’Connor is a monitoring and evaluation consultant who deals with bringing best available science to evaluation in the natural resource management field. Patrick is a recognized expert in biodiversity conservation projects with extensive experience in the design, implementation and evaluation of market-based instruments such as those used in the Victorian Volcanic Plains conservation tender - PlainsTender. Patrick has a PhD in ecology and is a Visiting Research Fellow in the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Adelaide.
He continues to teach, undertake research and publish in a wide range of fields including plant ecology, monitoring change in terrestrial systems and in environmental economics (particularly related to market-based instruments). Patrick has undertaken a number of evaluation projects, including evaluation of the Daintree Conservation Initiative and the Cassowary Conservation Project in far North Queensland and a recent PSR on the Southern Emu-Wren and Fleurieu Swamps Recovery Project in South Australia.
Patrick founded O’Connor NRM with a small staff in May 2005 and now employs eight professional staff. Since 2005 he has worked with a wide variety of clients including the Australian Government, departments in 4 Australian State Governments and a range of regional bodies and NGOs. The majority of work is involved in evidence-based decision making from both the point of investment and in evaluation of outcomes.
Patrick also has an interest in how environmental scientists and managers communicate learning and is co-author of the recently published book ‘Writing scientific research articles: strategy and steps.’
More information about Patrick can be found on these websites
