“Spring Impact is a global organisation with offices in the UK (London) and US (San Francisco). We also maintain a presence in Australia through our strategic partnership, led by Steve Fisher, Director of Community Works. Community Works is based in Melbourne and works with organisations that promote social and economic development.” 

Steve Fisher heads up our Australian office and has worked in international development programs in the non-government and private sectors for the last twenty-five years, with most of his experience being in remote Australia, Asia and Latin America. Steve specialises in community development, social service design and improvement, appropriate technology and small enterprise. He has technical, graduate and post-graduate qualifications in civil engineering, international development and management.

Steve has been a senior manager of several successful for- and non-profit organisations since 1997 including BasicNeeds, Ninti One, Practical Action, Centre for Appropriate Technology and Community Works. He is a board member of RemoteBiz and the Colombian Children’s Foundation and a member of three advisory panels to the Australian Aid program. Steve coordinates and teaches the Masters programs in Development Practice and Indigenous Perspectives on Development at Melbourne University and teaches the Masters subject on Cross-Cultural Conflict Resolution at James Cook University. He is a fluent speaker and writer of Spanish.

Areas of interest:

• Social service design and development
• Small and micro enterprise initiatives
• Mental health and disability programs
• Scaling projects for indigenous peoples or in remote and rural locations

Published work highlights:

• Operations Handbook for Rangoonwala Community Centres. Rangoonwala Foundation (India) Trust, 2015.
• Social Enterprise Models for Latin America. Report to the Dept of Foreign Affairs and Trade, 2014 (with Maria Rodrigues and Victor Fisher).
• More than a drop in the ocean; how can effective remote services be replicated ? Ninti One working paper, 2011 (with Fay Rola-Rubzen).
• Breaking the Cycle of Alcohol Abuse in Communities in Far-West South Australia. Ninti One for the Dept. of Prime Minister and Cabinet, 2014 (with Tammy Abbott).
• Survey of Potential International Partners working on young people, technology and wellbeing. Report published by the Young and Well Cooperative Research Centre, 2013 (with Jazba Singh, Maria Rodrigues and Helen Herrman).
• Social Media and Suicide Prevention. Report published by the Young and Well Cooperative Research Centre, 2013 (with Jo Robinson, Maria Rodrigues and Helen Herrman).
• Monitoring and Evaluation Methodologies in Remote Settings. Report to the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, published by Ninti One, 2012.
• Training for Impact; psychosocial care for communities affected by the Tsunami and other disasters. BasicNeeds publication on programs in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Indonesia, 2010.
• Model of practice for Mediation with Aboriginal Families in Central Australia (with Cheryl Ross and Don Mallard). Relationships Australia published manual, 2010.

Speaking highlights:

• Facilitator of workshop on ‘Scaling Social Development Projects’ for the Argentinian Network for International Cooperation, Australian Embassy, Buenos Aires, 2016
• Facilitator of community seminars for the Stronger Communities for Children Program, Northern Territory Australia, 2015-16
• Lead facilitator of the Global Learning and Reflection Event on Water and Sanitation involving 90 participants from 15 countries, supported by the Australian Government and managed by GRM, 2014
• Coordinator of the Masters Subject in Development Practice at Melbourne University
• Lecturer and facilitator of the Masters Subject on Cross-Cultural Conflict Resolution at James Cook University
• Co-facilitator for the Emerging Pacific Leaders’ Dialogue involving 150 participants, Vanuatu and Noumea, 2014
• Facilitator of the International Working Group of the Young and Well Cooperative Research Centre, 2012-14, plus the development of a major national multi-stakeholder consortium bid commencing in September 2014
• Facilitation of a range of workshop initiatives for Ninti One Ltd on remote economic development since 2008. Workshops focus themes include alcohol management, aged care, housing, income management, art industry development and pastoral industry research.