expertise

GaiSheridan International Pty Ltd has access to personnel with experience of more than 30 years in Australian national government ministries, including the Ministry of Education, and in academia from several Australian universities.  The firm has direct experience in the development and management of international ODA projects.  

The firm is managed by Ms Gai Sheridan, and is a cooperative organization bringing together the experience of experts in education management and professional academics to undertake reviews and analysis of contemporary problems and issues in the development of higher education. 

The firm has core technical expertise across a range of areas and skills relevant to government policy and program design and management, including:

• high level policy analysis and development, proposal preparation and report writing for Ministerial and government level
• experience in strategic planning, in consultation with industry and community organisation representatives, for development and implementation of major new government reforms in employment and education fields
• extensive high-level experience in inter governmental liaison and negotiation and contract negotiation with a wide range of industry representative bodies and private enterprises (in relation to government funding for social services, labour market and education and training reform issues)
• extensive experience in education review projects to recommend on new policy options or major changes in policy and Sectoral governance
• experience in formal program evaluation, including development of evaluation plans, management of data collection, analysis and interpretation of returns and report preparation
• extensive experience in program and project management, including financial management, program monitoring and review for effectiveness and efficiency;  and
• successful record in issues leadership, team building and staff management.

The principal consultant, Ms Gai Sheridan also has formal training in project management, and has special expertise and experience in analysis of issues in project design and implementation, and report writing. 

The firm also has specialist expertise in ODA projects design and management .  The firm has staff who have worked in ODA for the last 12 years, since 1993.  The manager, Ms Gai Sheridan, was the manager of a government based multi-skilled and multi-functional unit established to bring public sector specialists with relevant current experience in education and labour market reform and policy and administration into ODA projects.  She has performed the following functions/roles in relation to projects across 20 countries:
                                     
Business Development Manager

• Developed a network of contacts in IFIs and Client Departments
• Prepared EOIs and Capability Statements for Government organisations
• Negotiated public/private business partnerships for projects
• As Bid Manager, led and coordinated the preparation of tenders for projects, including responsibility for the analysis of project specifications, conducting site research, designing and writing the project approach & methodology, and preparing project work plans and other charts
• Traveled to various countries for project research missions and
• prepared project proposals for identification and preparation contracts.

Project Manager/Director and Contract Manager

• Negotiated Head Contracts with the IFLs and with Client Departments
• Established sub-contracts for external personnel and/or project partners, including with local partners in clients’ country
• Developed and managed the project budgets
• Oversighted the mobilisation and off-shore establishment of project implementation teams
• Traveled extensively to monitor implementation, evaluate progress and negotiated project reorientation and changes together with contract variations where appropriate
• Successfully oversighted the completion of long term projects, all on time and within budget
• Contributed to project technical inputs and coordinated project papers and reports
• Negotiated a number of smaller sub-contracts for supply of personnel to other contractors for projects they managed.