Lauren is an experienced project manager, with experience spanning policy design, development, implementation, evaluation and strategy. At dandolo, Lauren has led many projects across education, early childhood education and care, skills, health and the arts. Prior to joining dandolo, Lauren worked at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, both in Canberra-based roles and as a diplomat in Pakistan. She has also previously worked as a Research Officer for the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade, and has held various roles in not-for-profit organisations and research institutions. Lauren holds a Bachelor of Arts / Law from the Australian National University and a Masters of Law from Columbia University.

Influential work:  

• Supporting an expert panel to present a new vision for a state’s senior secondary school pathways

• Leading evaluations of three major government-funded STEM initiatives targeted at early years and early primary

• Providing research and advice on strengthening pathways to attract mid-career professionals into teaching

• Advising a place-based initiative on strategy, advocacy, monitoring and evaluation

• Providing critical friend advice to a national education organisation on how to measure organisational impact

• A rapid review of teacher-facing learning resources for a state education department

• A lapsing program evaluation of a curriculum-aligned STEM in schools initiative

• Working with a Commonwealth-funded skills organisation as its evaluation partner

• Evaluating a funding initiative aimed at improving wellbeing in schools

• Supporting two leading Australian arts organisations to develop organisational strategies