Rachel leads policy reviews, strategy development and evaluation projects for government and not-for-profit clients. Rachel is a strong analytical thinker and adept at bringing clarity to complex policy challenges. She enjoys applying economic theory and using data in insightful ways to progress policy thinking and achieve better outcomes. Rachel works across a broad range of policy areas, including creative industries, health, justice, education and international trade.

Influential work:

• Developed a strategy and action plan to improve school attendance in Western Australia’s most remote and highly disadvantaged communities  

• Reviewed the funding approaches the Victorian Government uses to support sole traders, micro-businesses, and small to medium organisations in Victoria’s creative industries.  

• Held nationwide consultations and then redeveloped the decision-making framework used by the New Zealand pharmaceutical management agency to allocate subsidies. 

• Identified opportunities to incentivise Registered Training Organisation (RTO) excellence through the Standards for RTOs 2015. 

• Developed a strategic plan for a state government education authority. 

• Developed several successful funding proposals for a large philanthropic organisation, including in relation to justice reinvestment, corrections wrap-around support and health justice partnerships.  

Prior to dandolo Rachel worked as:

• an executive in the social policy group at the Victorian Department of Premier and Cabinet.

• the manager of the policy team at New Zealand’s pharmaceutical management agency

• a policy analyst on international trade and health policy and regulation.

• a budget analyst at the New Zealand Treasury.

Rachel has a Master’s in Public Administration from the Maxwell School at Syracuse University in New York, and a Bachelor of Commerce in economics and a Bachelor of Arts in political science from the University of Canterbury.