Empowering education and public sector organisations with strategic and governance expertise.
D & G collaborates with various education and public sector organisations to strengthen strategic oversight and support governance operations and initiatives.
We provide expert guidance in governance support, strategic planning, stakeholder engagement, and evaluation. Our evidence-based approaches ensure that organisations make informed decisions that lead to sustainable, effective outcomes. D & G supports clients in strengthening governance structures and processes while facilitating stakeholder engagement and change initiatives to create meaningful, lasting impact.
Services
Dedicated support on governance systems and operations for growing board effectiveness.
Embedding values and purpose into strategic planning processes aligned with inclusive practices.
Bespoke stakeholder engagement and communications to support increased collaboration and better outcomes.
Providing insights based on data and research to support evidence-based recommendations.
Who we are
We are a team of consultants who are highly experienced in public and education sector projects throughout New Zealand.
Founded in 2012, our boutique consultancy has built a reputation for providing strategic guidance to public and education sector organisations. We specialise in areas of governance support, strategic planning, stakeholder engagement, and evaluation, assisting our clients to make informed decisions that drive meaningful, lasting impact. Our consultants have deep subject matter expertise in areas of public and education sector policy, communications, data, and psychology, and our extensive networks enable us to support organisations in navigating complex challenges and strengthen their governance structures for long-term success.
Principal Consultant
Gabrielle is the Principal Consultant and Co-Founder of D & G Consulting. She established the firm in 2012 in response to the Canterbury earthquakes and the unique challenges faced by the education sector.
Recognising the need for expert support in rebuilding the education sector – both physically and pedagogically – she founded the consultancy to help navigate this critical period of change and growth. Since then, D & G has evolved to provide strategic guidance across governance, stakeholder engagement, and public sector initiatives. As the educational landscape has changed, so too have the projects Gabrielle has led from red zone development plans through to complex multi-stakeholder engagements and governance support.
Gabrielle completed her Ph.D. in 2010. She has a strong background in pedagogy, educational psychology, and organisational psychology, which she brings to various projects to drive evidence-based and sustained change.
Gabrielle is adaptable and strategic in her approach and has an unwavering commitment to creating tailored solutions for clients that support them through ever-changing environments.
Jordan Mayes
Senior Associate
​Jordan joined D & G Consulting in 2018 to provide tailored support in strategic and research-based initiatives.
​
Jordan has an academic background in organisational, educational, and clinical psychology, as well as expertise in communications and data/statistics. He is particularly passionate about the applications of psychology and data in leading meaningful change and driving important decisions. His expertise in using research, data analysis, and communications inform projects to create meaningful outcomes for a range of clients and stakeholders. This includes large-scale community projects, redevelopments, governance support, professional learning and inquiry, and evaluations where multiple diverse stakeholders are engaged.
Jordan’s background in psychology has assisted with strategic and visioning projects within the education and public sectors, as well as in research and advocacy roles in wellbeing, diversity and inclusion. Since beginning in 2018, Jordan has led several projects with a research and evaluative lens to ensure solutions are bespoke and evidence-based.
Helena Avery
Helena joined D & G Consulting in 2021 to support a growing portfolio of projects and provide policy and communications expertise.
Helena’s expertise is in policy analysis, communications and project coordination to support strong, effective relationships and to create meaningful outcomes for clients. She has contributed to a wide array of projects across the education sector.
She is a recent Te Herenga Waka | Victoria University of Wellington Masters graduate where she explored school Board members' experiences to understand the relationship between effective governance, schools’ communities, and system-level patterns of inequity. Helena is strongly influenced by her background in public policy and sociology with a particular focus on community engagement and its value within policy solutions to complex social, cultural, and political issues.
Senior Consultant
Karyn Lynch
Karyn provides D & G Consulting with essential administrative and communications support.
Karyn is the virtual assistant for D & G Consulting, providing essential administrative and communications support for a number of years. She provides expert support across a number of areas and is often the first point of contact for various clients and stakeholders.
Her professional and responsive demeanour has made her an asset for supporting the operations of D & G Consulting and in covering large communication networks for a range of projects. This has helped support projects around strategic planning, recruitment, and stakeholder engagement.
Administrative Assistant
Dr Gabrielle Wall
Four Guiding Principles
D & G’s adaptable methodology is guided by four design principles, which allow us to tailor our solutions to fit the specific needs of each client and change project. These principles are:
Values
We develop an understanding of your values and incorporate them into the process and changes.
Collaboration
We cultivate organisational cooperation, which produces solutions all stakeholders accept.
Efficacy
We work within your timeframes and up to your expectations, without exception.
Innovation
We research new and emerging practices, allowing our clients to benefit from industry-leading insights.