Coffey paid $4.9 million for 100 per cent share capital in GJS and paid £0.25 million ($0.42 million) cash and £1.75 million ($3 million) in shares for Libra Advisory Group. Both have been funded from existing cash reserves and have earn-outs based on performance over the next two years.
GJS has annual revenue of approximately $9 million and Libra has annual revenue of approximately £2 million ($3.3 million).
Both businesses will join Coffey International Development’s global team of approximately 1,500 development professionals.
Coffey International Limited managing director Roger Olds said: “The addition of these two businesses to Coffey International Development represents a strategic opportunity to address significant changes occurring in the international development services market.”
A significant part of Coffey International Development’s current business is in fragile states and post-conflict environments, providing stabilisation and recovery services such as:
- post-conflict and post-disaster governance and reconstruction
- conflict analysis mitigation and peace-building
- security sector reform
- justice reform
- strategic communications
- counter-terrorism and disarmament
- demobilization and reintegration.
“The UK Government has been the world leader in bringing together development, defence, and diplomacy (the 3Ds), and Libra has led the UK market in providing specialist consulting services for the 3Ds. GJS has been a key supplier in Justice Sector Reform and Rule of Law across many nations. Both companies have been key sub-contractors to Coffey and prime contractors in their own right, and have developed specialist reputations based on the extensive experience of their teams. Bringing these together creates a market leading capability globally which will further enhance the Coffey capability to deliver major projects.
“These projects are being created and delivered by our traditional aid clients, but there is also a new segment of government clients that are charged with stabilising communities using these new skill sets as opposed to conflict. Coffey is very keen to be playing a growing role in this new approach to global stabilisation,” Roger said.
About Libra Advisory Group
Libra Advisory Group is an international consultancy which provides policy, advisory and management services in security and justice sector modernisation and reform, stabilisation and conflict prevention for governments, development donors and multi-national organisations.
Libra works in a range of post-conflict, fragile and developing states, including those suffering high degrees of insecurity. The purpose to Libra’s work is to help governments, communities, international organisations and businesses to manage risk and promote security, justice and growth. Their services include: the design, implementation, management and review of security and justice sector reform programs, and providing expert input to stabilisation policy, planning and implementation.
Libra Advisory Group has approximately 10 core staff and 20 contract staff.
About Global Justice Systems
GJS is a global consulting and project management business specialising in development assistance to governments, major development agencies and other national-level clients in the areas of law, justice, policing and governance.
GJS was established in 2003 and currently fulfils assignments across the Pacific, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East from offices in London, Sydney and Perth.
Its clients include government and national organisations AusAID, the Australian Federal Police, the United Nations, Inter-American Development Bank, NZAID, DFID, the European Commission, World Bank, Asian Development Bank, International Labour Organisation, and the governments of Western Australia, Maldives and Syria.
Global Justice Systems (GJS) has approximately 25 full-time employees, and some 50 contract staff.
About Coffey International Development
Coffey International Development is one of the world’s most experienced and trusted international development consulting firms. Its clients include AusAID, DFID, USAID, the Islamic Development Bank, the European Commission, the Asian Development Bank, the World Bank and the United Nations, as well as domestic and foreign governmental ministries, departments and units and a number of foundations, universities, non-government organisations (NGOs) and private corporations.
Coffey International Development applies specialist knowledge and experience to solve some of the toughest development challenges facing communities worldwide.
Media contacts:
Diana Krause, Global Manager External Communications, Coffey
T: +61 3 9473 1300; M: +61 420 959 942; E: diana_krause@coffey.com
