Research by academics and associates

Research in the School of Government arises from our distinctive mission to build public sector capability through interdisciplinary teaching and research.

The School’s research programme contributes to the advancement and dissemination of knowledge in the broad fields of public policy and public management.

Our roles and relationships with the New Zealand government, and with the Australia and New Zealand School of Government, foster our interest in building linkages between theory and practice and promoting the exchange of ideas.

Individual research expertise in the School

Government and governance

Continuing public sector reform; the effects of austerity; networked and collaborative governance; the community and voluntary sector; global governance; the policy process.

Public management

Managing for results; strategy and policy; resource management; implementation and delivery; regulation; monitoring and evaluation; accountability and public value.

e-Government

ICT governance; regulation and governance of privacy; network governance; social marketing; online identity behaviour; social media and public engagement; service transformation; ICT-enabled public sector reform; open government; data innovation; data analytics; policy informatics.

Leadership and integrity

Integrative leadership innovation; anti-corruption and ethics systems; codes of conduct; Pacific Islands policy leadership; executive leadership; ethical leadership; initiative-taking; New Zealand’s involvement in the UN.

Effectiveness, sustainability and wellbeing

Studies in selected policy domains (such as climate change, child poverty, tourism, human development); policy capability; gender, poverty and economic geography; social enterprise; place-based leadership.

Political and management interactions

Minister–official relationships; prime ministers and advisors; political staff in executive government; workplace culture; human resource management.

Health systems and services

Evaluation of service reform; integrated care; contracting and accountability; health evaluation; hospital productivity; health behaviours. We do not encourage expressions of research interests in areas such as: clinical / treatment research (including dentistry); epidemiological research; research on smoking or environmental health issues.

Policy design and methodologies

Participatory policy analysis; evidence-based policy making; wellbeing indicators; Q methodology; policy implementation; policy experimentation; case-based learning.

Restorative justice practice

Policy and systems analysis – in justice sector, Corrections, police, education, social welfare, environmental disputes, tribunals and corporate governance; responsive regulation; workplace disputes resolution; transitional justice.