Professor James Downe
Professor of Public Policy and Management, Director of Research, Wales Centre for Public Policy
- downej@cardiff.ac.uk
- +44 (0)29 2087 5298
- 12 Museum Place, Cathays, Cardiff, CF10 3BG
- Media commentator
Overview
James is a Professor of Public Policy & Management in Cardiff Business School. He is currently on secondment as Director of Research at the Wales Centre for Public Policy. The Centre supports government and public services to access, interpret and apply evidence that improves policy making and delivery. His current research interests are in local government performance regimes, political accountability, sector-led improvement, public trust and the ethical behaviour of local politicians.
He has more than fifteen years' experience of conducting evaluations on local government policy for government and has published widely in journals including: Public Administration Review, Public Administration, Policy & Politics, Environment and Planning C: Government and Policy, Public Management Review and International Review of Administrative Sciences.
Biography
Qualifications
- PhD, University of Plymouth
- Pg. Dip Social Science Research Methods University of Plymouth
- BSc Politics University of Plymouth
Academic positions
- Professor, Cardiff Business School, 2017-
- Reader, Cardiff Business School, 2013-2017
- Senior Research Fellow, Cardiff Business School, 2008-2013
- Senior Research Associate, Cardiff Business School, 2003-2008
- Senior Research Fellow, Warwick Business School, 2000-2003
- Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Department of Politics, University of Plymouth, 1997-2000
- Research Assistant, Department of Politics, University of Plymouth, 1995-1996
Publications
We are currently unable to retrieve the list of publications. Visit our institutional repository.Current research
Transforming into Open, Innovative and Collaborative Governments, 2017-2021, European Commission Horizon 2020
Management Innovation in Local Government: An examination of shared senior management teams in English local government, 2016-2018, Cardiff Business School
Recently completed research
Evaluating the LGA Corporate Peer Challenge Programme, 2016-17, Local Government Association
Outcome Evaluation of the Local Service Board ESF Development and Priority Delivery Project, 2012-2015, Welsh Government
Process Evaluation of the Local Service Board ESF Development and Priority Delivery Project, 2012-2015, Welsh Government
Evaluation of Welsh Government funding streams to support regional collaborative working, 2014-2015, Welsh Government
The Regulation and Performance of Public Services, 2013-2015, Cardiff Business School
An Evaluation of Executive Arrangements in Local Government, 2014, Welsh Government
Identification of Best Practice in Joint Scrutiny arrangements across Wales, and the production of a Practitioners Toolkit, 2013-14, Caerphilly County Borough Council, Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council and Monmouthshire County Council – supported by Welsh Government
Evaluation of the Fire Peer Challenge, 2013-2014, Local Government Association
Coordinating for Cohesion in the Public Sector of the Future, 2011-14, European Commission Framework 7 programme,
Developing a Culture of Collaborative Scrutiny: an Evaluation of Practice and Potential, 2012-2013, Welsh Government
Evaluation of the Effectiveness of the Corporate Peer Challenge Process, 2011-2013, Local Government Association
Accountability, Efficiency, Improvement and Change in UK Local Public Services: The Role of Benchmarking and External Performance Assessment, 2012-2013, Economic and Social Research Council
Evaluation of the Scrutiny Development Fund in Wales, 2011-2012, Welsh Government
Evaluation of Welsh Government Policy for Local Government, 2008-2012, Welsh Assembly Government
Supervision
PhD supervision research interests
- Citizen engagement
- Collaboration
- Ethical behaviour of politicians
- Inspection of local government
- Political leadership
- Political management arrangements
- Social cohesion in the EU