RA 6: Public Policy and Governance
RA 1
RA 2
RA 3
RA 4
RA 5
RA 6
Designing and evaluating policies through data, behavioural insights, and comparative perspectives to strengthen governance and public institutions.
RA 6 Leads
KCL
Dr Tomas Maltby
QMUL
Dr Garry A. Gabison
ICL
Dr Nerja Van Zalk
About this Research Area
This Research Area explores how governments and public institutions design, implement, and evaluate policies, and how these processes can be improved to respond to complex social challenges. A key strand of research addresses the growing use of machine learning, predictive analytics, and large administrative datasets in shaping public decision-making.
While these tools offer new opportunities for impact assessment and forecasting, they also raise significant ethical and practical questions, including issues of accountability, transparency, and bias. Complementing this focus, research in this area examines behavioural public policy, considering how insights from behavioural science can inform interventions that are both effective and equitable.
Harnessing health data to tackle inequalities, improve care, and inform innovation worldwide.
Comparative and global perspectives allow for analysis of how different states and systems influence citizen behaviour and deliver services, with attention to how outcomes vary across diverse populations.
The area also critically engages with the governance of public services, exploring how institutions can adapt to meet societal needs while promoting fairness and efficiency. By integrating empirical analysis with normative reflection, this Research Area contributes to the development of policies that are evidence-based, ethically grounded, and responsive to citizens, thereby strengthening the capacity of governments to address pressing social, economic, and environmental challenges.
Data Statement
Research Students
Doctoral projects in RA6 are expected to be grounded in rigorous research design and empirical analysis, while also exploring innovative methodological applications. Researchers are encouraged to use data reflexively, question dominant assumptions, and generate insights that contribute to more nuanced understandings of governance, development, and public policy outcomes.
