About The Director

Professor Mark Evans is the Director of the ANZSOG Institute for Governance and Professor of Governance at the University of Canberra.

Mark is an expert in the study and practice of public sector governance. His track record of achievement in this area reflects his ability to: produce high quality research in governance related research; develop high quality professional development programs in public sector governance; facilitate strong academic communities in different academic cultures; develop effective research-centred collaborations across governments and sectors in different national cultures; harness the creative energies of partners in governance to affect progressive social change; facilitate high performance and innovation in research and policy; and build values-driven, financially sustainable organizations which deliver genuine public value.

Before taking up this role he was Professor of Government, Head of the Department of Politics and Provost of Halifax College at the University of York in the United Kingdom where he managed his department to a ‘5A’/’5’ ranking in the 2003 Research Assessment Exercise. During his time at York he played a key role in developing three research centres (Post-war Reconstruction and Development Unit; School of Politics, Economics and Philosophy; ESRC Alcuin Research Resources Centre) and establishing York’s seventh residential college – Halifax. He was also the inaugural coordinator of the World-wide Universities Public Policy Network.

Mark’s research focuses on: a) evaluating the role, real and potential, of policy transfer in institution-building in developed and developing areas; b) investigating the impact of New Labour’s constitutional reform project on institution-building in the UK; c) studying the nature and impact of administrative reform in developed and transition states; d) evaluating state policy responses to processes of globalisation; and, e) evaluating critical issues in Australian governance. The research theme that binds all of these areas together is his interest in public sector institution-building and processes of governance.

Mark is the author of four single authored books, two co-authored books and twelve edited collections and has published regularly in top ranked international journals including Public Administration and Political Studies. He has also been the editor of the ranked international journal Policy Studies since 2005. In addition, he has attracted over $20 million in research funding from the ACT government, the Al-Tajir World of Islam Trust, Austrade, the European Union, the UK Economic and Social Research Council, the National Water Commission, the Nuffield Foundation, the West Africa and North Asia Forum and the World Bank. Mark has been awarded honorary titles with Renmin University in Beijing China and the Universities of York and Hull in the UK and he has supervised 16 PhD theses to a successful conclusion.

Mark has also played an international role in supporting good administrative practices in public administration in developed and developing contexts as well as the reconstruction of public administration in war-torn societies. He has delivered training and managed evaluation projects on behalf of Ausaid, the British Council, Consortium of Humanitarian Affairs in Sri Lanka, the European Union, United Nations agencies, the World Bank, Consortium of Humanitarian Affairs in Colombo, Sri Lanka, and the West Asia and North Africa Forum, as well as government departments such as: Afghanistan’s Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development; China’s National School of Administration (now the China Academy for Governance) and Social and Economic Reform Commission and others; Kazakhstan’s Prime Minister’s Office, Vietnam’s Department of Labor and War Invalids; the UK’s Cabinet Office and departments for International Development, Work and Pensions, and Foreign and Commonwealth Office. He has also recently been engaged by both the Jordanian and Afghanistan governments to advise on the development of new schools of government.

The emphasis of Mark's work at the Institute is fourfold: the provision of state (particularly the ACT) and Commonwealth departments with strategic training and research support; the delivery of Executive MPA and short courses in designing public policies and governance and innovation; the convenorship of the ANZSOG Excellence in Local Government Leadership Program and the ANZSIG postgraduate certificate in public administration for the Department of Agriculture; and, the delivery of thought leadership events and problem-solving workshops for ACT and Commonwealth departments.

Recent applied research projects include evaluations of Austrade’s integrity systems (2011), the National Water Commission’s role in Australian water governance (2010-11), the Anglicare-ACT Home to Work employment program (2011), ANAO’s better governance guide (2010-11) and peer review of workplan (2011-12). Mark is co-convenor of the Governance theme of the University of Canberra’s Collaborative Research Network on Murray Darling Futures and Chair of the Research program for the Australian Centre of Excellence in Local Government.

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