Professor Janine O'flynn
Director, Crawford School of Public Policy, College of Law, Governance and Policy, Australian National University
- canberra, Australia
- +61 400 098 034 (mobile)
- janine.oflynn@anu.edu.au
Since 2023 I have served as the Director of the Crawford School of Public Policy, one of the world's leading multidisciplinary public policy schools, and the premier school in the Asia-Pacific region. Situated at the Australian National University, the Crawford School shapes public policy through excellence in research, postgraduate education, and policy engagement. We educate people who change the world, and undertake research that helps policy makers navigate an increasingly complex environment.
The Crawford School is a large postgraduate school, with approx. 1000 students, including 130 undertaking doctoral studies. With three main teaching departments, and sixteen research centres/institutes, the Crawford School offers a range of Masters level programs, and a growing portfolio of domestic and international executive education. Crawford also hosts three government-ANU collaborations - the National Security College, the Pacific Security College, and the Australia and New Zealand School of Government.
As Director of the Crawford School, I serve on the College Executive, working with colleagues to develop the new (est. 2025) ANU College of Law, Governance and Policy.
My academic expertise is in public management, with major research interests in public sector reform and relational dynamics. I have made major contributions to the field in areas such as public value, paradigmatic change, collaboration, government contracting, and performance. Most recently my work has focused on staking out the foundations of a human(e) government, and deepening our understanding of a more positive public administration. Alongside these areas, I have been exploring the intersection of public management practices and morality in areas of extreme complexity, and doing prospective work on future directions for the field.
My collaborative research projects have received several academic awards including: best articles in Public Administration Review and Review of Public Personnel Administration; the best book award at the Academy of Management (public nonprofit division); and several best paper awards at the Academy of Management. In 2025, I was honoured to deliver the Donald C. Stone Lecture at the American Society for Public Administration conference in Washington D.C. This was later published in Perspectives on Public Management and Governance (2025).
My most recent co-edited books are Pathways to Positive Public Administration (2024 ) and Research Handbook on Public Management and COVID-19 (2024). Both focus on complex challenges, and involved large groups of colleagues from across the world, providing global insight into big questions for the field.
I have served as an Associate Editor at Public Management Review (2022-2024), and as an Editor of the Australian Journal of Public Administration (2015-2021). Currently, I serve on several editorial boards: Public Administration; Public Management Review; Policy Design and Practice; Global Public Policy and Governance; Halduskultuur: The Estonian Journal of Administrative Culture and Digital Governance; and Australian Journal of Public Administration. Previously I have served on the editorial boards of: Public Administration Review; Journal of Teaching Public Administration; Asia Pacific Journal of Public Administration; International Journal of Public Administration;Journal of Public Affairs Education; Canadian Public Administration;and Journal of Management & Organization.
In education my focus has been on management issues in the public sector and the challenges faced by contemporary leaders in pursuit of public purpose. For most of my career I have worked with experienced professionals from across the world in both executive education and postgraduate programs and have been recognised for teaching excellence through various college, university and national level awards. As a public management expert with deep international networks, I have had the opportunity to provide expert counsel to a range of policymakers through advisory engagements and executive education program including in Australia, Chile, Bhutan, New Zealand, the United States of America, Vietnam, Canada, China and Singapore.
From 2021 to 2025 I served as an elected member of the Board of Directors for the Public Management Research Association. Between 2012-2018 I was an elected member of the Executive Board of the International Research Society for Public Management. In 2022 I was appointed to the Australian Capital Territory Institute of Public Administration Australia Council, and have represented the ACT on the National Council of the Institute of Public Administration Australia since 2024.
In 2022 I was elected as a fellow of the (US) National Academy of Public Administration and in 2013 I was appointed a fellow of the Institute of Public Administration Australia (VIC). In 2022, I was appointed by the Minister to the Advisory Board of the Victorian Public Sector Commission and served until 2025. Previously I was a member of the Advisory Board for the Australian Public Service Centre for Leadership and Learning (2018-2020) and a member of the Infrastructure Victoria Expert Panel on the Role of Infrastructure in Addressing Regional Disadvantage (2019-2020). Since 2021 I have been a member of the Centre for Public Impact Australia and New Zealand Research Committee, and co-chair the Research Committee.
In 2019, I was commissioned to co-author a major research paper to inform the work of the Independent Review of the Australian Public Service in relation to how commissioning and contracting could be done by the federal government: 2030 and Beyond: Getting the Work of Government Done. This work has helped to shape the reform agenda in Australia. In 2025 I was invited to join the Advisory Panel to oversee the development of a white paper ont he future of public service in New South Wales, developed by the Institute of Public Administration Australia (NSW).
Together my various activities across research, education and engagement seek to better understand how government works and to contribute to improving the outcomes of those activities.
My PhD focused on the introduction of competition to public services. My fieldwork was undertaken in the Victorian local government sector where radical reform was being undertaken, including the adoption of a compulsory competitive tendering approach. The thesis explored tendering processes, markets, and organisational aspects of reform. My PhD was supervised by Janet Walsh and John Alford and examined by George Boyne and Graeme Hodge. It was submitted in 2003 and conferred in 2004.
1998-2003 Australian Postgraduate Award with stipend.
1998-1999 Queens Trust Young Achiever Award to undertake study tour in the United Kingdom on the impact of local government reform.
My honours thesis focused on the employment effects of public sector reform, specifically the introduction of competition to the local government sector.
1997-1998 Kinsman Scholar awarded for summer research studentship to high achieving honours students.
1997 Australian Chamber of Manufacturers Prize for academic excellence awarded to the highest achieving student in the honours program: Department of Management and Industrial Relations.
1997 Australian Human Resources Institute of Australia Award for academic excellence awarded to highest achieving student in the honours program: Department of Management and Industrial Relations.
In 2025, I was appointed a Distinguished Fellow of the Australia and New Zealand School of Government. This is an appointment made by the ANZSOG Board in recognition of outstanding contribution to the School and to the public sector. Conferred in July 2025.
Since 2023 I have been Director of the Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University, one of the world's leading multidisciplinary public policy schools. In this role I lead a large postgraduate school with three departments, several partnerships, numerous research centres, several degree programs, and a substantial multidisciplinary PhD program. I am a member of the executive of the new College of Law, Governance and Policy (established 2025), and prior to this was a member of the executive team of the College of Asia and the Pacific where the Crawford School had been housed for 20 years. As Director of the Crawford School, I am a member of the ANU University Leadership Group. I take on the role of Acting Dean as required.
At the Crawford School I have taught our cross-program higher degree by research course Fostering Public Policy Research, I provide guest lectures in a range of courses, and deliver programs and sessions in our executive education portfolio.
My current position is a fixed-term leadership contract with the continuing (tenured) position at the completion of my term.
As part of my sabbatical leave in 2020 I was appointed as Visiting Professor at the Department of Public Policy, City University, Hong Kong.
Visiting position cancelled due to COVID-19.
From July 2018 to January 2023 I was Professor of Public Management at the Australia and New Zealand School of Government. This was an extended secondment (2018-2023) from the University of Melbourne where I remained Professor of Public Management. At ANZSOG, I was Academic Director of the Executive Master of Public Administration (Acting - 2019), led a review of ANZSOG's education programs and commissioned experts to a new curriculum as part of ANZSOG reform strategy. I was subject leader for Delivering Public Value in the Executive Master of Public Administration. During 2022 I held the position of Deputy Dean (Engagement) at ANZSOG.
Invited visitor in October 2017 to the Centre for Comparative Political Development Studies, Fudan University, Shanghai and co-chair of the 5th Public Governance Forum in Greater China on "Evidence-based Policy Making in Greater China and Australia".
I was appointed Professor of Public Management, School of Social and Political Sciences (Faculty of Arts) in 2013 and I held a joint appointment in the Melbourne School of Government from 2014. At Melbourne, I led the development of a cross-faculty Master of Public Administration program. I was the Director of the Master of Public Administration 2013-2018 and Director of the Master of Public Policy and Management 2013-2016. From 2015-2018 I was the Director of Education in the Melbourne School of Government.
During my time at the University of Melbourne I led the subjects Public Management; World of Public Administration (Master of Public Administration), and I co-led International Public Management (Master of Public Policy and Management); . I have delivered guest lectures in: Commissioning Public Services, World of Public Administration, and Administrative Challenges in Practice. I also oversaw the minor thesis for students in both the MPA and the MPPM.
I held a continuing (tenured) position at the University of Melbourne and resigned to take up a position as Director of the Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University.
In 2011 I was appointed as an Adjunct Professor on the ANZSOG faculty. ANZSOG is a consortium of university and government partners in Australia and New Zealand, providing education and research programs. My appointment at ANZSOG recognised several years of contribution including to the Executive Fellows Program and the Executive Masters of Public Administration, supervising student projects, and being a member of several reviews.
I was promoted to Professor at the Crawford School of Public Policy in September 2012. Prior to this I was Associate Professor/Reader (2012), Senior Lecturer (2010-2011) and Lecturer/Research Fellow (2008-2009) in the Crawford School. During 2007-2008 I held a joint appointment at the Research School of Social Sciences (Political Science) and the Crawford School of Economics and Government. From end-2009 to mid-2012 I served as the Director of Education at the Crawford School.
During my time at the Crawford School I led the subjects Case Studies in Public Sector Management (Master of Public Administration; Master of Public Policy); Government, Markets and Global Change (compulsory for all students); and People and Performance in Public Organisations (MPP). I also delivered guest lectures in: Managing Government Finances; Economics for Government; Research Design; Research Methods; and Social Policy and Service Delivery.
I held a continuing (tenured) position at the Australian National University from 2009 and resigned to take up a position at the University of Melbourne. My initial position was a fixed-term role.
As part of sabbatical leave I was a Visiting Fellow at the Research School of Social Sciences, Australian National University and also at the Australia and New Zealand School of Government.
I was appointed as Lecturer in 2004 and promoted to Senior Lecturer in 2007.
During my time in the School of Business and Government I led the subjects Public Sector Management (undergraduate); Public Administration (Master of Public Administration); and Public Administration at the Interface (MPA). I also delivered guest lectures in: Leadership, Innovation and Change (undergraduate); and Leadership and Change Management (MPA).
I held a continuing (tenured) position at the University of Canberra and resigned to take up a position at the Australian National University.
I was appointed as Lecturer in the Department of Management where I led the subjects Management (undergraduate) and Human Resource Management (Master of Management).
This was a fixed term position and I resigned to take up a role at the University of Canberra.
I was appointed as a Research Fellow (part-time) and worked with a team on the Programme for the Practice of Diversity of Management, funded by the Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs. The project involved working with a group of Australian firms to undertake research on diversity management and produce a range of resources for use in practice. This included an evidence-based business case, a range of business models, and several toolkits for managers.
This was a part-time, fixed term position while I undertook my PhD studies.
During my PhD candidature I undertook sessional tutoring which included designing tutorials, grading of assessment tasks, and student consultation. I was a tutor in: Industrial Relations Policy; Comparative Industrial Relations; and Organisational Analysis.
Included here are all prizes, awards and honours but a select listing of prominent esteem indicators. For a full list please see sections Service to the Field and Engagement Activities.
Invited by the President of the American Society for Public Administration to accept an appointment as a Pacific Partner of ASPA. Pacific Partners are distinguished scholars and practitioners appointed to build ASPAs connections with Pacific nations. Appointed July 2025.
Invited to join the Advisory Panel to develop a white paper on the Future of the New South Wales public service. Convened by the Institute of Public Administration Australia (NSW). The anticipated release of the white paper is early 2026 as part of the the IPAA NSW 90th anniversary celebrations.
Invited to present the Donald C. Stone lecture at the annual meeting of the American Society for Public Administration. My lecture, Human(e) Government: Charting a Positive Path in a Hostile World, was presented March 20, in Washington DC. I was the first Australian to deliver the Donald C. Stone lecture since it was established in 1995.
Awarded the title of Distinguished Fellow by the Australia and New Zealand School of Government Board in recognition of outstanding contribution to ANZSOG and to the public sector.
Invited member of the Capability Reinvestment Fund Evaluation Committee which considers applications for funding under the scheme to invest in the organisational capability of the Australian Public Service. This was a key tenet of the government's reform agenda. $6.5M in funding was allocated to nine projects. Appointed by the Australian Public Service Commissioner.
The ACT representative on the National Council of the Institute of Public Administration Australia. My term began in 2024. IPAA is the professional association for public servants across Australia, with the National Council having membership from each of the state/territory divisions.
Invited member of the National Centre for Place-Based Collaboration (NEXUS Centre) Foundation Partner Governance Group. The Governance Group provides oversight and supports the work of the Foundation Partner, bringing together leaders from a range of stakeholder groups including place-based backbone organisations, government, philanthropy, business, intermediaries, research, and community organisations, along with advisors from the Commonwealth Government and members of the Foundation Partner consortium.
This prospectus developed by NEXUS was the foundation of PLACE (Partnerships for Local Action and Community Empowerment) which was funded over $38M by the Australian government and philanthropy in late 2024. PLACE is a national organisation established to support community-led, place-based approaches to address social and economic challenges in communities and disrupt entrenched disadvantage.
Member of the Institute of Public Administration Australia, Australian Capital Territory Council. Appointed in 2022.
Elected member of the Public Management Research Association Board of Directors, serving from 2021 to 2025. [Maximum term allowed]
Ministerial appointment to the Victorian Public Sector Commission Advisory Board. I served on the board from 2022-2025, completing my term in July 2025.
I was Associate Editor for Public Management Review for an initial 2-year term. I voluntarily stepped down from the role in 2024, but remain on the Editorial Board. PMR is one of the leading journals in the field of public administration and management. Q1 in JCR, 5 year IF 6.3, ranked 6 in JCR 2024, ranked 3 in Public Policy and Administration on Google.
Nominated and elected Fellow of the United States National Academy of Public Administration. NAPA is an independent, partisan organisation chartered by the US Congress to provide advice on advancing government practice. Fellows include former politicians, career public administrators, prominent scholars, and non-profit and business executives. Thirty-five new fellows were elected to the Class of 2022 in recognition of their expertise in public administration. I am the second Australian to be elected as a NAPA Fellow. I was nominated by G. Edward DeSeve, former senior advisor to President Barack Obama and Dan Chenok, Executive Director of the IBM Center for the Business of Government.
Appointed member of the Infrastructure Victoria Expert Panel on the Role of Infrastructure in Addressing Regional Disadvantage. Appointed by the CEO of Infrastructure Victoria.
Awarded to the best article published in Review of Public Personnel Administration in 2019, for the article Managing Expectations to Create High Performance Government. Q1 in JCR, 5 year IF 4.8, ranked 11 in JCR 2024 on 5 year IF.
Member of the Advisory Board of the former Australian Public Service Centre for Leadership and Learning. Appointed by the Australian Public Service Commissioner.
Awarded to the best article published in Public Administration Review in 2016, for the article Effective Practitioner-Scholar Relationships: Lessons from a Co-Production Partnership. Q1, 5 year IF 7.3, ranked 6 in JCR, 2024, ranked 2 in Public Policy and Administration on Google.
Editor of the Australian Journal of Public Administration between 2015 and 2021. I served as Editor in Chief for the first two years, and then we rotated the EIC role between editors. JCR Q1 in sociology and political science/Q2 in public administration, A in the Australian Business Dean's Council list, 5 year IF 2.3. The AJPA is the journal of the Institute of Public Administration Australia, was first published in 1937, and is one of the oldest public administration journals in the world. During our editorship we substantially internationalised the journal and doubled the impact factor. Under the former Editor, I held roles as Associate Editor and Deputy Editor of the journal. During that time I curated the first virtual issues of the AJPA, including several which supported the IPAA Annual Conference.
An all-academy award for the paper that best meets the objectives of internationalising the Academy of Management. Nominee award presented at the Academy of Management annual conference in Philadelphia for the paper Enhancing Performance in the Australian Public Service: A Case of Co-Production.
Awarded to the best public/non-profit book published in the three years prior. Presented at the 2014 Academy of Management annual conference in Philadelphia for Rethinking Public Service Delivery: Managing with External Providers.
Awarded for outstanding scholarship in the fields of public and nonprofit management to the best paper from across the Academy of Management that examines the behaviour of public or nonprofit organisations. Presented at the Academy of Management annual conference in Orlando for Managing Expectations to Create High Performance Organisations.
Awarded to the best paper in the public and nonprofit division. Presented at the Academy of Management annual conference in Orlando for Managing Expectations to Create High Performance Organisations.
Nominated and appointed a Fellow of the Institute of Public Administration Australia (Victoria) in recognition of contribution to the field of public administration.
Elected to the Executive Board of the International Research Society for Public Management serving two terms from 2012 to 2018. [Maximum term allowed]
Nominated by the Australian National University for national award presented to Australia's most outstanding university teachers.
Awarded for significant and sustained contributions to the quality of student learning. The specific citation was: For empowering and assisting professional students to connect theory and practice meaningfully and assisting them to develop complex managerial decision-making and policy advice skills. All nominees are nominated by their university for these national awards. Prize of A$10000.
The university's highest award for teaching which is awarded in recognition of excellence in teaching, outstanding presentation skills, and broad and deep contribution to enhancing the quality of learning and teaching at the Australian National University. Prize of A$4000.
The College's highest recognition of teaching excellence. Prize of A$1000.
1998-2003 Australian Postgraduate Award with stipend to undertake PhD studies.
1998-1999 Queens Trust Young Achiever Award to undertake study tour in the United Kingdom on the impact of local government reform. [Now the Kings Trust of Australia]
1997-1998 Kinsman Scholar awarded for summer research studentship to high achieving honours students.
1997 Australian Human Resources Institute of Australia Award for academic excellence awarded to highest achieving student in the honours program: Department of Management and Industrial Relations.
1997 Australian Chamber of Manufacturers Prize for academic excellence awarded to the highest achieving student in the honours program: Department of Management and Industrial Relations.
Google Scholar Data as at 02 January, 2026. Full details at Google Scholar profile
| Summary | |
| Total citations | 6783 |
| Citations since 2020 | 2962 |
| h-index all | 32 |
| h-index since 2020 | 22 |
| i10-index all | 55 |
| i10-index since 2020 | 36 |
Google Scholar most cited (Top 10) as at 02 January, 2026
| Citations | Year of Publication | Author/s | Publication Type | |
| From New Public Management to Public Value: Paradigmatic Change and Managerial Implications | 2088 | 2007 | O'Flynn |
Journal article Australian Journal of Public Administration |
| Making Sense of Public Value: Concepts, Critiques and Emergent Meanings | 1066 | 2009 | Alford and O'Flynn |
Journal article International Journal of Public Administration |
| Rethinking Public Service Delivery: Managing with External Providers | 493 | 2012 | Alford and O'Flynn |
Authored book Palgrave Macmillan |
| Collaborative Governance: A New Era of Public Policy in Australia? | 302 | 2008 | O'Flynn and Wanna |
Edited book ANU Press |
| The Cult of Collaboration in Public Policy | 194 | 2009 | O'Flynn |
Journal article Australian Journal of Public Administration |
| The Future of Public Administration Research: An Editor's Perspective | 178 | 2022 | McDonald, Hall, O'Flynn, Van Thiel |
Journal article Public Administration |
| You Win Some Your Lose Some: Experiments with Joined-up Government | 149 | 2011 | O'Flynn, Buick, Blackman, Halligan |
Journal article International Journal of Public Administration |
| Where to for Public Value? Taking Stock and Moving on | 127 | 2021 | O'Flynn |
Journal article International Journal of Public Administration |
| Can Enhanced Performance Management Support Public Sector Change? | 118 | 2015 | Buick, Blackman, O'Donnell, O'Flynn, West |
Journal Article Journal of Organizational Change Management |
| Evaluating Outcomes in Health and Social Care | 115 | 2016 | Dickinson and O'Flynn |
Authored book Policy Press |
SciVal data as at 23 December, 2025. Full details at SciVal profile
| Public Administration (2020-2025) | |
| Field-Weighted Citation Impact | 8.36 |
| Citation count | 328 |
| Citations per publication | 46.9 |
| Share of publications in top 10% most cited publications worldwide | 71.4% |
SciVal highest Field-Weighted Citation Impact at at 23 December, 2025
| 2020-2025 | FWCI | Citations | Year | Authors |
| Rising to Ostroms Challenge: An Invitation to Take a Walk on the Bright Side | 28.4 | 74 | 2021 | Douglas et al |
| The Future of Public Administration Research: An Editor's Perspective | 11.47 | 91 | 2023 | McDonald, Hall, O'Flynn, Van Thiel |
| The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Public Administration: An Agenda for Future Research | 7.45 | 25 | 2024 | McDonald et al |
| Confronting the Big Challenges of Our Time: Making a Difference During and After COVID-19 | 6.95 | 69 | 2021 | O'Flynn |
| Where to for Public Value: Taking Stock and Moving On | 3.93 | 68 | 2021 | O'Flynn |
All metrics (e.g. views and citations) current as at 02 January, 2026 and citations as per google scholar
Pathways to Positive Public Administration: An International Perspective, Edward Elgar.
The book builds on the original positive public administration (PPA) article published in 2021 (Douglas et al) by 15 leading scholars in the field. A subset of these authors took the ideas forward into an edited collection which includes 57 authors from across the world. In developing the book, we set out important principles to guide us including a commitment to being truly international, to fostering the next generation of scholars, and to ensuring the book was open access. We invested considerable effort in building up potential contacts across the world, and ensured we broke out of 'the club' of countries and writers that have dominated public administration for so long. The book started with three editors, all senior scholars, and then expanded to include a fourth (Patrick Lucas) who was a PhD student at the time, and had been my research assistant. We held a series of interactive workshops where we adopted a developmental and inclusive approach, and held an in-person workshop alongside a major conference in Utrecht which gave us an opportunity to test ideas and showcase several of the cases that would appear in the book. We are proud to have 57 contributors from every continent, and to publish some authors for the first time, alongside other very prominent scholars.
Endorsements
Research Handbook on Public Management and COVID-19, Edward Elgar, Cheltenham.
Endorsements
Evaluating Outcomes in Health and Social Care (2nd edition) Policy Press, Bristol
Reviews
115 citations
Crossing Boundaries in Public Management and Policy: The International Experience Routledge, London.
Endorsements
111 citations
Rethinking Public Service Delivery: Managing with External Providers Palgrave, Basingstoke.
Winner of the Best Book Award (2014) at the Academy of Management, Public Nonprofit division.
Reviews
Book reviews
Endorsements
Several authored or co-authored pieces exploring aspects of the book appeared in the press and in professional publications. For example: Ethos, published by the Singapore Civil Service Commission; the Guardian (UK); The Conversation; Radio National (Australia)
493 citations
Collaborative Governance: A New Era of Public Policy in Australia? ANU Press, Canberra.
302 citations
All metrics (e.g. views and citations) current as at 02 January, 2026 and citations as per google scholar
Human(e) Government: Charting a Course in a Hostile World. Perspectives on Public Management and Governance. 8(3), 136-143.
Q1, 5-year impact factor 4.0; ranked 11 in public administration by Clarivate, 1106 views, 4 citations
Foundations for A More Human(e) Government: Reflections at a Transitional Moment, Australian Journal of Public Administration. 84(3), 457-462.
Q1 sociology and political science/Q2 public administration, 5-year impact factor 2.3. The article had 998 views. One of the top-5 most read articles of 2025.
The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Public Administration: An Agenda for Future Research. Journal of Public Affairs Education, 30(1), 11-27.
Q1, 5-year impact factor 1.9. 7.45 field weighted citation impact (2020-2025), 1327 views, 28 citations.
The Future of Public Administration Research: An Editor's Perspective. Public Administration, 100(1), 59-71.
Q1, 5-year impact factor 5.5, Ranked 5 in public administration on SJR, ranked 5 in public policy and administration on google, 178 citations, 11.47 field-weighted citation impact (2020-2024).
Featured in the special issue Celebrating 100 Years of Public Administration
Back to the Future: Reflections and Predictions. Australian Journal of Public Administration, 80(4), 647-651.
Q1 sociology and political science/Q2 public administration, 5-year impact factor 2.3, 3 citations.
Rising to Ostrom’s Challenge: An Invitation to Walk on the Bright Side of Public Governance and Public Service, Policy Design and Practice, 4(4), 441-451.
Q1, 5-year impact factor 4.9, 84 citations, 28.4 field-weighted citation impact (2020-2025)
Where to for Public Value? Taking Stock and Moving On. International Journal of Public Administration, 44(10), 867-877.
Q2, 5-year impact factor 2.5, 127 citations. 3.93 field-weighted citation impact (2020-2025)
Confronting the Big Challenges of our Time: Making a Difference During and After COVID-19. Public Management Review, 23(7), 961-980.
Q1, 5-year impact factor 6.2, 107 citations, 6.95 field-weighted citation impact (2020-2025)
Rethinking Relationships: Clarity, Contingency and Capabilities. Policy Design and Practice, 2(2), 115-136.
Q1, 5-year impact factor 4.9, 17 citations.
Managing Expectations to Create High Performance Government. Review of Public Personnel Administration, 39(2), 185-208.
Q1, 5-year impact factor 4.8, 60 citations.
Awarded Best Article in ROPPA for 2019; nominated for Best Article in Public Nonprofit division at the Academy of Management conference.
Performing What? Exploring and Expanding the Notion of Synecdoche in Performance Management Practice. Public Administration Quarterly, 42(3), 395-424.
Q3, 11 citations.
Measuring Policy Success: Evaluating Public Sector Reform in Bhutan. International Journal of Public Administration, 40(2), 115-125.
Q2, 5-year impact factor 2.5, 30 citations.
From Headline to Hard Grind: The Importance of Understanding Public Administration in Achieving Health Outcomes. International Journal of Health Policy and Management, 5(7), 439-442.
Q1, 5-year impact factor 4.7, 17 citations.
From Engaging to Enabling: Could an Asset-Based Approach Transform Indigenous Affairs?. Environment and Planning C: Government and Policy, 34(8), 1632-1651.
Q1, 5-year impact factor 3.1, 13 citations.
Effective Practitioner-Scholar Relationships: Lessons from a Coproduction Partnership. Public Administration Review, 76(1), 35-47.
Q1, 5-year impact factor 7.3, 96 citations.
Awarded Louis Brownlow Award for Best Article published in PAR in 2016.
The Promises and Pitfalls of Prime Provider Models in Service Delivery: The Next Phase of Reform in Australia? Australian Journal of Public Administration, 74(2), 239-248.
Q1 sociology and political science/Q2 public administration, 5-year impact factor 2.3, 19 citations.
Can enhanced performance management support public sector change?Journal of Organizational Change Management, 28(2), 271-289.
Q2, 5-year impact factor 3.4, 118 citations.
Public Sector Reform. Australian Journal of Public Administration, 74(1), 13-22.
Q1 sociology and political science/Q2 public administration, 5-year impact factor 2.3, 48 citations.
Looking to the Past and the Future of the Australian Journal of Public Administration. Australian Journal of Public Administration, 74(1), 1-4 .
Q1 sociology and political science/Q2 public administration, 5-year impact factor 2.3, 1 citation.
Accountability: To Whom, in Relation to What, and Why? Australian Journal of Public Administration, 73(4), 401-407.
Q1 sociology and political science/Q2 public administration, 5-year impact factor 2.3, 30 citations.
You Win Some, You Lose Some: Experiments with Joined-Up Government. International Journal of Public Administration, 34(4), 244-254.
Q2, 5-year impact factor 2.5, 149 citations.
Perspectives on the Capacity of the Australian Public Service and Effective Policy Development and Implementation. Australian Journal of Public Administration, 70(3), 309-317.
Q1 sociology and political science/Q2 public administration, 5-year impact factor 2.3, 34 citations.
Can Strategic Human Resource Management Enable Gross National Happiness? International Journal of Commerce and Management, 20(3), 232-245.
Journal renamed Review of International Business and Strategy in 2016.
Q2, 5-year impact factor 3.3, 27 citations.
A Blinding Lack of Progress: Management Rhetoric and Affirmative Action. Gender, Work and Organization, 17(6), 658-678.
Q1, 5-year impact factor 4.6, 76 citations.
The Cult of Collaboration. Australian Journal of Public Administration, 68(1), 112-116.
Q1 sociology and political science/Q2 public administration, 5-year impact factor 2.3, 194 citations
Making Sense of Public Value: Concepts, Critiques and Emergent Meanings. International Journal of Public Administration, 32(3-4), 171-191.
Q2, 5-year impact factor 2.5, 1066 citations.
Experimenting with Organisational Design in Bhutan: Tools for Reform and the Achievement of Multi-Level Goals. Public Administration and Development, 29(2), 133-144.
Q1 development/Q2 public administration, 5-year impact factor 2.5, 15 citations.
The Separation/Specification Dilemma in Contracting: The Local Government Experience in Victoria. Public Administration, 86(1), 205-224.
Q1, 5-year impact factor 5.5, 47 citations.
The Skippy Saga, Australian Capital Territory Political Chronicles. Australian Journal of Politics and History, 54(2), 336-341.
Q2 history/Q3 political science and international relations.
The Skippy Saga: Dedux, Australian Capital Territory Political Chronicles, Australian Journal of Politics and History, 54(4), 657-662.
Q2 history/Q3 political science and international relations.
From New Public Management to Public Value: Paradigmatic Change and Managerial Implications. Australian Journal of Public Administration, 66(3), 353-366.
Q1 sociology and political science/Q2 public administration, 5-year impact factor 2.3, 2088 citations.
John Howard: The Great Privatiser? Australian Journal of Political Science, 42(2), 365-381.
Q2, 5-year impact factor 1.5, 39 citations.
From Public to Private: The Australian Experience of Privatisation. Asia Pacific Journal of Public Administration, 29(2), 151-169.
Q2, 5-year impact factor 2.1, 66 citations.
Release of the Coronial Inquiry into the 2003 Bushfires: Finally: Australian Capital Territory Political Chronicles. Australian Journal of Politics and History, 53(2), 330-336.
Q2 history/Q3 political science and international relations.
Deconstructing Jon: Australian Capital Territory Political Chronicles. Australian Journal of Politics and History, 53(4), 662-667.
Q2 history/Q3 political science and international relations.
Accolades and Brickbats: Stanhope's Anti-Terrorism Crusade, Australian Capital Territory Political Chronicles. Australian Journal of Politics and History, 52(2), 332-336.
Q2 history/Q3 political science and international relations.
The Struggle for Territory Independence: The Civil Unions Bill, Australian Capital Territory Political Chronicles. Australian Journal of Politics and History, 52(4), 684-689.
Q2 history/Q3 political science and international relations.
The Bushfire Inquest, Australian Capital Territory Political Chronicles. Australian Journal of Politics and History, 51(4), 622-627.
Q2 history/Q3 political science and international relations.
Australian Capital Territory Election Processes, Australian Capital Territory Political Chronicles. Australian Journal of Politics and History, 51(2), 322-326.
Q2 history/Q3 political science and international relations.
Human Rights in the Australian Capital Territory, Australian Capital Territory Political Chronicles. Australian Journal of Politics and History, 50(4), 636-639.
Q2 history/Q3 political science and international relations.
The Employer Perspective of Indigenous (Un)employment. Economic Papers, 22(4), 45-60.
Q3, 5-year impact factor 0.9, 22 citations.
Managing Through Contracts: The Employment Effects of Compulsory Competitive Tendering in Australian Local Government. Industrial Relations Journal, 31(5), 454-470.
Q2, 5-year impact factor 1.6, 42 citations.
All metrics (e.g. views and citations) current as at 14 November 2025 and citations as per google scholar
Examining Interpretive Theses: A Personal Reflection. In C. Enfield and H. Sullivan (eds.) How to Conduct Interpretive Research: Insights for PhD students and Early Career Researchers in the Social Sciences, Edward Elgar.
Emerging Perspectives: Positive Public Administration and Islamic Public Value. In W. Drechsler, S. Chafik, and R. Kattel (eds.) Islamic Public Value: Theory, Practice and Administration of Indigenous Cooperative Institutions, Edward Elgar.
1 citation.
An Optimistic state? Pathways to Positive Public Administration. In Lucas, P., Nabatchi, T., O'Flynn, J. and 't Hart, P. (eds.) Pathways to Positive Public Administration: An International Perspective, Edward Elgar, Cheltenham.
2 citations.
The Future of Public Management as we Emerge from the Acute Phase of COVID-19: Key Themes and Future Trajectories. In H. Dickinson, S. Yates, J. O'Flynn and C. Smith (eds.) Research Handbook on Public Management and COVID-19, Edward Elgar.
Introduction to the Research Handbook on Public Management and COVID-19. In H. Dickinson, S. Yates, J. O'Flynn and C. Smith Research Handbook on Public Management and COVID-19, Edward Elgar.
5 citations.
A Global Perspective on Public Administration? The Dynamics Shaping the Field and What it Means for Teaching and Learning. In K. Bottom, P. Dunning, I. Elliot and J. Diamond (eds). Handbook of Teaching Public Administration. Edward Elgar.
11 citations.
Public Service Markets, in K. Schedler (ed.) Encyclopedia of Public Management, Edward Elgar, Cheltenham
High-performance government. In Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Politics. Oxford University Press. doi: https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780190228637.013.1375
The Changing Nature of Work: Time to Return to Performance Fundamentals? in D. Blackman (ed) Handbook on Performance Management in the Public Sector, Edward Elgar.
2 citations.
A Test of Wills? Exploring Synecdoche and Gaming in the National Literacy and Numeracy Performance Monitoring Regime, in D. Blackman (ed) Handbook on Performance Management in the Public Sector, Edward Elgar.
2 citations.
Trajectories of Reform: Where (and Who) Are the Public Servants? in in H. Sullivan, H. Dickinson and H. Henderson (eds.) The Palgrave Handbook of the Public Servant, Palgrave.
Trajectories of Reform: An Introduction, in in H. Sullivan, H. Dickinson and H. Henderson (eds.) The Palgrave Handbook of the Public Servant, Palgrave.
Public Sector Reform and the Public Servant, in in H. Sullivan, H. Dickinson and H. Henderson (eds.) The Palgrave Handbook of the Public Servant, Palgrave.
3 citations.
Hybrids: Smart, Dumb, Solution or Problem?, in J. Koppenjan, P. M. Karré and K. Termeer (eds.) Smart Hybridity: Potential and Challenges of New Governance Arrangements Eleven International Publishing.
3 citations.
Economic Rent, Rent-Seeking Behaviour, and the Case of Privatized Incarceration, in D. Boonin (ed) The Palgrave Handbook on Philosophy and Public Policy, Palgrave.
2 citations.
Boundary Challenges and the Work of Boundary Spanners, in H. Dickinson, C. Needham, C. Mangan, and H. Sullivan (eds.) (Re) Imagining the Future Public Service Workforce, Springer.
17 citations.
Lessons from the Experience of Australian Public Sector Reform, in I. Aninat, and S. Razmilic (eds), Un Estado para la Ciudadanía. Estudios para su modernización [A State for Citizenship: Studies in Modernization], Centro de Estudios Públicos [Center for Public Studies), Santiago, Chile. (Spanish only; English version available on request).
5 citations.
Performance Management as a Strategic Tool for Change, in B. Ran and S. Teo Human Capital Management Research: Influencing Practice and Process Information Age Publishing, Charlotte, NC, pp. 169-182.
5 citations.
Making Sense of Public Value: Concepts, Critiques and Emergent Meanings, in B. Guy Peters and Jon Pierre (eds.) Public Administration Sage, volume 3, chapter 45, pp. 305-324. Reprinted from: International Journal of Public Administration 32(3-4).
1066 citations [original journal article].
Australia: Building Policy Capacity for Managing Wicked Policy Problems, in A. Massey and K. Johnstone (eds.) The International Handbook of Public Management and Governance, Edward Elgar, United Kingdom, pp. 341-368.
22 citations.
Performance Management: Creating High Performance, Not High Anxiety, in J. Wanna, H.A. Lee and S. Yates (eds.) Managing Under Austerity, Delivering Under Pressure: Performance and Productivity in Public Service ANU Press, Canberra, pp. 79-102.
40 citations.
Crossing Boundaries in Public Management and Policy: An Introduction, in J. O'Flynn, D. Blackman and J. Halligan (eds.) Crossing Boundaries in Public Management and Policy: The International Experience Routledge, London, pp. 3-10.
4 citations.
O’Flynn, J. (2014) Crossing Boundaries: The Fundamental Questions in Public Management and Policy, in J. O'Flynn, D. Blackman and J. Halligan (eds.) Crossing Boundaries in Public Management and Policy: The International Experience Routledge, London, pp. 11-44.
61 citations.
Crossing Boundaries in Public Management and Policy: Conclusion and Future Issues, in Crossing Boundaries in Public Management and Policy: The International Experience, Routledge London, pp. 297-305.
2 citations.
Experiments with Joined-Up, Horizontal and Whole-of-Government in Anglophone Countries, in A. Massey (ed.) International Handbook on Civil Services Systems Edward Elgar, Cheltenham, pp. 74-101.
91 citations.
Elusive Appeal or Aspirational Ideal? The Rhetoric and Reality of the ‘Collaborative Turn’ in Public Policy, in O’Flynn, J. and Wanna, J. (eds.) Collaborative Governance: A New Era of Public Policy in Australia ANU Press, Canberra., pp. 181-196.
551 citations.
Enhancing Performance in the Australian Public Sector: A Case of Co-production. Presented at the annual conference of the Academy of Management and published in Academy of Management Proceedings doi: 10.5465/AMBPP.2014.181
Nominee for the Carolyn Dexter Award at Academy of Management
Managing Expectations to Create High Performance Government. Presented at the annual conference of the Academy of Management and published in Academy of Management Proceedings doi: 10.5465/AMBPP.2013.11
Awarded the Carlo Masini Award and the Charles H Levine Award at Academy of Management
Foundations for A More Human(e) Government: Big Ideas to Shape Our Future. Policy Brief, Issue 32, School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, The American University in Cairo, Egypt.
Charting the Course to Tomorrow’s Trusted Digital Services. IBM Center for the Business of Government, Washington DC.
I citation
Collaborating After Crisis: How Public Administration Scholars and Practitioners Can Work Together. Governing During Crises Policy Brief No.8, Melbourne School of Government, The University of Melbourne, Australia.
2030 and Beyond: Getting the Work of Government Done. is a research paper commissioned by the Independent Review of the Australian Public Service, Canberra, Australia.
16 citations
I was invited to co-author a major research paper to inform the work of the Independent Review of the Australian Public Service. The review sought to examine the capability, culture and operating model of the APS and to make practical recommendations to ensure the APS is ready, over the coming decades, to best serve Australia. The Panel commissioned six research papers via ANZSOG from leading academics and practitioners to provide a rigorous and independent perspective on public sector reform. Authors also invited expert reference panels to guide their advice.
The paper focused on the topic of commissioning and contracting and set out a model for the future in terms of how the APS could engage with others to get the work of government done, and deliver valued outcomes for all Australians. The recommendations focused particularly on the notions of strategic commissioning and system stewardship, with advice on how to improve current practice and build a bold approach for the future. The report drew heavily on my research over the 20 years prior, and combined this with practitioner insights from my co-author.
Policy Impact
Lessons from the Australian Experience of Public Sector Reform. Prepared for Centro de Estudios Públicos (Center of Public Studies), Chile. [Spanish]
Valuing the Community Sector: A Report. Prepared for the Community Sector Reform Council, Melbourne. [No public release]
Strengthening the Performance Framework: Towards a High Performing Australian Public Service. Australian Public Service Commission, Canberra.
Developing High Performance: Performance Management in the Australian Public Service. Australian Public Service Commission and also published as Crawford School Research Paper 12-09.
Produced one of several country studies commissioned by the think tank Centro de Estudios Públicos to provide a historical overview and analysis of public sector reform in Australia to inform their advice to the Chilean government on reforming the public sector.
Joint project with Helen Dickinson and Helen Sullivan to identify the various forms of value produced by the community sector in Victoria. Commissioned by the Community Sector Reform Council, jointly chaired by the Secretary of the Department of Premier and Cabinet and the President of the Victorian Council of Social Services. Report under embargo.
Multi-year joint project with Deborah Blackman to identify competencies of effective reformers.
Multi-year joint project with Deborah Blackman to develop initial tool to diagnose organisational readiness to undertake complex change. Read a report here.
Joint project with Fiona Buick, Deborah Blackman and Michael O'Donnell. A multi-year collaboration with the Australian Public Service Commission to design performance principles for the Australian Public Service. Read a report here.
Multi-year ARC Linkage project with Ann Nevile, Ian Marsh and Daniel Perkins (Brotherhood of St Laurence) - LP0990530, $66,690. Industry Partners: Brotherhood of St Laurence; Jobs Australia; Ace National Network
Multi-year ARC Linkage project with Deborah Blackman, John Halligan and Ian Marsh - LP0776807, $236,000. Industry Partners: Australian Public Service Commission; Australian Government Information Office; Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry; Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs; Department of Health and Ageing.
Selected examples
For the full list of articles please see my profile page at The Conversation. As at 02 January, 2026.
Most popular articles:
For the full list of articles please see my profile page at The Mandarin.
Big Challenges for Public Management in Australia. Management Matters, newsletter from the Public Management Research Association. 20(2), 2-4. Invited Essay.
Public Management after COVID-19. Management Matters, newsletter from the Public Management Research Association, 19(1), 4.
New Zealand: Whānau Ora Agile Government Case. Agile Government Center, National Academy of Public Administration, United States of America.
Australia Post Case Study. Agile Government Center, National Academy of Public Administration, United States of America.
Towards Positive Public Administration: A Manifesto. Working Paper.
Why Public Sector Leaders Need to Loosen the Reins on Their Staff. The Hub. Institute of Public Administration Australia (Victoria). May. Invited.
Productivity Paradox. Public Administration Today, pp. 8-9. Invited.
The Prime Provider Model: An Opportunity for Better Public Service Delivery? Social Policy Working Paper 18, Brotherhood of St Laurence, Melbourne.
All Praise Public Value? The Ideas, the Debate, and Some Applications. Guest Editor Introduction to special virtual issue on Public Value. Australian Journal of Public Administration.
5-year impact factor 2.3.
Some Practical Thoughts on Working Across Boundaries .Occasional paper #14, State Services Authority Victoria and Australia and New Zealand School of Government, Melbourne. Invited.
A Public Value Framework for Contractual Governance. PUBLIC, Issue 07, ESADE Institute of Public Management, Barcelona. Invited.
Corporate Attitudes to Indigenous Employment. HRMonthly, Australian Human Resources Institute, Melbourne, June.
The Diversity Dividend. HRMonthly, Australian Human Resources Institute, Melbourne, June.
Managing Through Contracts: The Employment Effects of Compulsory Competitive Tendering in Australian Local Government. Working Papers in Human Resource Management, Employee Relations and Organisation Studies Series, No. 3, Department of Management, The University of Melbourne, Australia.
Emba, Australian National University. Secondary supervisor. Commenced 2024. Merit in the Indonesian Public Service. Australia Awards Scholar.
Ms Gabrielle Lawrence, Australian National University. Primary supervisor. Commenced 2023. Lived Experience in Australian Public Policy Making. Sir Roland Wilson Scholar.
Ms Holly Noble, Australian National University. Panel member. Commenced 2025. Meaningful Performance Reporting in the Australian Public Service. Sir Roland Wilson Scholar.
Thaarramali (Mali) Pearson. Secondary supervisor. Commenced 2025 . Investigating the Application of the Australian Government's Budget Rules and Their Influence on Policy Making. Pat Turner Scholar.
Alfie Syarien. Primary supervisor. Commencing 2026. Australia Award Scholar.
On leave
Ms Eleanor Malbon, Australian National University. Panel member.
2020 Dr Primatia Wulandari The Embeddedness of Policy Learning in Reform-Oriented Policy Change: The Case of Indonesian Public Administration Reform . The University of Melbourne. Primary supervisor.
2020 Dr (Elizabeth) Chloe Duncan Implementing Breastfeeding Policy in Victoria: A Study of the Role of Discourse in Policy Implementation in Institutional Voids. The University of Melbourne. Primary supervisor.
2016 Dr Stephen Perryman Enacting ICT Strategy in Victorian Public Hospitals. The University of Melbourne. Second supervisor.
2014 Dr Lhawang Ugyel The Dynamics of Public Sector Reform : Implementation of the Position Classification System in Bhutan. The Australian National University. Primary supervisor.
2014 Dr John Butcher Compacts Between Government and the Not-For-Profit Sector: A Comparative Case Study of National and Sub-National Cross-Sector Policy Frameworks. The Australian National University. Panel member.
2013 Dr Herath (Soma) Jayatunge The Effects of Bureaucratic Power on the Policy Process: The Case of Sri Lanka's Poverty Reduction Policy. The Australian National University. Second supervisor.
2012 Dr Fiona Buick Organisational Culture as the Panacea for Joined-Up Working : the Rhetoric and Reality Gap. The University of Canberra. Joint supervisor.
2011 Dr Brent Jackson A Work Values Perspective of the Generation Y - Australian Public Service Employment Relationship. The Australian National University. Second supervisor.
2009 Dr Lisa Arnold The Devolution Revolution: The Effect of Human Resource Management Reform in the Australian Public Service. The Australian National University. Primary supervisor.
Selected Examples
Human(e) Government: Foundations for the Future of Public Administration and Management. Academy of Journalism and Communication, Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, Vietnam. October 29.
New Foundations for an Increasingly Hostile World. Invited presentation to the Victorian Department of Premier and Cabinet staff forum. July 23, 2025.
Human(e) Government: Charting a Positive Path in a Hostile World. Donald C. Stone Lecture at the American Society for Public Administration conference. Washington DC, March 28-April 2, 2025. (Invited keynote).
Academia and the Public Service. Masterclass session with the Australian Public Service Academy.
Innovation and Leadership at the Towards World Class Bureaucracy conference, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia, November 5-7. Joint conference of Asian Association for Public Administration (AAPA), the Eastern Regional Organization for Public Administration (EROPA), the Asian Group of Public Administration (AGPA) and the Indonesian Association for Public Administration (IAPA), with the Ministry of Administrative Reform of Indonesia, National Institute of Public Administration (NIPA), and Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM). (Invited keynote).
Vision and values. Presentation for the Australian Public Service Commission Graduate Development Program, Canberra, February 22.
Co-chair of the 2023 ANU Crawford Leadership Forum, Canberra, October 30-31. Arranging the program and hosting the Crawford Oration delivered by Professor Stan Grant.
The Role of Evaluation in the APS Reform Agenda, Australian Evaluation Society, Canberra, June 2.
Budget Beyond the Numbers, in conversation with Hon. Dr Jim Chalmers MP, the Treasurer. Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University, May 31. Podcast available here.
Confronting the Big Challenges of our Times: Reshaping the Government and Public Service Systems that Drive Community Groups Bananas. Invited Keynote Address, Communities in Control Conference, Melbourne, May 23. (Unable to attend due to COVID).
Outsourcing of Digital Government. Invited panelist for the Disruptive Ideas Seminar, Melbourne School of Government, University of Melbourne, November 8.
Public Value: Opportunities and Challenges. Invited Scholars Keynote Address, Public Service Accounting and Accountability Group, Annual Conference, Utrecht University School of Governance and Dutch GOAL Network, October 26.
Chaired seminar for the National Regulators Community of Practice Bias by Design: When the Design, Implementation and Enforcement of Rules Creates Disadvantage , with guests Professor Don Moynihan and Ms Sarah McDowell.
Expert interviewee for Government vs The Virus series developed by Professor Colin Talbot to explore how governments, and other actors, were responding to COVID-19. April 2020.
(In)Civility. Academy of Management annual conference. Invited to convene the Public Nonprofit Division plenary, Boston, August 9-14.
Where to for Public Value Research? Taking Stock and Moving On. Understanding Public Value workshop, School of Political Science and International Studies, University of Queensland, July 11-12. Invited presenter and workshop funded by the Australian Political Studies Association.
Getting the Work of Government Done: Thinking Differently About Commissioning and Contracting. Invited keynote, Australia and New Zealand School of Government and Chartered Accountants of Australia and New Zealand, Melbourne, June 11.
Miracles or Mayhem? Post-Election Policy Forum. Invited panel member, Sir Roland Wilson Foundation, Australian National University, Canberra, June 18. Listen to the Policy Forum podcast recorded after the panel.
The 21st Century Public Manager: Challenges, Skills, Training. Invited presentation and panel discussion, Public Management Research Association annual conference, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, Singapore, June 1.
A (Modern) History of Public Administration in Australia. Invited presentation, School of Political Science and Economics, Waseda University, Japan, March 2.
How Thinking about Misery and Misfortune Can Help Us to Bring Ethics Back into Public Administration and Management. Invited keynote, Australian Association for Professional & Applied Ethics Annual Conference, University of Technology Sydney. June 23.
Governing Multisectoral Action. Invited expert at workshop arranged by Johns Hopkins and UNICEF at Bellagio Rockefeller Centre. Invited participant; declined due to prior commitment.
Invited member of the Editors Panel, a conference event with editors of public administration journals, at the annual IRSPM conference, Hong Kong.
Integrated Governance: International Experiences and Challenges for Portugal. Portuguese Public Administrative Directorate-General for the Qualification of Public Workers and the Portuguese Forum for Integrated Governance, Lisbon, October 15-16. Invited keynote; declined due to prior commitment.
International Seminar on National Public Investment Systems. General Directorate for Public Investment, Ministry of Economy and Finance Peru, Seminar sponsored by the World Bank, Lima, July 5-6. Invited participant; declined due to prior commitment.
Strategic Public Management in Complex Times: Reforms, Relationships and Results. Invited public lecture, Civil Service College, Singapore, July 22.
Rethinking Public Service Delivery. Invited Departmental Seminar, Department of Premier and Cabinet, Victoria. March 27.
Innovation, Productivity and Delivery. Invited presentation, Cisco Public Sector Summit, Yarra Valley, February 17-19 .
Rethinking Public Service Delivery: The Leadership Challenge. National Public Sector Women in Leadership Summit, Canberra, December 3.
Rethinking Public Service Delivery. Invited Departmental Seminar, Commonwealth Department of Finance, Canberra, November 21.
Rethinking Public Service Delivery: Managing with External Providers. Invited Keynote, Jobs Australia Annual Conference, Sydney, September 25.
Performance Anxiety: Measuring Workforce Performance and Innovation from the Front Line. Invited presentation, ANZSOG Annual Conference, Brisbane, August 7. Co-presented with Deborah Blackman and Damian West.
It All Depends. Invited keynote for the Jeff Whalan Learning Group Alumni, Canberra, July 2.
Rethinking Public Service Delivery. Invited keynote, Hanover Welfare Services, Annual General Meeting, Melbourne, November 27.
Why Reformers Succeed and Fail. Invited presentation, L21 Public Sector Leadership Series, Sydney, October 16.
Developing High Performance: Performance Management in the Australian Public Service. Invited keynote, 14th World Human Resources Conference, Melbourne, September 25.
Developing a New Performance Management Framework for the Australian Public Service. Invited presentation, Government Performance Coalition, Washington D.C., April 24.
Does Working Together Always Work? Reflections on Joining up in the Real World. Invited presentation, State Services Authority of Victoria and the Australia and New Zealand School of Government, Melbourne, July 1.
The Degradation of the Professional Capacity of the Australian Public Service. Invited presentation. Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia, Canberra, November 8.
Selected Examples
Current
Previous
Co-chair of the conference selection committee for the Public Management Research Conference.
Committee member for the Leonard D. White Award for best doctoral dissertation in the field of Public Administration, for the Amercian Political Science Association.
Institute of Public Administration Australia (IPAA) Australian Capital Territory representative on IPAA National Council.
Chair of the committee to award the Best Book Award for the Public Nonprofit Division of the Academy of Management.
Chair of the Camilla Stivers prize committee, which selects the best article published in Perspectives on Public Management and Governance in 2023 and 2024.
Member of the selection committee to appoint the editors of Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory; ranked 2nd in SJR for public administration.
Appointed Associate Editor for Public Management Review with an initial term of 2 years.
Mentor of the Athena SWAN Supporting Talent & Enabling Talent (STEP) Program at the University of Melbourne. This pilot program is especially focused on mentoring women for promotion from Level C (Senior Lecturer) to Level D (Associate Professor).
Invited lecture in the subject Leadership in Public Services. Subject leader: Professor Catherine Durose, December 2021.
Elected to the Public Management Research Association Board in May 2021 and served until 2025. Member of several subcomittees.
Invited lecture in the subject Public Sector Management, Crawford School of Public Policy. Subject Leader: Dr Azad Singh Bali, March 2021.
Invited lecture in the subject Contemporary Challenges in Public Service Leadership, Cardiff Business School. Subject Leader: Dr Catherine Farrell, February 2021.
Member of the program committee for the Public Management Research Association Annual Conference, Hawaii.
Invited to Chair the Keith Provan Award Committee for the Public NonProfit Division at the Academy of Management, 2021-2022. The award is given annually in Keith Provan's honour for distinguished contribution to the field of Public Administration.
Invited guest speaker at the Ragnar Nurske Department of Innovation and Governance, Tallinn University of Technology, Estonia, focused on 2020 article Confronting the big challenges of our time: making a difference during and after COVID-19. December 2020.
Invited member of International Editor Panel, December 4th convened by the Institute for Global Public Policy (Fudan University), LSE-Fudan Research Centre for Global Public Policy, School of International Relations and Public Affairs (Fudan University). Journal editors included: Australian Journal of Public Administration, Global Public Policy and Governance, International Public Management Journal, Public Management Review, Public Policy and Administration
Invited guest lecture on public sector reform in the subject Public Administration and Democracy, School of Public and International Affairs, Department of Public Administration and Policy, University of Georgia. Subject leader: Professor Eric Zeemering. September 2020.
Virtual Meet the Editors session for early career researchers. This would normally be held at the International Research Society for Public Management annual conference in Finland. June.
Member of the program committee for the Annual Public Management Research Association Conference in Hawaii.
Hosted the opening plenary at the IRSPM conference and invited to participate in Meet the Editors panel for early career researchers. April, Wellington, New Zealand.
External member of the Review of ANU Academic Programmes on Public Administration: Graduate Diploma of Public Policy, Master of Public Administration, and Executive Master of Public Administration. Undertaken by the College of Asia & the Pacific for the ANU Academic Quality Assurance Committee.
Member of the judging committee for the Beryl Radin Award for best paper published in 2018 in the Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory.
Member of the Public Management Research Association internationalisation committee.
Invited to participate in the Meet the Editors panel for early career researchers. April, Edinburgh, Scotland.
Member of the program committee for the Annual Conference in Singapore.
Invited to participate in Meet the Editors Panel for early career researchers at the annual IRSPM conference. April, Budapest, Hungary.
Chair of the review panel for the five year review of Graduate Programs in Public Administration at Flinders University, Australia.
Elected At-Large member of the Executive Board of the International Research Society for Public Management.
Co-editor of the Australian Journal of Public Administration. Appointed in 2015 by the Institute of Public Administration Australia following a competitive selection process and renewed for additional term. Previously had been Deputy Editor and Associate Editor.
Selected Examples
Invited to join Advisory Panel for The Future of Public Service in New South Wales white paper. A landmark paper to be undertaking by the Institute of Public Administration Australia (NSW) as part of its 90th anniversary.
Invited member of recommendation panel for appointment of the Freedom of Information Commissioner, Commonwealth of Australia. The panel comprised two Commonwealth Government secretaries and the Australian Information Commissioner.
Speaker at the launch of the Pathways to Positive Public Administration book hosted by the Australia and New Zealand School of Government, featuring a panel of the editors and public servants from Aotearoa New Zealand and Australia. February. Video link.
Mentor for American Society for Public Administration Founders Fellows program working with the next generation of public service leaders. My mentee is Ms Addie Murphy, George Washington University.
Invited member of the Capability Reinvestment Fund Evaluation Committee, which considers applications for funding under the scheme to invest in the organisational capability of the Australian Public Service. This was a key tenet of the governments reform agenda. $6.5M in funding was allocated to nine projects. Appointed by the Australian Public Service Commissioner.
Australian Capital Territory representative on the Institute of Public Administration Australia National Council.
Invited member of the National Centre for Place-Based Collaboration (NEXUS Centre) Foundation Partner Governance Group. The Governance Group provide oversight and support the work of the Foundation Partner., bringing together leaders from a range of stakeholder groups including place-based backbone organisations, government, philanthropy, business, intermediaries, research, and community organisations, along with advisors from the Commonwealth Government and members of the Foundation Partner consortium
Hosted launch of the Policy Policy Handbook co-authored by Professor Glyn Davis, Secretary of the Department of Prime Minister and the Cabinet. May. In collaboration with the Public Services Research Group, UNSW Canberra.
Hosted the inaugural Annual Address on Public Sector Reform and in conversation with the Minister of Finance, Women and the Public Service. November.
Hosted address and in conversation Budget Beyond the Numbers with the Australian Treasurer, the Hon. Dr Jim Chalmers at the Crawford School of Public Policy. May.
Appointed member of the Institute of Public Administration Australia (ACT) Council.
Ministerial appointment to the Advisory Board for the Victorian Public Sector Commission. I served on the board from 2022 to 2025, providing advice to the Commissioner.
Invited to join the Centre for Public Impact Australia Research Committee which provides advice to the board on the research program of CPI, determines funding and approval for new projects, and monitors and evaluates projects. Appointed Chair of the Research Committee from June, 2023. CPI is Boston Consulting Group Foundation.
International subject expert invited to provide input into the Chartered Association of Business Schools’ Academic Journal Guide, UK.
Engaged by the Policy Profession, UK Civil Service to provide a review and evaluation of the Executive Master of Public Policy at the London School of Economics and Political Science. In collaboration with Catherine Althaus and Lisa Carson.
Invited to provide expert advice on the topic of stewardship to the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety, Australian Government.
Invited to participate in expert workshop with the Royal Commission into Victoria's Mental Health System, Victorian Government.
Appointed member of the Infrastructure Victoria Expert Panel on the Role of Infrastructure in Addressing Regional Disadvantage. Appointed by the CEO of Infrastructure Victoria, Michael Masson.
Invited member of the Advisory Board of the Australian Public Service Centre for Leadership and Learning. Appointed by the Australian Public Service Commissioner, Peter Woolcott.
Selected recent examples
2025
2024
2023
2021
2018
Selected recent examples of media engagement and mentions
2025
2024
2023
This section includes detail on courses taught since 2003, and student experience survey data (where available) from 2017 onwards. Student experience data covers teaching at the University of Melbourne, Australia and New Zealand School of Government, and the Australian National University.
I have also undertaken considerable guest teaching at the Australian National University, University of Melbourne, Australia and New Zealand School of Government, and for a range of international universities e.g Cardiff Business School, University of Georgia, Tallinn University of Technology, University of Birmingham.
Examples of executive education/professional development programs are also provided.
Responsible for the design and delivery of Fostering Public Policy Research, a 3-day intensive course. Compulsory course for all HDR students in the Crawford School of Public Policy, created in response to the School Review undertaken in 2017/2018. Delivery mode: face-to-face. Undertook all grading.
| Year | 2023 | 2024 |
| Enrolment | 9 | 20 |
Note that the low response rate means that student experience data is not available.
Responsible for the full design and delivery of Delivering Public Value, a 4-day intensive course. Compulsory opening course in the Executive Master of Public Administration at ANZSOG. Delivery mode: both face-to-face and online (during COVID). Participants are sponsored by their government and come from jurisdictions across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. Consistently the highest student evaluation scores at ANZSOG. Undertook majority of grading.
Mean score provided. Ratings are out of 5.0.
| Year | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 (online)* | 2022 (online)** |
| Enrolment | 111 (n=60) | 96 (n=66) | 94 (n=56) | 103 (n=40) |
| Student Experience |
4.5 -The subject overall met my expectations |
4.61 -The subject overall met my expectations |
4.86 - How would you rate Janine O'Flynn as a subject leader? |
4.65 - How would you rate Janine O’Flynn as a subject leader ? |
| 4.43- The learnings from the subject are transferable to my workplace | 4.52- The learnings from the subject are transferable to my workplace | 4.36 - How would you rate the overall student experience? | 4.35 - How would you rate your overall experience of the subject? | |
| 4.43 - The quality of faculty and guest practitioners met my expectations | 4.76 - The quality of faculty and guest practitioners met my expectations | 4.57 - The subject provided a valuable learning experience | 4.48 - The subject provided a valuable learning experience |
* survey questions changed
** due to technical error, the survey was distributed in August 2022, rather than March.
2019 - participant comments
2020 - participant comments
2021 - participant comments
2022 - participant comments
Responsible for full design and delivery of World of Public Administration, a 5-day Masters level intensive course. Compulsory opening course in the Master of Public Administration at the University of Melbourne. I undertook all grading. Delivery mode: face-to-face.
I taught this course from 2014 to 2018 with student enrolments of: 7 (2014); 8 (semester 1, 2015), 9 (semester 2, 2015).
Mean score provided. Ratings are out of 5.0.
| Year | 2017 | 2018 |
| Enrolment | 10 | 11 |
| Student Experience |
4.7 - Overall, this subject has been well-taught |
4.5 - Overall, this subject has been well-taught |
| 4.7- Overall, the experience gained through this subject has been intellectually stimulating | 4.5 - Overall, the experience gained through this subject has been intellectually stimulating |
2017 - participant comments
2018 - participant comments
Responsible for the full design and delivery of Public Management, a 6-day Masters level intensive course. A double-credit, compulsory course in the Master of Public Policy and Management at the University of Melbourne. I undertook all grading in most years, and shared grading in 2017 and 2018. Delivery mode: face-to-face.
I taught this course from 2013 to 2018 with student enrolments of: 47 (semester 1, 2013), 39 (semester 2, 2013); 57 (2014); 58 (2015); 55 (2016).
Mean score provided. Ratings are out of 5.0.
| Year | 2017 | 2018 |
| Enrolment | 40 | 57 |
| Student Experience |
4.7 - Overall, this subject has been intellectually stimulating |
4.45 - Overall, this subject has been intellectually stimulating |
| 4.7 - Overall, this subject has been well-taught | 4.4 - Overall, this subject has been well-taught |
2017 - participant comments
2018 - participant comments
Co-designed and co-delivered International Public Management, a 5-day Masters level intensive course in collaboration with the University of Birmingham. The course was delivered in Birmingham bringing together cohorts from both institutions to explore contemporary public management issues. A selective course for students enrolled in Masters level study. Shared grading with co-convenor. Delivery mode: face-to-face.
I co- taught this course from 2014 to 2015 with student enrolments of 12 (2014); 13 (2015).
Responsible for the design and delivery of Researching Politics and Policy, the required PhD workshop, across semester 1 and semester 2. I undertook all grading. Delivery mode: face-to-face
I taught this course from 2013 to 2014 with student enrolments of 19 (2013); 12 (2014)
Responsible for the design and delivery of Case Studies in Public Sector Management, a Masters level compulsory course in the Master of Public Administration. I undertook all grading for this course.
I taught the course from 2007 to 2012 with student enrolments of: 15 (2007); 26 (2008); 37 (2009); 31 (2010); 58 (2011); 56 (2012)
Co-designed and co-delivered the postgraduate course Government, Markets and Global Change, a compulsory course for all students in the Crawford School. I was the course convenor overseeing all aspects of the course, including coordinating all teaching and professional staff, preparing materials for workshops, and delivering separate assessment workshops for students.
I taught the course from 2009 to 2011 with student enrolments of: 195 (2009); 156 (2010); 118 (2011)
Responsible for the design and delivery of People and Performance in Public Organisations, a Masters level course in the Master of Public Policy. I undertook all grading for the course.
I taught the course in 2008 with student enrolments of 49.
Responsible for the design and delivery of the postgraduate course Public Administration, a compulsory Masters level course in the Master of Public Administration.
I taught the course from 2004 to 2007.
Responsible for the design and delivery of the postgraduate course Public Administration at the Interface, a compulsory Masters level course in the Master of Public Administration.
I taught the course from 2004 to 2006.
Responsible for the design and delivery of the undergraduate course Public Sector Management, a compulsory undergraduate level course in the Bachelor of Business.
I taught the course from 2004 to 2007.
Responsible for the design and co-delivery of the undergraduate course Management in the Bachelor of Commerce.
I co-taught this course in 2003.
Responsible for the design and delivery of the postgraduate course Human Resource Management in the Master of Management.
I taught this course in 2003, semester 1 and semester 2.
Executive Education and Professional Development (selected examples)
2025
2024
2023
2022
2021
2020
Education Leadership Roles
Academic Director (Acting) for the Executive Master of Public Administration, ANZSOG
Director of Education, Melbourne School of Government, University of Melbourne. Oversight of all postgraduate programs and strategic initiatives.
Program convenor for the Master of Public Administration, University of Melbourne
Program convenor for the Master of Public Policy and Management, University of Melbourne
Director of Education, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University. Oversight of all postgraduate programs, and strategic initiatives.
Education Reviews
Provided support to the Review Panel who undertook a review of the Executive Master of Public Administration at ANZSOG. Including undertaking longitudinal data analysis and reporting on student and alumni feedback.
Engaged by the Policy Profession, UK Civil Service to provide a review and evaluation of the Executive Master of Public Policy at the London School of Economics and Political Science. In collaboration with Catherine Althaus and Lisa Carson.
External member of the Review of ANU Academic Programmes on Public Administration: Graduate Diploma of Public Policy, Master of Public Administration, and Executive Master of Public Administration. Undertaken by the College of Asia & the Pacific for the ANU Academic Quality Assurance Committee.
Chair of the review panel for the five year review of Graduate Programs in Public Administration at Flinders University, Australia. This involved chairing the review, and then preparing the review report for Flinders.
Selected examples only
Leadership roles
2023 -current, Director, Crawford School of Public Policy
2025 - Acting Dean, College of Law, Governance and Policy - as requested
Committees and panels
Service examples
2025 - Hosted alumni dialogues in Australia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos
2024 - Hosted the annual Order of Australia Association Australian National University Lecture, A Possible World – Transforming Gender Relations for Sustainability
2023 - Co-convenor of the ANU Crawford Leadership Forum, Democratic Resilience and Renewal for the 21st Century. ACLF is university level event hosted annually. Hosted the Crawford oration as part of ACLF
Leadership roles
Committees and panels
Leadership roles
Committees and panels
Leadership roles
Committees and panels