Dr Chris O'Leary

Senior Lecturer

My profile

Biography

Chris is a political scientist with a specialism in public policy. He is responsible for managing a number of research projects, providing leadership on the design and delivery of research, policy analysis, and evaluation projects around public sector reform, and homelessness. He manages projects that involve multidisciplinary teams (often in collaboration with academics and practitioners) and mixed methods research methods. His interest in homelessness dates back to 1994, and he has completed a number of applied research projects for government, charities, and local authorities around the effectiveness of different policy interventions in addressing homelessness. Chris is particularly interested in using evidence to inform policy and practice around preventing and reducing homelessness.
More widely, his interest in public policy and administration is around policy termination and policy failure, and his published research examines both in the UK context. His published research also critically evaluates public service motivation theory, and he draws on Public Choice and ideas of expressive rationality and bounded rationality in understanding public policy and public administration in his research. He regularly contributes to seminars organised by the Adam Smith Institute and the Institute for Economic Affairs, and received funding from the Institute for Humane Studies during his PhD research.
Before entering academia, Chris has a successful career in policy analysis and research and as a civil servant. Chris is a former Chair of Housing in an inner London borough, former non-executive director of a large housing association, and former non-executive director of a regeneration company.

Academic and professional qualifications

PhD in Public Policy from King’s College, London (2015)

MSc in Public Policy from Queen Mary, University of London (2010)

BA in Law and Politics, Durham University (1991)

Expert reviewer for external funding bodies

I have peer reviewed articles for several public administration, public management, and public policy journals.

Expert reviewer for external funding bodies

In 2020, I was an expert reviewer for the ESRC ‘Governance after Brexit’ grant application. I have previously been an expert adviser for the Marsden Fund in New Zealand around homelessness and people leaving prison.

Membership of professional associations

I am a member of the Political Studies Association and am involved in the Social Policy and Politics specialist group.

Get in touch

0161 247 3478
GM440 Geoffrey Manton Building
Wednesdays 12 to 2 (please email to book appointment)

Impact

My research on homelessness from the private rented sector was launched in Parliament at an event jointly hosted by the APPG Homelessness and APPG Universal Credit.

Teaching

How I’ll teach you

I teach the introduction to public administration module and the housing policy module on the Master’s of Public Administration. I also teach Introduction to Methods in Political Science and International Relations, a core 1st year undergraduate module.

My teaching style is focused on knowledge, understanding, and critical evaluation. I use lots of small group work, heated debates, and problem-based teaching approaches.

Postgraduate teaching

I teach on the Masters in Public Admnistration on the Introduction to Public Administration and Economics for Public Policy. I also teach the Housing Policy optional module, which uses three case studies (homelessness, gentrification, and welfare reform and its housing impact. Through these case studies, I examine the relationship between policy and research, and between different areas of social policy.

Subject areas

Public policy making, public administration, rational choice theory, bounded rationality, Public Choice, partnering and commissioning, homelessness and housing

Supervision

I am lead supervisor for two PhD students who are researching homelessness. 

Research outputs

Chris is interested in the purpose, design, implementation and effect of public sector reform, particularly in two areas - partnering/commissioning and homelessness. 

Chris is fascinated with current debate around evidence-informed policy and how this sits with concepts of complex adaptive systems, knowledge problems and fundamental uncertainty. Chris is particularly interested in what this means for policy makers and the policy making process. His research interests include the political economy of public policy, particularly how economic models can be used to understand policy change and the policy process. Chris is particularly interested in Public Choice models of bureaucratic behaviour.

My other research interests include the policy process around the formation and development of professions and professions regulation. Developing a theory of professions as economic institutions. The impact of institutional design on rational actors in the policy process. The limits of rationality, bounded rationality and impact of fundamental uncertainty.Chris currently manages and delivers a number of projects, 

Press and media

Media appearances or involvement

I regularly comment on homelessness and housing, and on commissioning of public services. My research on homelessness and welfare reform appeared in news reports in the Financial Times, Huffington Post, and The Sun.