Author Archives: iancelliott

26/08/2020
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JUC Public Administration Committee

Researching COVID-19

Coronavirus, or Covid-19, has dominated the news headlines for most of 2020. It has affected every country, every community, everyone. The impact is likely to last for years. What can academia offer in the face of this global public health disaster?

I was honoured to be included, in my role as PAC Chair, in the below discussion on the UK Government response to Covid-19 earlier this year.

cc BRITISH PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION EXCHANGE

Following this discussion the co-editors of our esteemed academic journal, Public Policy and Administration (PPA), have set out seven key research themes where PPA scholars may contribute to our wider understanding of Covid-19. These are published in the October issue of PPA and available online now (Dunlop et al. 2020).

 Dunlop, C. A., Ongaro, E., & Baker, K. (2020). “Researching COVID-19: A research agenda for public policy and administration scholars”. Public Policy and Administration, 35(4), 365–383. https://doi.org/10.1177/0952076720939631

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20/03/2020
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Research Methods, Uncategorized

Conducting qualitative research via online platforms

Over the next few weeks I will be developing a number of resources on research methods to support some of my teaching. Given the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic many of these resources will be about online research methods. I am adding them here so they are publicly accessible for anyone else to use.

This Twitter thread highlights a number of references relating to online qualitative methods.

More recently this tweet by Dr Sophie Yates has identified an excellent Google Document listing a wide range of sources on conducting online research:

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17/03/2020
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Learning and Teaching, Social Media

Interview with Gary Bandy

This all started with a discussion on Twitter about one of the core texts on the MSc Strategic Leadership for Public Services programme.

I added the author, Gary Bandy, into one of my comments in the thread and after some more discussion Gary kindly agreed to do a short recorded video with me. Unfortunately my webcam cut out half way through the interview. Clearly our tech is going to be challenged over the next few weeks!

This video interview is listed below.

Gary has a number of other online resources including an online school which can be found at https://courses.managingpublicmoney.co.uk . This includes a number of free resources including the free 5 questions to ask about your budget at http://bit.ly/budget5q

Over the last few days I have been developing resources to support online delivery of my modules. As the restrictions on travel continue we will need to do more to support each other via online platforms. If there is anything you think I could help with do get in touch – we need to work together more than ever right now and I’d be very happy to help.

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10/02/2020
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Public Services Governance

Some links and research on teaching of public administration

I’ve been really surprised by the response to a recent Tweet of mine about the state of public administration teaching in the UK.

This Tweet was stimulated by a brief conversation I had with an academic at another UK business school. They were raising the fact that public administration was not taught at their institution. This is a very common picture which has been researched widely within the UK public administration community. I’ve also heard anecdotal stories from academics suggesting that there is a hostility towards anything public sector related. One such story was that a senior academic was told not to even mention the words ‘public sector’.

This contrasts with my own experience. I work at Northumbria University where there is a long history of public administration teaching and research. Currently I teach on our MSc Strategic Leadership for Public Services programme and supervise three doctoral students who are all exploring issues related to the public sector. We also have one of the largest cohorts of public administration scholars in the UK. More on how we are leading the public administration revival here.

Debates around the nature of the subject often centre around the nature and legacy of New Public Management (NPM). This was a theoretical approach which suggested that business techniques could (and even should) be applied to the public sector in order to enhance efficiency and effectiveness. Many of the central arguments of NPM have since been debunked.

Yet issues related to the unique public service context are often not fully considered in teaching of business and management. This is despite the public sector making up c.17% of UK employment and c.35% of GDP. It also fails to recognise that the private sector needs an effective public sector to support the infrastructure, culture, society and people needed for business to flourish. At the same time many public services are themselves delivered by the private sector (and increasingly the Third Sector).

This is why the UK Learned Society for public policy and administration – the JUC Public Administration Committee – have called on the public service context to be a more explicit part of undergraduate business and management degree programmes: https://www.juc.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/PAC-Position-Statement-on-QAA-Subject-Benchmarks.pdf

I am continuing to research this issue. However, in the meantime please see the following references which list just some of the research that documents the history of UK public administration.

Some useful references:

Barbaris, P. (2012). Thinking about the state, talking bureaucracy, teaching public administration. Teaching Public Administration, 30 (2): 76-91. DOI: 10.1177/0144739412462232

Boyne, G. (1996). The Intellectual Crisis in in British Public Administration: Is Public Management the Problem or the Solution?, Public Administration, 74, 679-694.

Boyne, G. (2002). Public and Private Management: What’s the Difference? Journal of Management Studies, 39, 97-122. doi: 10.1111/1467-6486.00284

Carmichael, P. (2004). ‘Shackled to a Corpse?’ – A Reply to Howard Elcock. Public Policy and Administration, 19(2), 8–12. https://doi.org/10.1177/095207670401900203

Chandler, J. (1991). Public Administration: a Discipline in Decline, Teaching Public Administration, 11, 39-45.

Chandler, J. (2002). Deregulation and the Decline of Public Administration Teaching in the UK, Public Administration, 80, 375-390.

Chapman, R.A.C. (2007), “Joint University Council and the background to public policy and administration?”, Public Policy & Administration, Vol. 22 No. 1, pp. 7-26.

Davies, M. R., Greenwood, J., & Robins, L. (1995). Public Administration Education and Training: Globalization or Fragmentation? International Review of Administrative Sciences, 61(1), 73–78. https://doi.org/10.1177/002085239506100106

Diamond, J, Liddle, J (2012) Reflections and speculations on teaching and learning in public administration. Public Policy and Administration 27(3): 265–277

Elcock, H. (1991). Change and Decay? Public Administration in the 1990s. London, Longman.

Elcock, H. (2004). Public Administration: Why Are We in the Mess We’re In? Public Policy and Administration, 19(2), 3–7. https://doi.org/10.1177/095207670401900202

Elcock, H. (2013). Local Government: Policy and Management in Local Authorities. London, Routledge.

Elliott, I.C. (2017), Verbal contribution to PSA/JUC Debate on the Future of Public Administration, PSA Annual Conference, University of Strathclyde, April 10.

Elliottt, I.C. (2018). Marking the 100th anniversary of the UK Joint University Council and anticipating the next… Teaching Public Administration, 36(1), 3–5. https://doi.org/10.1177/0144739418763847

Elliott, I.C. (2020). Organisational learning and change in a public sector context. Teaching Public Administration. https://doi.org/10.1177/0144739420903783

Fenwick, J., & McMillan, J. (2014). Public Administration: What is it, why teach it and does it matter? Teaching Public Administration, 32(2), 194–204. https://doi.org/10.1177/0144739414522479

Gray, A, Jenkins, B (1995) From Public Administration to Public Management: Reassessing a Revolution. Public Administration 73(1): 75–99.

Greenwood, J (1999) The Demise of Traditional Teaching: Public Administration in Britain. Teaching Public Administration 19(1): 53–61.

Greenwood, J. and Eggins, H. (1995) Shifting Sands: Teaching Public Administration in a Climate of Change. Public Administration 73(1): 143–63.

Hood, C (2011) It’s public administration, Rod, but maybe not as we know it: British public administration in the 2000s. Public Administration 89(1): 128–139.

Jones, A. (2012). Where Has All the Public Administration Gone? Teaching Public Administration, 30, 124-132.

Liddle, J. (2017), “Is there still a need for teaching and research in public administration and management? A personal view from the UK”, International Journal of Public Sector Management, Vol. 30 No. 6-7, pp. 575-583. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJPSM-06-2017-0160

Miller, K. (2012). The Future of the Discipline: Trends in Public Sector Management. In J. Diamond, & J. Liddle. (Eds.) Trends in Public Management: an Age of Austerity. Bingley: Emerald Group Publishing.

Raadschelders, J.C.N. (1999) A coherent framework for the study of public administration. Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory 9(2): 281–303. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordjournals.jpart.a024411

Rhodes, R, Dargie, C, Melville, A, Tutt, B (1995) The State of Public Administration: A Professional History, 1970–1995. Public Administration 73(1): 1–15.

Rhodes, R. A. W. 1996. ‘From institutions to dogma: tradition, eclecticism and ideology in the study of British public administration’ Public Administration Review, 56 (6): 507–16.

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03/02/2020
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Public Services Governance

Guest blog: Nicholas Parsons and the Osbornes and the Ackroyds

By Adrian Sinfield, Professor Emeritus of Social Policy at the University of Edinburgh and Honorary Fellow of the JUC.

I doubt if the many tributes to and obituaries of Nicholas Parsons who has just died at the age of 96 will recall his great performance working with Julian Le Grand and others in The Spongers, broadcast by Granada TV on 15 May 1989. The mock panel show had Nicholas as the compere with an assistant Pandora who opened magic boxes to reveal how much or little two couples and their children, the working class Ackroyds and the middle class Osbornes, gained in benefits from the welfare state across their lifetimes.  I used a 20-minute video of it for teaching on the social division of welfare on undergraduate, postgraduate and Erasmus/Tempus courses for years. It took account of not only state benefits but some tax reliefs and some occupational benefits. Nicholas kept bringing in Julian Le Grand as ’The Professor’ to tell us who was getting what, and to explain why.  By the end of their longer lives the Osbornes were shown to have gained more than the Ackroyds. It was ideal for one of the closing sessions of my course: it generated a great deal of amusement and much relevant, often challenging discussion.  Meeting past students now, they often recall that, if nothing else.

Julian told me that Nicholas got very engaged with putting on the show and came up with suggestions that sharpened it in a number of ways. In Good Times Bad Times (2015) John Hills built very successfully on it to discredit ‘the welfare myth of them and us’ including analyses of further generations of those two families, presented as case-studies set in italic.

By a curious coincidence I heard of Nicholas’s death an hour or so after discovering that HMRC is no longer publishing its annual lists of the costs of tax reliefs and expenditures first started after much campaigning in the late 1970s. That data was integral to the Spongers analysis and much used in my course.  Instead HMRC has released a Bulletin on the Estimated Cost of Tax Reliefs which presents each costed relief in a separate table and chart. Apparently they do not want us to add them up as this is misleading.  The Office for Budget Responsibility did so in its July Fiscal Risks report. One of its tables presented ‘policy motivated’ tax reliefs from 2005-06 to 2023-4 as a percentage of GDP.  OBR regarded them as ‘large in absolute terms – approaching 8 per cent of GDP – and also by international standards’. So HMRC has thrust one less visible, less accountable but quite considerable element of the social division of welfare further back into the black box.  I can only hope that the OBR, the National Audit Office and select committees challenge this. John Stewart’s biography of Richard Titmuss, out this year, describes the difficulties he had in 1955 and again later to get consideration of these issues.

Even more now, we need more programmes like The Spongers using the skills that Nicholas had to open up the full picture of who gets what, and why.

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24/01/2020
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My research, Public Services Governance, Scottish Approach

The Strategic State – a case study of the Scottish Government

There is growing interest, internationally, in developing more strategic forms of government. This is seen as essential in order to tackle complex challenges such as climate change, poverty and numerous public health issues such as rising levels of obesity.

In my latest research I explore how changes made within the Scottish Government around 2007-17 demonstrated the implementation of a ‘Strategic State’. Specifically these changes included development of the National Performance Framework, restructuring of the Scottish Government and significant investment in leadership development.

There are some key lessons from this research, particularly for small countries, in how strategic thinking can be fostered within government settings:

  • The importance of having an appropriate organisational structure to support strategy implementation.
  • The need for advocacy from political leaders to enable change.
  • The need for strong administrative leadership and a clear vision for change.
  • The importance of education and training of leaders at all levels of the organisation.
  • A long-term emphasis on culture change.

My research in this area is ongoing. Projects that I am involved in include aspects of health and social care integration, the nature of work in local government and the nature of distributed leadership in government settings. This builds on previous work which showed how the aspirations for greater community empowerment require investment in communities. In taking forward this work I am looking at recent developments such as the refresh of the National Performance Framework. If you think you could contribute to this research do get in touch with me.

You can read my latest publication here:

Ian C. Elliott (2020) The implementation of a strategic state in a small country setting—the case of the ‘Scottish Approach’, Public Money & Management, https://doi.org/10.1080/09540962.2020.1714206

Or you can view my full research profile here: https://researchportal.northumbria.ac.uk/en/researchers/ian-elliott(a915f572-1e7b-4812-9325-b2fce9fdd55f).html

Or simply get in touch! Click here to email me

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26/09/2019
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JUC Public Administration Committee

PAC Annual Conference – Closing Address 2019

Did you enjoy our annual conference? I hope you did! This year we had almost 100 abstracts submitted from delegates across 12 countries. It has been the largest and most international PAC Annual Conference in many years.

People often ask me why I do it. Why be Chair of the PAC? Why convene the annual conference? I know that the drive within academia is towards more and more instrumentalism – and the time it takes to do these things I could be writing research bids or journal papers. But I hope that you can see, having participated in the sessions, heard from Professor Barbara Crosby and Rt Hon Baroness Grey-Thompson, and had fun at the conference dinner, why I feel it is a great privilege and honour to serve as your Chair.

The Joint University Council is the UK Learned Society for pubic administration, public policy and social work. As such we have a very important position as the voice of the public administration community. We therefore have the ability to inform and shape the nature of our subject. At this conference there have been many great ground-breaking pieces of research presented but also three things that will help to shape our subject in the future:

1. The conference theme

We made the conscious decision to include marginalisation within the conference theme. This was in recognition that we need to do more to include aspects of marginalisation within our subject. And it was great to see some papers exploring issues related to BAME communities, LGBTQ+ issues and alternative methodological approaches such as post-structuralism and critical realism. For some time now public administration has been a marginalised subject – particularly within business schools. We are lucky that, at Northumbria University, the subject is valued but that is not the case for many of our colleagues and so we have an important role to play in both advocating for more public administration but also pushing the boundaries of what public administration is and who it involves.

2. REF Post-2021

Within the conference packs you will have seen our REF Post-2021 Position Statement. This was developed with the PAC together with colleagues from the special interest groups from the Political Studies Association (PSA) and British Academy of Management (BAM). The statement sets out how important public administration research is and how, in particular within the Unit of Assessment C17, it forms a large part of the submissions.

Policy and Research
Policy and Research
Policy and Research
Policy and Research

3. QAA Subject Benchmark Statements

Alongside our position statement on the REF Post-2021 we also have developed a position statement on the QAA Subject Benchmark Statements. Again this was developed with colleagues from the relevant special interest groups from the PSA and BAM. This statement highlights the importance of public services to the economy and for employment. In order to ensure undergraduate students, particularly those graduating with management degrees, are equipped for employment in the mixed employment it is important that public services feature more widely in management degrees.

All these developments highlight how public management and administration is changing. How many people are attending the conference here for the first time? I can see many new faces. You also represent change and by working together, within our learned society, you can play a role in shaping the nature of our subject in the future. We also have two new members of the PAC executive – Dr Karin Bottom is our new Vice-Chair for Teaching and Learning and Dr Russ Glennon is our new Vice-Chair for Research. We are growing and we are changing.

This leads me on to our doctoral researchers. On Monday we held our Doctoral Conference. It was well attended and I was incredibly impressed by the quality of the papers presented. Across the board there were excellent presentations. This made it a very difficult task for both Karin and I in coming to a decision on the Richard Chapman Prize for best doctoral paper. We judged this on a number of criteria including the currency of the research, how it contributes to the field, the quality of the paper and how it fits with the overall conference theme. It was a difficult decision and in the end we have awarded the Richard Chapman Prize along with two additional Highly Commended awards.

Winner of the Richard Chapman Prize in 2019 is Dayo Eseonu from University of Manchester for her paper on “Co-production as social innovation: new wine or new skin for the inclusion of “hard-to-reach” groups in service delivery’.

We award ‘Highly Commended’ to Sean McCulloch from Northumbria University for his paper on ‘Facilitating change from within complex systems: the impact of individual change agents in the NHS’ and to Emma Reith from University of Birmingham for his paper on ‘Research at the margins: the trials and tribulations of stepping outside of one’s disciplinary norms’.

The quality of these papers, and all those presented at the doctoral conference, represent how bright our future is as a subject. We are the only UK Learned Society to represent public administration and social work and it we have a vital role to play in ensuring that our doctoral researchers, early career researchers and academics at all levels are supported. We have a strong position in doing this. We have two journals: Public Policy and Management and Teaching Public Administration, we have our annual conference, we have successfully nominated REF panel members to both the Politics and Business Management panels, we have nominated fellows of the Academy of Social Sciences, we have nominated fellows to the JUC, we also provide funding and other support to those within our member institutions.

I am delighted to confirm that the two funding competitions – for a research seminar series and for a small research grant – will be announced to all member institutions very soon. We also have an opening for treasurer of the JUC. So there are lots of ways to get involved – please contact me or either of my Vice-Chairs if you would like to find out more.

Thank you colleagues for all your participation over the last three days. I will now hand over to Alistair Jones, from De Montfort University, who will introduce you to the PAC Annual Conference 2020!

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19/08/2019
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About Me

Two weeks to go!

Since April I have been raising money for Alzheimer’s Research UK. They fund vital research into the nature, causes and treatments for dementia. This is a cause very close to my heart as my mum is living with Alzheimer’s.

The Running Down Dementia Challenge is organised every year by Alzheimer’s Research UK. It’s a great challenge that anyone can do. Last year I signed up and managed to complete 250km over the five months (April-August) which was quite an achievement for me as I hadn’t ran for years before. This year I decided that I would push myself by doubling my target distance.

It certainly hasn’t been easy and I’ve learned a lot along the way. With only two weeks to go until then end of the challenge I thought I would share some of the key lessons that I have picked up from this year’s challenge.

Seeking help early

Midway through my challenge I got very sore and stiff Achilles and found it hard even walking down stairs. It was much worse than the normal aches I could get after a long run and was worried that it could be the start of a much bigger problem. My GP recommended that I go to a physio – I’m very glad that I heeded their advice.

Breaking it down into smaller chunks

The key piece of advice that the physio gave me was to run shorter distances but more often. They also suggested I try to slow down and maybe even go back to run-walk-run. Previously I had been trying to cover the distance over a maximum of 3 runs per week. This wasn’t a good strategy. So I changed my approach and ran 4 or 5 times per week but over shorter distances.

Finding time

Time seems to be an increasingly rare commodity. Juggling family life, commuting and work plus running 4 to 5 times a week has been challenging. But I had to find new ways to fit in mid-week runs. Running to and from work has been a big help in getting my mileage up – and it’s had the added bonus of giving me more energy and helping me focus throughout the day.

Having support

Along the way I have had a few set-backs but have managed to stick to my plan. This would’ve been much harder without the support of family and friends. My weekly Sunday run with a group of friends has been a real motivator to keep going. But more than that I’ve been motivated by the importance of raising funds to help tackle this terrible disease. Every time someone has donated it has spurred me on to run a little more.

On a run near Kinloch Rannoch

Over the last year quite a lot has changed but running has been a constant part of my weekly routine. It has made me healthier, happier and much more resilient. With this year’s challenge nearly over I plan to keep going and am already looking forward to the challenge next year. In the meantime I’m delighted to have raised over £300 and ran over 460km.

There is still time to donate. Any amounts are greatly appreciated. You can see my full progress and donate here: https://runningdowndementia2019.everydayhero.com/uk/ian-1

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10/05/2019
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JUC Public Administration Committee

Public Administration and Social Work at the Margins – An International Conference

The Joint University Council for the Applied Social Sciences (JUC) is holding it’s annual conference at Northumbria University on 17-18 September 2019. The theme of the conference is ‘Public Administration and Social Work at the Margins’. Find out more here: www.northumbria.ac.uk/JUC2019

Key features of the conference include:

  • The Frank Stacey Address delivered by Rt Hon Baroness Grey-Thompson, Chancellor of Northumbria University, former Paralympian and Crossbench Peer
  • Academic keynote on ‘Integrative Leadership in Tumultuous Times: Claiming the Center’ delivered by Professor Barbara Crosby, Humphrey School of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota
  • ‘Meet the Editors’ Lunchtime Session with Professor John Diamond (Teaching Public Administration) and Professors Claire Dunlop and Edoardo Ongaro (Public Policy and Administration)
  • Exhibition stands by academic publishers of latest books/journals and other publications
  • A social programme including walking tour of the Ouse Burn on evening of 16 September and conference dinner on 17 September.

The idea for the conference theme came about through discussion on the state of the subject of public administration and public management (particularly in the UK context). The subject area has been subject to significant challenge in the last 20-30 years and, alongside the alignment of public administration with Business Schools, there has been a slow and steady decline in the teaching of public administration and public management. This has left some UK scholars feeling marginalised within their own institutions and, more generally, within UK Higher Education.

At the same time the UK, and specifically public administration within the UK, is at risk of becoming marginalised within Europe. Brexit looms large over all aspects of public policy and administration. It also poses significant challenges for UK business which consequently may then have an impact on economic growth and tax receipts. The uncertainty around Brexit and continued economic slump may lead to ongoing austerity for years to come – placing UK public administration at odds with the rest of Europe.

Finally, questions need to be asked about the content, delivery style and assessment of public administration programmes such as MPA’s. Do they adequately address issues of marginalisation? How can universities best support public service organisations to address inequality in the context of ongoing austerity? Whilst politics is in disarray our public servants must continue to deliver good public administration and social work to some of the most vulnerable in our society.  As such we want to encourage submissions of abstracts that explore issues of race, gender identity, sexuality, variability and class.

In addressing many of these challenges collaboration and collective leadership is required. At Northumbria University we are leading a public administration revival through our research activities, including the 3PM Research Interest Group, and teaching of public leadership, including the MSc Strategic Leadership for Public Services. This conference marks a great opportunity for scholars and practitioners to come to our campus in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne to share the latest thinking on how our public services can work together to tackle inequality and challenge marginalisation. Find out more about the conference here: www.northumbria.ac.uk/JUC2019

Key dates:

  • Abstract submissions – Friday 31 May
  • Feedback on abstracts – by 30 June
  • Full papers due – 31 August
  • Conference walking tour – evening of 16 September
  • Conference start – morning of 17 September
  • Conference dinner – evening of 17 September
  • Conference finish – evening of 18 September

Submit your abstract now:
https://app.geckoform.com/public/?_ga=2.178698471.297039799.1557340916-551790689.1545312066#/modern/21FO0085pnoxur00ghisdbvlo9

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22/04/2019
3 Comments
MPA

Dr Peter Falconer

This is a hard blog post to write – which is why it has taken so long.

I knew Peter Falconer as a teacher, doctoral supervisor, colleague, mentor and friend. It’s incredibly sad to know that he has passed away having only just recently retired. I am writing this as a lasting tribute to his legacy and our friendship.

I first knew of Peter as an academic in public administration at Glasgow Caledonian University in the late 1990’s. I was an undergraduate and although not studying public administration one of my friends was – and Peter had a reputation as being quite a demanding lecturer. I later came to the conclusion that this image was misguided (more on that to come).

After my undergraduate studies I took up a PhD. The topic was based on research by Peter (with Stephen Bailey, Malcolm Foley, Gayle McPherson and Margaret Graham) on museums charging as well as his work (with Stephen Bailey and Stuart McChlery) on local government charges. My resounding memories of Peter as one of my supervisors are his always insightful feedback, his approachable style and his mini-fridge full of Irn Bru!

Towards the end of my PhD Peter took up the post of Reader in Public Services Management at Queen Margaret University and he made the move East to Edinburgh with his wife Maureen. The relocation to a house close to the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary proved grimly fortuitous as it was at this time that his health took a very serious turn for the worst with kidney failure which led to him requiring dialysis three times a week for the next few years.

In 2009 I took up a lectureship at QMU alongside Peter and other public administration scholars including Mike Donnelly, Eddie Frizzell and Richard Kerley. I know some who say that it can be difficult to work with someone who has previously been your teacher or supervisor. It’s a real credit to his character that I never felt that Peter saw me as anything other than a colleague and a peer. He was a great colleague and became a very good friend.

My recent memories of Peter are of his encyclopedic knowledge of public administration, his passion for higher education and his incredible ability to devour academic books. I never saw the tough taskmaster reputation played out in person. What I found in working with Peter was that he was utterly dedicated to education and fastidious in his teaching preparations. He always prioritised his teaching and his students – so much so that he would often schedule surgeries, treatment, and even his eventual retirement, around his teaching commitments.

One of my happiest memories of Peter is just a few years ago when he was nominated by his students for a teaching award. He was absolutely thrilled to be shortlisted. Peter took great pride in his teaching and he cared passionately about education. As a result he could be dismayed if he felt others didn’t hold the same standards and integrity. This was where he could be seen as being demanding. But behind this was the extent to which he cared and was more sensitive than his west Scotland character would ever publicly admit.

Having completed his teaching commitments earlier this year Peter was looking forward to a fruitful retirement. He was grateful for having been recognised as Emeritus Reader of Public Administration and Management, he had a new computer which he had just set up in his home office, and the last time we spoke (just a few days before his passing) he was doing a clear out of old books and looking forward to finally prioritising his writing. Sadly, he was never going to get the time.

I am so incredibly grateful to have known Peter, to have been supervised by him, to work alongside him but most of all to have gotten to know him as a friend. Peter, you are dearly missed.

Dr Peter Falconer, image provided by Mike Pretious.

A commemorative service in celebration of Peter’s life will take place at Mortonhall Crematorium on Tuesday 30 April 2019 at 1pm and afterwards at the Charwood Restaurant, Edinburgh.

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