“Recognising Diversity and Complexity in Policy Formation”
Presentation Slides
Introduction:
Professor O'Donoghue has been from 2016, the Dean
of Arts and Social Sciences at NUI Galway and Professor of Public and
Social Policy. Prior to this he was since 2005, Head of Teagasc’s
(Irelands Agriculture and Food Development Authority) Rural Economy and
Development Programme, one of the 4 research programmes of Teagasc. He
was a member of the Fund Council of CGIAR, a $1 billion a year
International Agri-Food Research organisation from 2014-2016. From
2012-2014, he was CEO of the Irish Government's Commission for the
Economic Development of Rural Areas 2012-2014, Chairman of the Irish
Sport Horse Strategy Committee 2013-2015, President of the International
Microsimulation Association 2011-2015 and is on the Executive of the UK
Agricultural Economics Society.
In his inaugural lecture, Professor O'Donoghue
will draw upon the results of his research career to date to describe
the methodologies he has developed and conclusions he has drawn for
policy analysis and design and to reach out to new collaborators in
inter-disciplinary research. His research aims to understand how policy
impacts across the population, incorporating the breadth of diversity
that exists in different population groups. His field of research is in
the area of Micro-Simulation Modelling, where for 25 years , he has
developed tools to simulate the impact of public policy on Micro
distributions (individuals, Families, Farms). Fundamentally these are
tools to understand complexity. Policy formation involves understanding
complexity via complexity of policy, complexity of population structure
and complexity of behavioural response. In addition, other dimensions
that can be considered include spatial and temporal complexity. In this
lecture, Professor O'Donoghue will discuss how the development of these
tools have been used to consider policy questions such as anti-poverty,
environmental, labour market, education, agricultural and rural policy.
His work is currently focusing on the interaction between land-use
change and demographic both in a contemporary setting and in
understanding historical land use drivers of demographic changes.
New Professors' Inaugural Lecture Series8th March, 2018 at 1p.m.