Speaker Profile

Dr John Butcher has degrees in Political Science and Geography from the Australian National University and the University of British Columbia, Canada. In his work as a policy practitioner and as an academic researcher he has focused on the design, implementation, and administration of public policy in complex domains. His research is primarily concerned with the interface between the public and not for profit sectors. From 2016-18 John was co-investigator in a research project aimed at better understanding how multi-party collaborations work, and why. Drawing on five case studies in Australian and New Zealand the project sought to understand the complex dynamics of collaboration and distil the elements of better practice. The findings were brought together in the book 'Collaboration for Impact: Lessons from the Field' (ANU Press 2020) which offers practical guidance for practitioners engaged in collaborative approaches to addressing 'wicked' public policy problems.