Laura Foley

Dr @LauraCFoley, Geary Institute & PublicPolicy.ie and Prof Nicola Piper, Korea University published a new paper in the International Journal of Sociology as an outcome of the BICs scheme. “Mapping the players on/in the field of transnational policy networks: strategic action to strengthen labour rights”, analyses how transnational networks can be agents for policy change in the field of migrants’ rights by demonstrating how networks can cooperate to strategically use the wider institutional environment to push norm-violating States, and organisations, towards implementing policy changes. Read here: tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.10…

📰 New paper on PublicPolicy.ie by Joan O’Donnell, Toby Lowe, Gabriel Eichsteller & Adele O’Neill “Reframing Public Services in Ireland as a Relational Practice”. This paper makes the case for reframing public services in Ireland as Relational Public Services (RPS) that take a Human Learning Systems Approach (HLS), which describes a way of organising viable services built around relationships and collective learning. The paper explores the importance of relationships, complexity, and how taking a systemic approach to learning can contribute to understanding how policy-making and practice can work better to serve all the humans in the system. publicpolicy.ie/papers/reframi… #Ireland #PublicServices #Relationships #Reframing

How effectively can governments create supportive structures that enable the involvement of citizens in shaping policy? “The opportunities and challenges of politically designed co-creation platforms” is a new paper by Sam van Elk & Britt Regal (King’s College, London) published as part of a new Policy Innovation Ideas series on PublicPolicy.ie. This paper examines one approach to doing so through a case study of the London Borough of Culture programme, identifying how such attempts may both enable and constrain citizen involvement. publicpolicy.ie/policy-innovat… #CoCreation #Governance #Citizens

My paper “Mapping the players on/in the field of transnational policy networks: strategic action to strengthen labour rights” with Nicola Piper is now published. It analyses how networks can push norm-violating States towards implementing policy changes tinyurl.com/kbkkzavh

📰 “Navigating the Adoption of AI for Policymaking” is a new paper by Omar A. Guerrero, (Centre for Social Data Science, University of Helsinki) published as part of a new Policy Innovation Ideas series on PublicPolicy.ie. The author draws on his experiences working with various types of public organisations across different countries to argue that the current hype for AI has unique characteristics that call for rethinking how public institutions adopt this technology for policymaking. The paper underlines that before rushing into adopting AI, policymakers first need to ask some key questions, and that they need to understand 1) the problem that they seek to address, 2) the institutional context and the organisation’s internal capacity, and 3) the various AI tools available, and what they can offer. 🔗: publicpolicy.ie/policy-innovat… #AI #Policymaking #Hype

A new paper by Jane Lewis, Anne-Marie Baan, Emma Wills, Eleanor Ott, Amy Lloyd & Dan Bristow “Implementation-minded policy making” has been published as part of a new Policy Innovation Ideas series on PublicPolicy.ie. This paper, written by a team of researchers from the Centre for Evidence and Implementation and the Wales Centre for Public Policy, examines how bad implementation can result in policy failure. The authors show how successful policy implementation depends on the interaction between the content or ‘logic’ of the policy and the implementation context, highlighting how effective implementation is underpinned by a lack of ambiguity in the policy, and the quality of alignment between the policy and the implementation context. The authors argue that by embedding a range of implementation support approaches in policy work, this creates contexts and supports for effective policy implementation, thus reducing policy failure. publicpolicy.ie/policy-innovat… #PolicyImplementation #PolicyFailure #Logic #Ambiguity #Policymaking #Policymakers #policy #Implementation #ImplementationScience #EvidenceBasedPolicy #EvidenceBased #SystemsChange

If you want to work with the UN, this opportunity is for you. UNESCO is hiring remote Research Consultants Eligibility: - A Master’s degree or equivalent in Education, Economics, Social Sciences, or a related field - At least two years of relevant research or analytical experience Deadline: February 28, 2026 Link: careers.unesco.org/job/Multiple-J…

The photogallery of the XV edition of #ADAPTConference2025 is now online! 📸Relive the key moments, debates, and reflections on work and beyond that shaped this year’s edition. 👉 photos.google.com/share/AF1QipM-…

Join us for the last GIRSI Masterclass of the year! We will welcome Dr Heba Ismail from the Zayed University, Dublin to present on 'LLMs for Social Good: Designing Trustworthy, Domain-Adapted AI Systems for Public Policy, Education, and Public Health'. In this masterclass, participants will learn how LLMs can be safely integrated into public-facing services to enhance decision-making, improve institutional efficiency, and protect communities from harm. Register here: forms.gle/v9uTBFp9cZpau2… #UCD #GIRSI

📰 New paper on PublicPolicy.ie by Sara Benedi Lahuerta (UCD), Sara O’Sullivan (UCD), Suzanne Carthy (IADT) and Jennifer Keane (PayGap.ie). “Closing the Gender Pay Gap: Learning from Ireland’s Pay Data and European Transparency Reforms” examines the implementation of Ireland’s pay transparency regime under the Gender Pay Gap Information Act 2021. It argues that shortcomings in data quality, enforcement, and structural supports have limited its impact and risk reducing pay reporting to a symbolic exercise. The paper concludes with six recommendations to make transparency a mechanism for accountability and genuine equality. publicpolicy.ie/papers/closing… #GenderPayGap #PayInequity #PayGapReporting #GenderEquality

We would like to invite you to attend the upcoming webinar of our Inspiring Policy Innovation webinar series on the 4th December, 3pm - 4pm on Zoom. We will welcome Dr Omar O. Guerrero to present the seminar titled 'Beyond the Hype: Promises, Pitfalls, and Illusions of AI in Policymaking'. You can register here: ucd-ie.zoom.us/webinar/regist… #UCD #Webinar #Policymaking

I'm looking forward to hosting this seminar @ucdgearyinst , which will consider how lessons from the past can inform Ireland's future economic policy. Thursday 4th December 4-6pm Geary Seminar Room, UCD A limited number of places are still available. eventbrite.ie/e/lessons-from…

New paper on PublicPolicy.ie by Claire Hayes “Public Consultation and Policymaking in Ireland: The Failure of the Green Paper On Disability Reform as a Case Study”. Public consultation is a cornerstone of democratic policymaking, offering citizens an opportunity to shape decisions that affect their lives. This paper examines the evolution of public consultation in Ireland and its role in fostering transparency and inclusion, with a particular focus on the Department of Social Protection’s 2023 Green Paper on Disability Reform, and concludes with recommendations to strengthen consultation processes.  publicpolicy.ie/health/public-… #PublicConsultation #CitizenEngagement #PolicyDesign #DisabilityInclusion #Ireland

🌍Are you a journalist covering #environment or #sustainability? Would you like to work with @ucddublin's top researchers to break the best stories? Here's the good news - the 2026 @UCDEarth Journalist in Residence call is now open! Apply today 👉 tinyurl.com/5n835nk2

Please spread the word! We are hiring three Assistant Professors this autumn/winter. Apply by Nov 25 and join a vibrant and collegial academic department in a great city. For any questions about the positions, email me.

Our next Geary Seminar will take place next Tuesday, 30th September at 1pm in the Geary Seminar room (B003/004). We will welcome Assoc Prof Ernesto Vasquez del Aguila and Dr Theresa Schilling, UCD School of Social Policy, Social Work and Social Justice, to present on ‘UNITE: Transforming higher education through inclusive, decolonial, and intersectional approaches’. Lunch will be provided. We look forward to seeing you there! #UCD #GearySeminar

Fascinating paper on the potential environmental benefits of peer to peer energy trading on publicpolicy.ie publicpolicy.ie/environment/to…

There are a few spaces left for next week's IWSG Writing Retreat & Workshop, UCD Village, 13 August, 9-5pm, Rooms 2 + 5. The Writing Retreat will be followed by a workshop focusing on the flawed nature of the publishing industry, discussions about how to resist, and how to navigate this system. To register: forms.office.com/pages/response…

📰 New policy paper on PublicPolicy.ie “Moving to Self-Completion: Challenges and Opportunities for Survey Data Collection in Ireland” by Micheál L. Collins and Olga Li, Geary Institute for Public Policy, University College Dublin, discusses some findings from the Irish European Social Survey self-completion pilot study and offers key insights into the challenges and opportunities of switching to a self-completion mode. Read full paper: publicpolicy.ie/papers/moving-… #SurveyDesign #SelfCompletion #EuropeanSocialSurvey #Ireland

New paper by ESS Ireland team @MLGCollins and @OlyaLi_,“Moving to Self-Completion: Challenges and Opportunities for Survey Data Collection in Ireland”, shares findings from the Irish @ESS_Survey self-comoletion pilot study. publicpolicy.ie/papers/moving-…