Professor Richard Batley

Professor Richard Batley

International Development Department
Emeritus Professor of Development Administration

Contact details

Telephone
+44 (0)121 414 4985
Email
r.a.batley@bham.ac.uk
Address
IDD - School of Government
Muirhead Tower
University of Birmingham
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT
UK

Richard Batley is Emeritus Professor of Development Administration at the International Development Department, School of Government, University of Birmingham. His research interests are in government, service delivery, public accounting, non-state service provision, public-private partnership, regulation, urban policy, and aid management.

He has experience in Britain, Latin America, Africa and South Asia, and has directed a series of research projects on the reform of public services and collaboration between government and non-state service providers.  Recent research has been in collaboration with (i) the Overseas Development Institute on the politics of service provision in developing countries, and how the characteristics of service sectors affect their politics, and (ii) the University of São Paulo, Brazil in analysis of institutional change and persistence in response to reforms of public financial management in Brazil.

Qualifications

  • DPhil (Sociology)
  • MA (Politics)
  • BSocSci

Research

Research Interests

  • Governance
  • Regulation
  • Contracting and partnership
  • The politics and management of public services
  • Non-state service providers

Experience in Britain, Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.

Recent Projects

  • Adviser and researcher with the ‘Public Sector Accounting & Governance in Brazil’ research group at the University of São Paulo, 2015-21
  • Team member, ODI Flagship programme on Governance in Transition, service delivery sub-stream, 2012-15
  • Team member in a rigorous review of ‘the role and impact of private schools in developing countries’ for DFID, 2013-14
  • Adviser to World Bank East Asia and Pacific office on ‘a sector characteristics approach to accountability and anti-corruption actions’, 2012-13
  • Evaluation of the impact of Irish Aid in Mozambique, Government of Ireland, 2010-11
  • Lead organiser, Contracting out government services in fragile states. Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, 2009-10
  • Coordinator, Faith-based service providers, project under Religions and Development Programme, Department for International Development, 2006-10
  • Director, Governance and Social Development Resource Centre, (2001-2010), Department for International Development
  • Director of research on relations between government and non-state service providers in three South Asian countries, funded by UK Economic and Social Research Council, 2006-09
  • Evaluation of DFID’s support for private sector investment in infrastructure. Sub-contracted by WSP consulting. Department for International Development, 2006-08
  • Director, study of relations between government and international agencies in sector wide support programmes in Brazil. Department for International Development, 2006-07
  • Evaluation of General Budget Support in seven countries, commissioned by 24 donors under aegis of OECD in seven countries, commissioned by 24 donors under aegis of OECD2004-06
  • Director of research on non-state providers of basic public services in six countries, Department for International Development, 2004-06

Publications

Aquino, A.C.B and Batley, R.A. (2021) Pathways to hybridization: Assimilation and accommodation of public financial reforms in Brazil, Accounting, Organizations and Society https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aos.2021.101297

Batley, R. and Mcloughlin, C. (2015) The Politics of Public Services: A Service Characteristics Approach, World Development Vol 74, pp.275-285. Open Access - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2015.05.018

Batley, R and Harris, D. (2014) Analysing the politics of public services: a service characteristics approach. London: ODI. http://www.odi.org/sites/odi.org.uk/files/odi-assets/publications-opinion-files/8913.pdf

Harris, D., Batley, R. and Wales, J. (2014) Understanding the Political Implications of Sector Characteristics for Health Service Delivery. London: ODI: http://bit.ly/1fGBcpm,

Mason, N., Batley, R. and Harris, D. (2014) Understanding the Political Implications of Sector Characteristics for the Delivery of Sanitation Services. London: ODI: http://bit.ly/1dATQQZ

Mason, N., Harris, D. and Batley, R. (2013) Understanding the Political Implications of Sector Characteristics for the Delivery of Drinking Water Services. London: ODI: http://bit.ly/1dqExo9

Harris, D., Batley, R., and Wales, J. (2013) Understanding the Political Implications of Sector Characteristics for Education Service Delivery. London: ODI: http://bit.ly/1c2j0HB,

Mcloughlin, C with Batley R (2012) The effects of sector characteristics on accountability relationships in service delivery, ODI Working Papers 350, August, http://www.odi.org.uk/resources/docs/7790.pdf

Mcloughlin C and Batley R. (2012) The politics of what works in service delivery: an evidence based review, Working Paper 06 of the University of Manchester’s research programme on Effective States and Inclusive Development, February http://www.effective-states.org/publications/workingpapers/workingpaper6.htm

Batley R, W. McCourt and C. Mcloughlin (2012) The Politics and Governance of Public Services in Developing Countries, Public Management Review, Vol 14, No 2, pp.131-144 www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14719037.2012.657840

Batley R. and Rose P. (2011) Analysing Collaboration between Non-Government Service Providers and Governments, Public Administration and Development, Vol. 31, No. 4, pp.230-239 (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/pad.v31.4/issuetoc)

Batley R. (2011) Structures and Strategies in Relations between Non-Government Service Providers and Government, Public Administration and Development, Vol. 31, No. 4, pp.306-319 (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/pad.v31.4/issuetoc)

Batley, R.A. and Rose, P (2010), ‘Collaboration in delivering education: relations between governments and NGOs in South Asia’, Development in Practice, Vol. 20, Nos. 4-5, pp.579-585 (http://www.swetswise.com/eAccess/viewAbstract.do?articleID=156042889) Also published in Rose, P. (editor), (2010), Achieving Education for All through public–private partnerships? Non-state provision of education in developing countries, Routledge

Batley, R.A. and Mcloughlin, C. (2010), ‘Engagement with non-state service providers in fragile states’, Development Policy Review, Vol. 28 N0.2, pp.131-154 (www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/123270075/abstract)

Batley. R.A. and Shah, R. (2009) ‘Private Sector Investment in Infrastructure: Rationale and causality for pro-poor impacts’, Development Policy Review, Vol. 27 No. 4, pp. 397-417 (www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/122445588/abstract)

Batley, R.A. (2006), ‘The Changing Role of the State in Development’ in M. Alam and A. Nickson (eds), Managing Change in Local Governance, Commonwealth Secretariat, London, pp. 11-24

Batley, R.A. (2006), Editorial for Special Issue on non-state provision of basic services, Public Administration and Development, Vol. 26 No. 3, August, pp. 193-196 (http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/pad.417)

Batley, R.A. (2006), ‘Engaged or Divorced? Cross-Service Findings on Government Relations with Non-State Service-Providers’, Public Administration and Development, Vol. 26 No. 3, August, pp. 241-251 (http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/pad.422)

Batley, R.A. (2005), ‘Capacity to deliver? Management, Institutions and Public Services in Developing Countries’, in Y. Bangura (ed), Public Sector Management Reform in Developing Countries, Palgrave Macmillan

Batley, R.A. (2005), ‘Mozambique: The Costs of ‘Owning’ Aid”, Public Administration and Development, Vol. 25, No. 5, pp. 415-424 (http://www.swetswise.com/eAccess/viewAbstract.do?articleID=25281450)

Batley, R.A. and Larbi, G.A. (2004), The Changing Role of Government: The reform of public services in developing countries, Palgrave Macmillan

Batley, R.A. (2004), ‘The Politics of Service Delivery Reform’, Development and Change, Vol. 35 No. 1, pp.31-56 (http://www.swetswise.com/eAccess/viewAbstract.do?articleID=20603354)