Dr Peter Watt

Dr Peter Watt

Department of Public Administration and Policy
Emeritus Reader in Public Sector Economics

Contact details

Address
School of Government
Muirhead Tower
University of Birmingham
Edgbaston, Birmingham,
B15 2TT, United Kingdom

Research

Specialisms

  • Economics of contracting and procurement
  • Local government finance and international comparisons
  • Public sector efficiency and performance management
  • Financial management
  • Public choice theory
  • Organisational review
  • Risk management and quantitative techniques, statistics and econometrics

Current and recent projects

  • Evaluation of LinkAge Plus for the Department for Work and Pensions
  • Back Office Efficiency for the Audit Commission
  • Gershon Efficiency for CLG

Publications

Watt, P.A. (2011) “The Economics of Contracting”, in Glasby, J. Commissioning for health and well-being, Bristol, Policy Press.

Watt, P.A. (2011) “Decentralisation and the equalisation of public expenditure in the UK.” In in (Ed) Marcou, G. La décentralisation et l'administration locale en Europe. Tendances et problèmes, Paris: La Documentation Française, Paris

Watt, P.A. (2010) “Local collaborative public management and local performance in the UK”, in Brandsen, T. and Holzer, M (eds) The Future of Governance, American Society for Public Administration, Washington DC

Watt, P.A. and Fattorini, L. (2010) The Impact of Local Authorities Supplying Legal Services to NHS Trusts May, 2010, report to Communities and Local Government

Watt, P.A. and Blair, I. (2009) The Business Case for LinkAge Plus, Department for Work and Pensions, Research Report No 573, July, pp. 84, http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd5/rports2009-2010/rrep573.pdf

Löffler, E. and Watt, P. (2009). Understanding the efficiency implications of coproduction. In Barker (Ed) Co-Production of Local Public Services. LARCI, UK http://www.rcuk.ac.uk/cmsweb/ downloads/rcuk/innovation/larci/LarciCoproductionSummary.pdf

Bovaird, T. and Watt, P (2010) Understanding Value for Money in Local Authority Led Public Services: Scoping a Research Programme, November, 2009, report to Communities and Local Government

Watt, P.A. and Fattorini, L. (2010) The Impact of Local Authorities Supplying Legal Services to NHS Trusts May, 2010, report to Communities and Local Government

LE Wales in association with Peter Watt, (2008) A Study into Local Authority Charging for Non-Residential Social Care Services, Welsh assembly Government Report, December, pp. 54 http://wales.gov.uk/topics/health/publications/socialcare/reports/charging/?skip=1&lang=en

LE Wales in association with Peter Watt, (2008) Development of an Approach to Distributing Supporting People Monies to Local Authority Areas, June, pp. 133, http://new.wales.gov.uk./topics/housingandcommunity/housing/publications/supportingpeopleapproach/?lang=en

Watt, P.A. (2006) 'Principles and Theories of Local Government', Economic Affairs 26.1, March 2006, pp 4-10

Watt P (2005) 'Information, Cooperation and Trust in Strategic Service Delivery Partnerships', Public and Policy and Administration, 20.3, Autumn 2005, pp 106-123

King D, Watt P (2005) Options for Local Government Finance – an Economic Approach, County Councils Network, pp 36. This is available on the County Council Network website (PDF opens in a new window)

Watt P (2004) 'Financing Local Government', Local Government Studies 4, Winter 2004, pp 609-623

Watt P (2003) 'Voluntary Roads and Street', Economic Affairs, June 2003, pp 3-10 ISSN 0265-0665 

Fender J, Watt P, (2002) 'Should Central Government Seek to Control the Level of Local Authority Expenditures?' Fiscal Studies 23.2, June 2002, pp 265-285 ISSN 0143-5671

Watt P (2002) 'Local Government Capital Expenditure in England' in Dafflon B (ed) Local Public Finance in Europe: Balancing the Budget and Controlling the Debt, Edward Elgar, pp 257 – 275

Watt P, Delay S (2000) Quinquennial Financial Management and Policy Review of the Audit Commission, Stage II, June 2000, London, Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions

Watt P, Fender J (1999) 'Feasible changes in the UK controls on local government expenditure', Public Money and Management 19.3, July-September 1999, pp. 17 - 22, reprinted in LGIU (2000) Managing the Public’s Money: A Local Perspective, Local Government Information Unit Special Briefing 56, January 2000, pp 21-32

Watt P (1996) Local Government Principles and Practice: A Text for Risk Managers, Witherby (for the Institute of Risk Management), London, pp 16