Richard Batley is Emeritus Professor of Development Administration at the International Development Department, School of Government and Society, University of Birmingham. His research interests are in government, service delivery, non-state service provision, public-private partnership, regulation, urban policy, and aid management. He has experience in Britain, Latin America, Africa and South Asia. He has recently completed a research project on relations between government and non-government service providers in three South Asian countries, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (2006-09). He was lead adviser for the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) on the development of a handbook on contracting out government funding and services in fragile states (2010). Current research is on the politics of service provision in conflict-affected and effective states.

Research interests

• Governance
• Regulation
• Urban policy
• Service delivery
• Non-state service providers
• Public-private partnership

Experience in Britain, Latin America, Africa and South Asia.

Current and recent projects

• Evaluation of the impact of Irish Aid in Mozambique, Government of Ireland
• Lead organiser, Handbook on contracting out government services in fragile states. Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development
• Coordinator, Faith-based service providers, project under Religions and Development Programme, Department for International Development
• 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
• Evaluation of DFID’s support for private sector investment in infrastructure. Sub-contracted by WSP consulting. Department for International Development
• Director study of relations between government and international agencies in sector wide support programmes in Brazil. Department for International Development
• 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 OECD
• Director of research on non-state providers of basic public services in six countries, Department for International Development
• Team member, research on effect on the poor of alternative revenue and expenditure practices, Brazil: Department for International Development.
• Team member on the harmonization of donor practices, Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development.

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. 30, 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. 30, 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)