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Dr Rodney Scott

Dr Rodney Scott

Adjunct Professor

PhD in Public Management and System Dynamics from the University of Queensland

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School of Business

Professor Rodney Scott is a Visiting Fellow and Adjunct Professor in the School of Business at UNSW, Canberra.

His substantive role is as the Chief Policy Advisor for New Zealand’s Public Service Commission, where he leads advice on the design and direction of New Zealand’s public services. He has previously worked at senior and executives levels; in management and advisory roles; in the public, private, and not-for-profit sectors; in Australia and New Zealand. Rodney is also the chief science advisor for the Public Service Commission, with overall leadership responsibility for science and research, and serves on the government chief science advisor forum. Rodney is a board member of the Institute of Public Administration of New Zealand, chair of the Victoria University of Wellington School of Government Trust, and an adjunct fellow of the Australia and New Zealand School of Government where he has served on the research committee and editorial board.

Rodney has completed several research fellowships while on sabbatical from his substantive role at the Public Service Commission. He is a 2022 affiliated researcher the Cambridge University's Bennett Institute of Public Policy, and was previously a 2018 Fellow In Practice at Oxford University’s Blavatnik School of Government, and a 2017 Innovations Fellow at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. He has lectured in graduate programmes and executive training across four continents. Rodney completed PhD studies in system dynamics and public management at the University of Queensland, including the dissertation “Group model building and mental model change” which was awarded “best doctoral thesis” by the Australia and New Zealand Academy of Management. He is widely published in system dynamics, operations research, group decision, public policy, and public administration. His current research interests include interagency collaboration, governance, performance management, institutional memory, social identity, public service motivation, and public service ethics. Rodney particularly welcomes contact from Australian researchers looking to understand New Zealand public management in a comparative context.

  • Books | 2022
    Scott R; Boyd R, 2022, Interagency Performance Targets Better Service Through a Focus on Results, Brookings / Ash Center Series, "Innovative Governance in the 21st Century
    Books | 2022
    Scott R; Boyd R, 2022, Targeting Commitment Interagency Performance in New Zealand, Brookings Institution Press
    Books | 2022
    Scott RJ; Merton ERK, 2022, Contingent Collaboration, Cambridge University Press (CUP),
    Books | 2020
    Corbett J; Grube DC; Lovell HC; Scott RJ, 2020, Institutional Memory as Storytelling How Networked Government Remembers, Cambridge University Press
    Books | 2018
    Scott R, 2018, Group Model Building Using Systems Dynamics to Achieve Enduring Agreement, Springer
    Books | 2018
    Scott R, 2018, Group Model Building, Springer Singapore,
    Books | 2017
    Scott RJ; Boyd R, 2017, Interagency Performance Targets: A Case Study of New Zealand’s Results Programme, IBM, New York,
  • Book Chapters | 2021
    Scott R, 2021, 'High autonomy, high alignment: coordinating a more unified public service', in Policy-making Under Pressure Rethinking the Policy Process in Aotearoa New Zealand
    Book Chapters | 2020
    Scott R, 2020, 'Collaboration Governance and System Dynamics Modelling: What Do Clients Want?', in Enabling Collaborative Governance through Systems Modeling Methods Public Policy Design and Implementation, Springer Nature
    Book Chapters | 2018
    Scott R, 2018, 'Basic Elements of Group Model Building', in Group Model Building Using Systems Dynamics to Achieve Enduring Agreement, Springer, pp. 19 - 28
    Book Chapters | 2018
    Scott R, 2018, 'Building Integrated Theory', in Group Model Building Using Systems Dynamics to Achieve Enduring Agreement, Springer, pp. 99 - 113
    Book Chapters | 2018
    Scott R, 2018, 'Communication Quality, Insight, Consensus and Commitment to Conclusions', in Group Model Building Using Systems Dynamics to Achieve Enduring Agreement, Springer, pp. 45 - 54
    Book Chapters | 2018
    Scott R, 2018, 'Comparing Participant Support for Different Explanatory Mechanisms', in Group Model Building Using Systems Dynamics to Achieve Enduring Agreement, Springer, pp. 87 - 98
    Book Chapters | 2018
    Scott R, 2018, 'Desired Outcomes of Group Decisions', in Group Model Building, Springer Singapore, pp. 5 - 18,
    Book Chapters | 2018
    Scott R, 2018, 'Desired Outcomes of Group Model Building', in Group Model Building Using Systems Dynamics to Achieve Enduring Agreement, Springer, pp. 5 - 18
    Book Chapters | 2018
    Scott R, 2018, 'Discussion', in Group Model Building Using Systems Dynamics to Achieve Enduring Agreement, Springer, pp. 115 - 119
    Book Chapters | 2018
    Scott R, 2018, 'Explanatory Mechanisms for Group Model Building', in Group Model Building Using Systems Dynamics to Achieve Enduring Agreement, Springer, pp. 69 - 86
    Book Chapters | 2018
    Scott R, 2018, 'Introduction', in Group Model Building Using Systems Dynamics to Achieve Enduring Agreement, Springer, pp. 1 - 4
    Book Chapters | 2018
    Scott R, 2018, 'Introduction', in Group Model Building, Springer Singapore, pp. 1 - 4,
    Book Chapters | 2018
    Scott R, 2018, 'Mental Model Alignment', in Group Model Building Using Systems Dynamics to Achieve Enduring Agreement, Springer, pp. 55 - 68
    Book Chapters | 2018
    Scott R, 2018, 'Outcomes of Group Model Building', in Group Model Building Using Systems Dynamics to Achieve Enduring Agreement, Springer, pp. 29 - 44
    Book Chapters | 2017
    Scott R; Cavana RY; Cameron D, 2017, 'Interpersonal Success Factors for Strategy Implementation: A Case Study Using Group Model Building', in System Dynamics Soft and Hard Operational Research, Springer, pp. 133 - 162
    Book Chapters | 2016
    Scott RJ; Boyd R, 2016, 'Results, Targets and Measures to Drive Collaboration: Lessons from the New Zealand Better Public Services reforms', in The Three Sector Solution Delivering public policy in collaboration with not-for-profits and business, ANU Press, pp. 235 - 257
  • Journal articles | 2024
    Scott RJ; Donadelli F, 2024, 'Policy that doesn’t Burn Out, but Merely Fades Away: Ageing and Drift of Performance Specification in New Zealand', International Journal of Public Administration, 47, pp. 877 - 881,
    Journal articles | 2023
    Liu D; Meyer D; Fennessy B; Feng C; Cheng E; Johnson JS; Park YJ; Rieder MK; Ascolillo S; de Pins A; Dobbyn A; Lebovitch D; Moya E; Nguyen TH; Wilkins L; Hassan A; Aghanwa HS; Ansari M; Asif A; Aslam R; Ayuso JL; Bigdeli T; Bignotti S; Bobes J; Bradley B; Buckley P; Cairns MJ; Catts SV; Chaudhry AR; Cohen D; Collins BL; Consoli A; Costas J; Crespo-Facorro B; Daskalakis NP; Davidson M; Davis KL; Dickerson F; Dogar IA; Drapeau E; Fañanás L; Fanous A; Fatima W; Fatjo M; Filippich C; Friedman J; Fullard JF; Georgakopoulos P; Giannitelli M; Giegling I; Green MJ; Guillin O; Gutierrez B; Handoko HY; Hansen SK; Haroon M; Haroutunian V; Henskens FA; Hussain F; Jablensky AV; Junejo J; Kelly BJ; Khan SUDA; Khan MNS; Khan A; Khawaja HR; Khizar B; Kleopoulos SP; Knowles J; Konte B; Kusumawardhani AAAA; Leghari N; Liu X; Lori A; Loughland CM; Mahmood K; Mahmood S; Malaspina D; Malik D; McNaughton A; Michie PT; Michopolous V; Molina E; Molto MD; Munir A; Muntané G; Naeem F; Nancarrow DJ; Nasar A; Nasr T; Ohaeri JU; Ott J; Pantelis C; Periyasamy S; Pinto AG; Powers A; Ramos B; Rana NH; Rapaport M; Reichenberg A, 2023, 'Schizophrenia risk conferred by rare protein-truncating variants is conserved across diverse human populations', Nature Genetics, 55, pp. 369 - 376,
    Journal articles | 2023
    Scott R; Hughes P, 2023, 'A spirit of service to the community: public service motivation in the New Zealand public service', Asia Pacific Journal of Public Administration, 45, pp. 238 - 243,
    Journal articles | 2023
    Scott RJ; Boyd R, 2023, 'Determined to succeed: Can goal commitment sustain interagency collaboration?', Public Policy and Administration, 38, pp. 3 - 33,
    Journal articles | 2023
    Scott RJ; Donadelli F; Merton ERK, 2023, 'Administrative philosophies in the discourse and decisions of the New Zealand public service: is post-New Public Management still a myth?', International Review of Administrative Sciences, 89, pp. 941 - 957,
    Journal articles | 2023
    Scott RJ; Merton ERK, 2023, '(Non) rationality and choice architecture: a behavioural approach to public administrative discretion in New Zealand', International Journal of Organizational Analysis, 31, pp. 1257 - 1278,
    Journal articles | 2022
    Blokland GAM; Grove J; Chen CY; Cotsapas C; Tobet S; Handa R; St Clair D; Lencz T; Mowry BJ; Periyasamy S; Cairns MJ; Tooney PA; Wu JQ; Kelly B; Kirov G; Sullivan PF; Corvin A; Riley BP; Esko T; Milani L; Jönsson EG; Palotie A; Ehrenreich H; Begemann M; Steixner-Kumar A; Sham PC; Iwata N; Weinberger DR; Gejman PV; Sanders AR; Buxbaum JD; Rujescu D; Giegling I; Konte B; Hartmann AM; Bramon E; Murray RM; Pato MT; Lee J; Melle I; Molden E; Ophoff RA; McQuillin A; Bass NJ; Adolfsson R; Malhotra AK; Martin NG; Fullerton JM; Mitchell PB; Schofield PR; Forstner AJ; Degenhardt F; Schaupp S; Comes AL; Kogevinas M; Guzman-Parra J; Reif A; Streit F; Sirignano L; Cichon S; Grigoroiu-Serbanescu M; Hauser J; Lissowska J; Mayoral F; Müller-Myhsok B; Swiatkowska B; Schulze TG; Nöthen MM; Rietschel M; Kelsoe J; Leboyer M; Jamain S; Etain B; Bellivier F; Vincent JB; Alda M; O'Donovan C; Cervantes P; Biernacka JM; Frye M; McElroy SL; Scott LJ; Stahl EA; Landén M; Hamshere ML; Smeland OB; Djurovic S; Vaaler AE; Andreassen OA; Baune BT; Air TM; Preisig M; Uher R; Levinson DF; Weissman MM; Potash JB; Shi J; Knowles JA; Perlis RH; Lucae S; Schofield P; Carr V; Shannon Weickert C; Green M; Scott R; Giannoulatou E, 2022, 'Sex-Dependent Shared and Nonshared Genetic Architecture Across Mood and Psychotic Disorders', Biological Psychiatry, 91, pp. 102 - 117,
    Journal articles | 2022
    2022, 'Contingent Collaboration', ,
    Journal articles | 2021
    Scott RJ; Merton ERK, 2021, 'When the going gets tough, the goal-committed get going: overcoming the transaction costs of inter-agency collaborative governance', Public Management Review, 23, pp. 1640 - 1663,
    Journal articles | 2020
    Corbett J; Christian Grube D; Caroline Lovell H; James Scott R, 2020, 'Institutional Memory as Storytelling', ,
    Journal articles | 2020
    Scott RJ; Macaulay M, 2020, 'Making sense of New Zealand’s ‘spirit of service’: social identity and the civil service', Public Money and Management, 40, pp. 579 - 588,
    Journal articles | 2018
    Corbett J; Grube DC; Lovell H; Scott R, 2018, 'Singular memory or institutional memories? Toward a dynamic approach', Governance, 31, pp. 555 - 573,
    Journal articles | 2018
    Scott R; Bardach E, 2018, 'A comparison of management adaptations for joined‐up government: Lessons from New Zealand', Australian Journal of Public Administration,
    Journal articles | 2017
    Scott RJ; Boyd R, 2017, 'Joined-Up for What? Response to Carey and Harris on Adaptive Collaboration', Australian Journal of Public Administration, 76, pp. 138 - 144,
    Journal articles | 2017
    Scott RJ, 2017, 'Explaining how group model building supports enduring agreement', Journal of Management and Organization, pp. 1 - 24,
    Journal articles | 2017
    Scott RJ, 2017, 'The PerformanceStat Potential: A Leadership Strategy for Producing ResultsRobert D.Behn (Brookings Institution Press, Washington DC, 2014, ISBN 978‐0‐8157‐2527‐5 (paperback), 413 pp.)', Australian Journal of Public Administration, 76, pp. 268 - 270,
    Journal articles | 2016
    Scott RJ; Cavana RY; Cameron D, 2016, 'Client Perceptions of Reported Outcomes of Group Model Building in the New Zealand Public Sector', Group Decision and Negotiation,
    Journal articles | 2016
    Scott RJ; Cavana RY; Cameron D, 2016, 'Recent evidence on the effectiveness of group model building', European Journal of Operational Research, 249, pp. 908 - 918,
    Journal articles | 2015
    Scott RJ; Cavana RY; Cameron D, 2015, 'Interpersonal success factors for strategy implementation: a case study using group model building', Journal of the Operational Research Society, 66, pp. 1023 - 1034,
    Journal articles | 2014
    Scott RJ; Cavana RY; Cameron D, 2014, 'Mechanisms for Understanding Mental Model Change in Group Model Building', Systems Research and Behavioral Science, pp. n/a - n/a,
    Journal articles | 2014
    Scott RJ, 2014, 'A Systems Perspective on the Natural Resources Framework: comment on Hearnshaw et al.', Policy Quarterly, 10, pp. 59 - 62,
    Journal articles | 2013
    Scott RJ; Cavana RY; Cameron D, 2013, 'Evaluating immediate and long-term impacts of qualitative group model building workshops on participants' mental models', System Dynamics Review, 29, pp. 216 - 236,
  • Working Papers | 2016
    Scott RJ, 2016, Case studies in collaborating for better public services, http://dx.doi.orghttp://10.0.51.84/RG.2.1.3232.8081
    Working Papers | 2016
    Scott RJ, 2016, Collective impact in the Public Sector: the New Zealand Results approach,
    Working Papers | 2016
    Scott RJ, 2016, The performance relationship between department chief executives and the State Services Commission in New Zealand.,
    Working Papers | 2016
    Scott RJ, 2016, Theoretical foundations of department chief executive performance appraisals,
  • Conference Presentations | 2016
    Grube D; Scott RJ; Corbett J; Lovell H; Butler T, 2016, 'Institutional Memory and Collaborative Governance – Is it Possible to Have Both?', presented at Australian Political Science Association, Sydney, 26 September 2016 - 28 September 2016
    Conference Presentations | 2016
    Scott RJ; Boyd R, 2016, 'Case studies in collaborating for better public services', presented at Australia Political Science Association, Sydney, 26 September 2016 - 28 September 2016
    Conference Papers | 2016
    Scott RJ; Boyd R, 2016, 'Collaborating for results in New Zealand: Evaluation using mixed methods and triangulation.', in Collaborating for results in New Zealand: Evaluation using mixed methods and triangulation., International Public Management Network, St Gallen Switzerland, presented at International Public Management Network, St Gallen Switzerland, 01 June 2016 - 03 June 2016
    Conference Presentations | 2016
    Scott RJ, 2016, 'Assessing the performance of agency chief executives', presented at Australian Political Science Association, Sydney, 26 September 2016 - 28 September 2016
    Conference Papers | 2016
    Scott RJ, 2016, 'Do capability reviews improve agency performance? A quantitative summative assessment of the New Zealand Performance Improvement Framework', in Public Management Research Conference, Public Management Research Conference, Aarhus, presented at Public Management Research Conference, Aarhus, 22 June 2016 - 24 June 2016
    Conference Papers | 2015
    Scott RJ; Boyd R, 2015, 'The New Zealand Better Public Services Results: a comparative analysis linking inter-agency collaboration with outcome performance', in The New Zealand Better Public Services Results: a comparative analysis linking inter-agency collaboration with outcome performance, Australia and New Zealand Academy of Management, Queenstown, New Zealand, presented at Australia and New Zealand Academy of Management, Queenstown, New Zealand, 01 December 2015 - 04 December 2015,
    Conference Papers | 2015
    Vitalis H; Scott RJ, 2015, 'Joint ventures in the public sector: Translating lessons from the private sector to New Zealand government departments', in Joint ventures in the public sector: Translating lessons from the private sector to New Zealand government departments, Australia and New Zealand Academy of Management, Queenstown, New Zealand, presented at Australia and New Zealand Academy of Management, Queenstown, New Zealand, 01 December 2015 - 04 December 2015,
    Conference Papers | 2014
    Cavana RY; Smith T; Scott RJ; O'Connor S, 2014, 'Causal mapping of the New Zealand natural resources sector: a group model building approach.', in Causal mapping of the New Zealand natural resources sector: a group model building approach., International System Dynamics Society, Delft, Netherlands, presented at International System Dynamics Society, Delft, Netherlands, 16 July 2014 - 19 July 2014,
    Conference Papers | 2014
    Scott RJ; Cavana RY; Cameron D, 2014, 'Group model building - do clients value reported outcomes?', in Group model building - do clients value reported outcomes?, International System Dynamics Society, Delft, Netherlands, presented at International System Dynamics Society, Delft, Netherlands, 16 July 2014 - 19 July 2014,
    Conference Papers | 2013
    Scott RJ; Cavana RY; Cameron D, 2013, 'Mechanisms for understanding mental model change in group model building', Hai Phong Vietnam, presented at International Society for Systems Sciences, Hai Phong Vietnam, 16 July 2013 - 20 July 2013,
    Conference Papers | 2013
    Scott RJ, 2013, 'Evaluating long-term impact of qualitative system dynamics workshops on participant mental models', in Evaluating long-term impact of qualitative system dynamics workshops on participant mental models, International System Dynamics Society, Boston, USA, presented at International System Dynamics Society, Boston, USA, 17 July 2013 - 21 July 2013,
    Conference Papers | 2012
    Scott RJ; Cavana RY; Cameron D; Maani KE, 2012, 'Evaluation of group model building in a strategy implementation context: a New Zealand government case study', in Evaluation of group model building in a strategy implementation context: a New Zealand government case study, International System Dynamics Conference., St Gallen, Switzerland, presented at International System Dynamics Conference., St Gallen, Switzerland, 17 July 2012 - 21 July 2012,
    Conference Papers | 2012
    Scott RJ; Cavana RY; Cameron D, 2012, 'Evaluating the impact of systems thinking workshops on strategy implementation in a government department', in Evaluating the impact of systems thinking workshops on strategy implementation in a government department, Operational Research Society New Zealand, Wellington, New Zealand, pp. 337 - 337, presented at 46th ORSNZ Annual Conference, Wellington, New Zealand, 10 December 2012 - 11 December 2012
    Conference Papers | 2012
    Scott RJ; Cavana RY; Cameron D, 2012, 'Improving consensus and commitment to strategy implementation: evaluating systems thinking workshops', in Improving consensus and commitment to strategy implementation: evaluating systems thinking workshops, Australia and New Zealand Academy of Management, Perth, Australia, presented at Australia and New Zealand Academy of Management, Perth, Australia, 01 December 2012 - 04 December 2012,
    Theses / Dissertations |
    Scott R, Group model building and mental model change,

Current research projects:

  • Public service reform - currently working on a rewrite of New Zealand's State Sector Act 1988 on behalf of the New Zealand government, as well as supporting New Zealand's State Sector Leadership Team to lead New Zealand's public service reform programme.
  • Interagency performance targets - international research collaboration on targets and joined-up government, including a forthcoming book on interagency performance targets as part of a partnership between the Harvard University's Ash Centre for Governance and Democratic Innovation and the Brookings Institute.
  • Institutional memory - international research collaboration on institutional memory in public administration, particularly the retention of "learnings" through storytelling, including a forthcoming book with Cambridge University Press. 
  • Social identity as a driver of public servant behaviour - research on how antecedents and effects of identifying as being part of "the public service", particularly the effects on ingroup preference on cooperation, and behavioural norms.
  • The intersection between public service motivation and public service ethics - research to support public policy in New Zealand under the "spirit of service to the community" paradigm.