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Ongoing Research

The IPS conducts research across a wide range of topics in the broad areas of public policy and public management. See below for details concerning recent and ongoing research projects. A review of the research activities conducted by the IPS is available here.

For information on the Henry Lang Fellowship and the Holmes Prize in Public Policy, please go to the end of the page.

Emerging Issues Programme (EIP)
In 2006 Chief Executives in the public sector agreed to pool funds to enable the IPS to conduct research on emerging longer-term issues of cross-cutting significance to the whole public sector. Since then more than a dozen projects have been funded under the EIP. See the EIP page for further details.

Other Research
The IPS continues to sponsor research and research-informed discussions on a variety of other policy issues including constitutional matters (e.g. political finance, electoral reform, the head of state, etc.), economic issues (e.g. regulatory reform), the funding of research, science and technology. Current research projects include

Missing Men
This three-year Foundation for Research, Science and Technology research programme is led by Dr Paul Callister. It involves researchers from Victoria University and Waikato University, government agencies and the private sector. A key focus is on the gap between male and female educational participation and achievement, especially within Maori and Pacific populations. For further information, please click here for the project's page.

Criminal Justice Issues
The IPS has sponsored research and research-informed discussions on a variety of issues in the area of criminal justice. This has included the publication of several substantial volumes in recent years:Restorative Justice and Practices in New Zealand: Towards a Restorative Society(edited by Gabrielle Maxwell and James Liu) and Addressing the Causes of Offending: What is the Evidence? (edited by Gabrielle Maxwell).

Current research projects include:

  • Audits of community programmes for youth offenders
  • The preparation of a guide to effective programmes for youth at risk of serious and continued offending
  • The preparation of material on youth justice for Te Ara, the encyclopedia of New Zealand
  • Preparation of a proposal for collaborative research with researchers at the University of Plymouth on the extent to which restorative processes meet young offenders’ needs and respond to victims’ interest in New Zealand and the UK
  • Monitoring the effectiveness of current policy initiatives in addressing the cause of offending

Population Ageing Issues
In 2009 the New Zealand Institute for Research on Ageing (NZiRA) was incorporated into the IPS. Prior to this, the IPS had worked closely with NZiRA on various projects, including the hosting of research-informed events and the publication of a substantial volume (edited by Jonathan Boston and Judith Davey) on Implications of Population Ageing: Opportunities and Risks.

Current projects include a follow-up to the October Round Table on Support and caring for dependent older people – how should responsibility be shared? and presentations on the findings of the Families, Ageing and Migration project. A conference on Retirement Income Policies and Intergenerational Equity, is planned in collaborating with the Retirement Commission for July 2010. There is ongoing interest in workforce participation by older people and the application of the Active Ageing concept, in policy and in the community.

The Holmes Prize in Public Policy: Information on the Holmes Prize in Public Policy.
Henry Lang Fellowship: Information on the Fellowship and the recipients