Matthew Collins

(he/him)

Publication

• Date
• Type

Research

My research interest centres around UK politics and public administration.  I mainly investigate issues to do with the Civil Service, ministers, and the relationship between the two.  I am particularly interested in the different expertises prevalent amongst those workforces; how they are developed, and the impact of their presence (or lack thereof) on policy outcomes.  I am also interested in the changing nature of trust and accountability, and how Members of Parliament and the public alike hold the executive to account.

My doctoral research focussed on individual policy capacity, the centrepiece of which was a Delphi Method study with UK Government ministers forming the expert panel.  I contribute a new typology of competence, and attempt to redefine the boundaries of individual policy capacity.  My thesis was titled "In The Thick of It: a critical evaluation of the Home Civil Service policy profession".

I have published on the issues above and continue to conduct new research.  I am currently investigating the role of churn on the effectiveness of the UK Policy Profession; whilst a topic that has received much anecdotal focus, there remains no empirical study demonstrating the extent of this issue.  I am also looking at the relevance of class-based cultural capital in judgements about competence in the Civil Service.

Teaching

Cardiff University

• Introduction to Social Policy (first year UG)
• Introduction to Government (first year UG)
• Governing Modern Britain (second year UG)

University of Birmingham; University of Portsmouth

• Dissertation supervision on Masters of Public Administration programmes.

I am a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

Biography

Education

• Doctor of Social & Public Policy (2025), Cardiff University
• MA in Public Policy, Distinction (2019), University of York
• Graduate Diploma in Law (2017), City University London
• BA(Hons) in Music, 2.i (2015), University of York

Other professional background

• UK Civil Service, 2016 to present
• HM Forces, Reservist, 2019 to present

Professional memberships

• Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
• Political Studies Association
• Socio-Legal Studies Association

Academic positions

• Graduate tutor, Cardiff University, 2023 to present
• MPA Dissertation supervisor, University of Birmingham, 2025
• MPA Dissertation supervisor, University of Portsmouth, 2025

Committees and reviewing

I serve as a peer reviewer for Public Money & Management and Evidence & Policy