Biography

Chris McInerney, BA, MSc (Bradford) PhD (Limerick), is a lecturer public administration. His primary research interests focus on the interactions between the concepts, practices and processes of governance and social inclusion / exclusion, participatory democracy, the role of civil society in social change and the role of public administration in promoting social justice and social equity. He has published chapters and reports on governance, local and community development and has previously worked in a variety of civil society and international organisations.

Research Interests

My research interests may be broadly divided into:

i. Public Administration Praxis, essentially the overlap between public administration theory and practice, integrates my prior professional experiences and my academic interests in the field of public administration. I am currently developing this research in a number of settings. For example, I have been involved in a project with Ennis Town Council to develop a participatory strategy for the town to 2020 within the context of the National Spatial Strategy (NSS) . My work within this setting is complemented by parallel research undertaken on community engagement in other urban settings. Together, these research activities will provide valuable insights into the capacity of local level public administration systems to engage citizens in public policy processes and the types of institutional challenges that emerge as a result.

ii. Public Administration and social justice is a second, significant area of ongoing research. I have recently published a single authored book on this theme which looks at social justice as a challenge for public administration and at ways in which public administration might be supported to play a more proactive role in promoting and protecting social justice objectives.

iii. A third area of ongoing research interest is that of state-civil society relations. On this theme I am exploring the proposal that independent civil society capacity in Ireland and elsewhere is being gradually eroded , to the point where democratic integrity may be open to question and stress.

iv. Fourthly, as a lead member of the team which secured funding from the HEA/Irish Aid Programme of Strategic Co-operation to work with partner universities in Tanzania, Uganda and South Africa, I will be active in research on public administration systems in an African context. We are currently exploring a new collaboration in the area of collaborative local development processs.

v. Finally, I am also currently undertaking research on the use of Problem Based Learning as an approach to teaching politics. This is being done via the development of a PBL laboratory i.e. a series of explorations of PBL in different politics modules, both at undergraduate and postgraduate levels followed by robust evaluation of these explorations.

Professional Activities

Committee

  • 2012 Student Status Committee,
  • 2011 PPA Departmental Teaching Committee,

Association

  • 2011 Member., Political Science Association of Ireland.
  • 2011 Member., International Political Science Association.
  • 2011 Member., American Society for Public Administration.

Employment

  • 2011 University of Limerick - Lecturer (Current)
  • 2010 University of Limerick - Postdoctoral Research Fellow 2010-2011
  • 2008 Tipperary Institute (Now LIT Tipperary) - Lecturer 2008-2010
  • 2001 United Nations Development Programme, East Timor - Civil Society / Civic Education Manager 2001-2003
  • 1994 Community Workers' Co-operative (CWC), Ireland - National Co-ordinator 1994-2001
  • 1994 Agecncy for Personal Services Overseas - Co-ordinator, Election Observer Group, South Africa 1994
  • 1991 Developing the West Together - Executive Secretary 1991-1994
  • 1988 Trocaire, The Irish Catholic Agency for Overseas Development - Southern Africa Project Officer

Education

  • 2009 University of Limerick - PhD
  • 1987 University of Bradford, UK - MSc
  • 1985 NIHE / University of Limerick - BA European Studies

Outreach

  • Since 2011 have supported a two stage process in the development of a Strategy for Ennis as a Hub Town under the National Spatial Strategy, in partnership with Ennis town Council. The first involved working with two groups of masters students from UL in the planning and delivery of a community visioning exercise. The second and more recent stage involved the facilitation of Town and County Council staff and other civil society partners in the finalisaton of the Hub Strategy. This partnership will continue to provide civic engagement opportunities for students over the coming years
  • In the first half of 2012 I was involved in supporting a major public engagement exercise around the future of Limerick City Centre and the so called ‘Opera Centre' site, in conjunction with masters students. The report from this exercise was presented to Limerick City Councillors and officials in early June, 2012.

Language

  • French

Peer Reviewed Journals

2013

Problem Based Learning and Civic Engagement – Shifting the focus of learning in public policy education

McInerney Chris and Adshead Maura (2013) Problem Based Learning and Civic Engagement – Shifting the focus of learning in public policy education. Ps-Political Science & Politics

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Books

2014

Challenging Times - Challenging Administration: The Role of Public Administration in Promoting Social Justice

McInerney, Chris (2014) Challenging Times - Challenging Administration: The Role of Public Administration in Promoting Social Justice. Manchester : Manchester University Press

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2010

The Challenge of Community Participation in the Delivery of Public Services: Exploring Local Participatory Governance in Ireland'.

McInerney Chris and Adshead Maura (2010) The Challenge of Community Participation in the Delivery of Public Services: Exploring Local Participatory Governance in Ireland'. . Dublin : NESF

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Book Chapters

2013

Participation in Public Policy

McInerney Chris (2013) Participation in Public Policy. Dublin : Glasnevin Press Power Policy and Democracy: Participation in Public policy in Ireland

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2012

Expanding the Role of the University in Promoting Civic Engagement

McInerney, Chris (2012) Expanding the Role of the University in Promoting Civic Engagement. Dublin : Political Studies Association of Ireland Citizens Voices: Experiments in Democratic Renewal and Reform

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2010

Social Partnership in Ireland, Diluting or Deepening Democracy

McInerney, Chris (2010) Social Partnership in Ireland, Diluting or Deepening Democracy. Denmark : Aarhus University Press Nation-States in Transformation: Economic Globalisation, International Mediation and Political Values

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2009

Community Development: Visions of Social Change or Social Control

McInerney, Chris (2009) Community Development: Visions of Social Change or Social Control. Dublin : Blackhall Theorising Youth and Community Work in Ireland: Critical Perspectives

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2008

Ireland's National Anti-Poverty Strategy as New Governance

Adshead, M; McInerney, C (2008) Ireland's National Anti-Poverty Strategy as New Governance. Basingstoke : Palgrave The Theory and Practice of Local Governance and Economic Development :233-254

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Edited Books

This author has not written any publications of this type yet.

Other Journals

2009

Citizenship, governance and democracy: implications and possibilities for community work approaches

McInerney, Chris (2009) Citizenship, governance and democracy: implications and possibilities for community work approaches. Maynooth : NUIM Journal of Community Work

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Conference Publications

This author has not written any publications of this type yet.

Conference Contributions

2012

UL Centre for Social Issues Research Seminar Series

McInerney, Chris (2012) UL Centre for Social Issues Research Seminar Series.

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2012

Fostering diversification of local economies by using innovative Socio-economic methods of Urban Rehabilitation in deprived urban areas

McInerney, Chris (2012) Fostering diversification of local economies by using innovative Socio-economic methods of Urban Rehabilitation in deprived urban areas.

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2012

Symposium of the PSAI Specialist Sub Group on Participatory and Deliberative Democracy

McInerney, Chris: Carney, Gemma (2012) Symposium of the PSAI Specialist Sub Group on Participatory and Deliberative Democracy.

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2012

22nd World Congress of Political Science - International Political Science Assocation Conference

McInerney, Chris (2012) 22nd World Congress of Political Science - International Political Science Assocation Conference.

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2012

PIDOP (Processes Influencing Democratic Ownership and Participation) Conference

McInerney, Chris (2012) PIDOP (Processes Influencing Democratic Ownership and Participation) Conference.

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2011

Facilitate PBL Conference

McInerney, Chris; Adshead, Maura; NíShé, Eidin; Deverell, Andrea. (2011) Facilitate PBL Conference.

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2011

Social Policy Association Annual Conference, UK

McInerney, Chris (2011) Social Policy Association Annual Conference, UK.

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2011

Political Studies Association of Ireland Annual Conference

McInerney, C (2011) Political Studies Association of Ireland Annual Conference.

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2010

Teagasc Irish Rural Studies Symposium

McInerney, Chris; Lynch, Kieran; Keating, Paul. (2010) Teagasc Irish Rural Studies Symposium.

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Published Reports

2012

Renewing Limerick 2012- Perspectives on the future of Limerick City Centre

McInerney, Chris (2012) Renewing Limerick 2012- Perspectives on the future of Limerick City Centre. Limerick : University of Limerick

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Editorials

This author has not written any publications of this type yet.

Book Reviews

This author has not written any publications of this type yet.

Other Publications

2012

Planning Beyond Recession - Ennis 2020

McInerney Chris with Ennis Town Council (2012) Planning Beyond Recession - Ennis 2020. Ennis : Clare County Council

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2012

Civic Engagement – Concepts and Challenges. A participatory concept paper

McInerney, Chris (2012) Civic Engagement – Concepts and Challenges. A participatory concept paper.

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2009

From Exclusion to inclusion? Reflections on the Celtic Tiger,

Adshead, M; McInerney, C (2009) From Exclusion to inclusion? Reflections on the Celtic Tiger,. :1-24

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