Dr Sue Olney

Dr Sue Olney

Visiting Fellow
UNSW Canberra
School of Business

Associate Professor Sue Olney is a Visiting Fellow in the Public Service Research Group in the School of Business at UNSW Canberra and the UoM-BSL Principal Research Fellow in the School of Social and Political Sciences at the University of Melbourne. Her research examines market-based reform of public services with a focus on disability services, employment and the welfare-to-work service system. Sue has worked in universities, government and in the not-for-profit sector, and been involved in a range of cross-government, cross-sector and interdisciplinary research projects, government and community sector initiatives, committees and working groups to promote access and equity in employment, education, training and disability services in Australia and internationally. Her academic experience includes teaching and research on governance and public administration at the University of Melbourne, UNSW Canberra, ANU, and the Australia and New Zealand School of Government (ANZSOG). She is on the editorial board of the Australian Journal of Public Administration and is the Director of the social policy discussion platform Power to Persuade. Sue holds a PhD in Public Policy and a Master of Public Policy and Management from the University of Melbourne.

  • Book Chapters | 2023
    Olney S; Devine A, 2023, 'The right to work “on an equal basis with others”: examining disability employment policies in Australia through the lens of a health and economic crisis', in Robinson S; Fisher K (ed.), Research Handbook on Disability Policy, Edward Elgar, UK
    Book Chapters | 2021
    Blackman D; Olney S; Gardner K, 2021, 'Governance and Systems: Why Public Sector Performance Research Approaches Are Changing', in Handbook on Performance Management in the Public Sector, Edward Elgar
    Book Chapters | 2021
    Olney S, 2021, 'Inclusion, Work and Wellbeing: Shifting Perceptions of Disability and Employability Through the National Disability Insurance Scheme', in Cowden M; McCullagh C (ed.), The National Disability Insurance Scheme: An Australian Public Policy Experiment, Palgrave Macmillan
    Book Chapters | 2021
    Olney S, 2021, 'Not my problem: the impact of siloed performance management on policy design and implementation', in Handbook on Performance Management in the Public Sector
    Book Chapters | 2020
    Olney S, 2020, 'Serving the Public, But Not Public Servants?', in The Palgrave Handbook of the Public Servant, Springer International Publishing, pp. 1 - 19, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-03008-7_90-1
    Book Chapters | 2018
    Olney S; Gallet W, 2018, 'Markets, Mutual Obligation and Marginalisation: The Evolution of Employment Services in Australia', in Wrong Way How Privatisation and Economic Reform Backfired, Black Incorporated, pp. 131 - 146
  • Edited Books | 2021
    Blackman D; Buick F; Gardner K; Glennie M; Johnson S; O'Donnell M; Olney S, (eds.), 2021, Handbook on Performance Management in the Public Sector, Edward Elgar, https://www.e-elgar.com/shop/gbp/handbook-on-performance-management-in-the-public-sector-9781789901191.html
  • Journal articles | 2022
    Olney S; Devine A; Karanikolas P; Dimov S; Malbon J; Katsikis G, 2022, 'Disability and work in a health and economic crisis: Mitigating the risk of long-term labour market exclusion for Australians with disability through policy coordination', Australian Journal of Public Administration, 81, pp. 163 - 180, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1467-8500.12500
    Journal articles | 2019
    Olney S; Dickinson H, 2019, 'Australia's New National Disability Insurance Scheme: Implications for Policy and Practice', Policy Design and Practice, 2, pp. 275 - 290, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/25741292.2019.1586083
    Journal articles | 2018
    Carey G; Malbon E; Olney S; Reeders D, 2018, 'The Personalisation Agenda: The case of the Australian National Disability Insurance Scheme', International Review of Sociology, 28, pp. 20 - 34, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03906701.2018.1425084
    Journal articles | 2018
    Gardner K; Olney S; Dickinson H, 2018, 'Getting smarter with data: Understanding tensions in the use of data in assurance and improvement-oriented performance management systems to improve their implementation', Health Research Policy and Systems, 16, pp. 125, http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12961-018-0401-2
    Journal articles | 2017
    Carey G; Dickinson H; Olney S, 2017, 'What can feminist theory offer policy implementation challenges?', Evidence & Policy: A Journal of Research, Debate and Practice, http://dx.doi.org/10.1332/174426417x14881935664928
    Journal articles | 2017
    Carey G; Dickinson H; Olney S, 2017, 'What can feminist theory offer policy implementation challenges?', Evidence and Policy: a journal of research, debate and practice, 15, pp. 143 - 159, http://dx.doi.org/10.1332/174426417X14881935664929
    Journal articles | 2017
    Olney SJ, 2017, 'Should Love Conquer Evidence in Policy-Making? Challenges in Implementing Random Drug-Testing of Welfare Recipients in Australia', Australian Journal of Public Administration, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1467-8500.12297
  • Reports | 2022
    Olney S; Mills A; Fallon L, 2022, The Tier 2 tipping point: access to support for working-age Australians with disability without individual NDIS funding., University of Melbourne, https://apo.org.au/node/319016
    Reports | 2021
    Jacobs P; Olney S; Bonyhady B, 2021, Disability Workforce Data Project Stage 2 report: Considerations and recommendations to improve the quality of Victorian public sector workforce disability-related data
    Reports | 2020
    Devine A; Olney S; Mallett S; Dimov S; Katsikis G; Karanikolas A, 2020, Exploring the interface of the National Disability Insurance Scheme and Disability Employment Services: The influence on employment outcomes for Australians with disability, https://disability.royalcommission.gov.au/publications/exhibit-9-01204-exp005900010008-devine-s-olney-s-mallett-s-dimov-g-katsikis-and-karanikolas-exploring-interface-national-disability-insurance-scheme-and-disability-employment-services-influence-employment-outcome
    Reports | 2020
    Devine A; Smith-Merry J; Kavanagh A; Llewellyn G; Dimov S; Huska M; Dickinson H; Olney S; Fortune N; Green C, 2020, CRE-DH Response to the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability: Employment Issues Paper, https://disability.royalcommission.gov.au/system/files/submission/ISS.001.00341.PDF
    Reports | 2020
    Jacobs P; Olney S; Bonyhady B, 2020, Disability Workforce Data Project Stage 1 report: Considerations and recommendations to improve the quality of Victorian public sector workforce disability-related data
    Reports | 2020
    Jacobs P; Rangi M; Megarry J; de Vries T; Bonyhady B; Olney S; McVilly K, 2020, Increasing employment of people with disability in Victoria: A report to inform the next iteration of Every Opportunity
    Reports | 2019
    Gardner K; Olney S; Craven L; Blackman D, 2019, How can systems thinking enhance stewardship of public services?, Public Service Research Group, UNSW Canberra, Australia
    Reports | 2018
    Blackman D; Dickinson H; Gardner K; Buick F; Johnson S; Olney S, 2018, Submission to the Independent Review of the Australian Public Service. Public Service Research Group, School of Business, UNSW Canberra
    Reports | 2017
    Warr D; Dickinson H; Olney S; Hargrave J; Karanikolas A; Kasidis V; Katsikis G; Ozge J; Peters D; Wheeler J; Wilcox M, 2017, Choice, control and the NDIS: Service users' perspectives on having choice and control in the new National Disability Insurance Scheme, Melbourne Social Equity Institute, University of Melbourne, Melbourne
    Theses / Dissertations | 2016
    Olney S, 2016, False economy: New Public Management and the welfare-to-work market in Australia, https://minerva-access.unimelb.edu.au/handle/11343/115289