Verna Smith

I am a Senior Lecturer in Public Policy and Academic Coordinator, Custom Professional Programmes for the School of Government at Victoria University of Wellington. A New Zealander, I have qualifications in sociology, politics and public policy. I have previously worked for a number of government agencies, in management and service development roles in housing, funding of non–profit agencies, social and family services, treatment and rehabilitation of people with disabilities and, most recently, building academic/public service partnerships to support evidence-based policy and practice. Prior to my current appointment, I led the development and management of a major research programme at Monash University for the improvement of neurotrauma services in Victoria, Australia. My PhD at Victoria University of Wellington focused on a comparative study of pay-for-performance policymaking in primary health care - this has been published in 2018 as Bargaining Power: Health Policymaking from England and New Zealand. I have also completed research recently into Social Investment and Whānau Ora, which have been published as book chapters.