Professor Colin Copus
Biography
Colin Copus is Professor of Local Politics in the Department of Public Policy, De Montfort University. Previously he was a Senior Lecturer at the Institute of Local Government Studies, Birmingham University. Earlier experiences include working as a local government officer and a policy researcher in the House of Commons. He has served as a councillor on a London Borough, a county and a district council and two parish councils.
Research interests
His main research interests are local party politics, local political leadership and decision-making, the changing role of the councillor and small party and independent politics.
Colin has recently concluded two major research projects: the first was a Leverhulme funded project exploring the role and impact of small political parties, independent politics and political associations in local government; the second, a Nuffield funded comparative project examining the roles, responsibilities and activities of councillors across Europe.
He has conducted research studies commissioned by the Department of Communities and Local Government and co-authored publications including ‘Making the Most of the New Constitutions’ (2003) ‘The Development of Overview and Scrutiny’ (2002) and New Council Constitutions (2000). Colin has wide experience of working with a range of local authorities on research projects and providing learning events for councillors and officers.
ProGov People
“ The mark of a professional civil service is having at hand a number of informed policy choices for any given scenario. The key to this is a strong, internationally-informed knowledge base.”
— Mark Evans, Director of the Institute of Governance, ANZSOG
“ Those who lead public sector organisations have the capacity to innovate by listening to all their stakeholders and properly evaluating their responses.”
— Richard Common, Senior Research Fellow in Public Management, Manchester Business School
“ Few people are born leaders — most have to learn how to acquire the skills that make them effective managers and communicators. Good public sector management is about leading teams”
— Andrew Massey, Professor of Public Administration, University of Exeter
“ Any idiot can make a decision, or design a policy. The real challenge is developing the capacity to actually implement the decision.”
— Wayne Parsons, Profesor of Public Policy, Queen Mary, University of London
“ Learning online can be as engaging and effective as in any classroom, with the advantages of flexible timing and interaction with international participants”
— Ellen Roberts, director of the e-Masters in Public Policy and Management at the University of York