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Lena Lindgren

Professor Emerita

School of Public Administration
Mail
lena.lindgren@spa.gu.se
Visiting address
Sprängkullsgatan 19
41123 Göteborg
Postal address
Box 712
40530 Göteborg

About Lena Lindgren

Background My academic background is a Doctorate degree in Political Science (1991) and Associate Profesor in Public Administration (2001). I mainly work with teaching and research focusing on theory and methods development in evaluation and policy analysis. I am also heavily involved in collaboration with the public sector. Research interests Over time, my research has focused on slightly different subjects. I have dealt with i) democray and institutionbuilding in Afria, ii) adult education, iii) the non-profit sector, iv) education policy, and v) evaluation research. The interest in evaluation research has always been there, but has been reinforced in recent years.

Evaluation research means research using proven scientific methods to assess and contribute to the improvement of different enterprises. In my own case I have carried out some 20 evaluations on commission for various government and muncipal agencies, mainly in the areas of education and social services. and research on evaluation itself as a practical and societal phenomenon. The concept of evaluation research also implies research on evaluation itself as a practical and societal phenomenon. My own such research has dealt with critically scrutinising the logic and functions in various forms of monitoring and evaluation systems such as performance measurement and user surveys. Current research projects Evaluation's consequences for primary and secondary school practice, control, accountability and operational changes. Financed by the Swedish Research Council 2012-2014. Collaborators: Anders Hanberger and Agneta Hult, Umeå University

Measures and measurement in GR municipalities. A study of open comparisons in geriatric care. Financed by FoU i Väst, the Göteborg Region Association of Local Authorities 2010-2012. Collaboration As part of my job at the School of Public Administration , I aid the municipalities in the VG Region with method support in evaluation questions. Increasingly over the last five years, I am moreover involved in evaluation capacity building in various central government agencies. Assignments

  • Member of the Swedish National Agency for Higher Education Scientific Council from 2011.
  • Member of SADEV's Advisory Council from 2011.
  • Member of the Swedish Schools Inspectorate Scientific Council from 2011.
  • Chair of the Swedish Evaluation Society 2008-2009; vice chair in 2006-2007.  

Teaching areas After working for over 20 years as a lecturer, my teaching experience is extensive. Above all, my teaching has taken place at the School of Public Administration where I have collaborated and coordinated a number of different courses at first, second and third-cycle level. I have also supervised a large number of projects and theses at first-cycle and master's level, as well as being a supervisor at third-cycle level. Currently, I am the coordinator for the master's course Implementation & evaluation, as well as collaborating in Policy analysis, which is a course at bachelor's level.

In terms of contract education, I have often been engaged as a lecturer, for example for courses given on assignment for government, regional and municipal agencies.