I am Associate Professor in Public Policy and Policy Analysis at the Institute of Public Administration of Leiden University, where I currently chair the Politics and Governance section.

My current research program examines the demands for knowledge and advice of policy makers under conditions of uncertainty and complexity; the conditions fostering and impeding evidence-informed policy making; and the politics of policy evaluation. In addition, I am involved in research projects about policy advice production and use within and outside the civil service (such as parliaments, think tanks, consultants, and political party study centers).  Method-wise, I developed a particular interest in case-oriented and set-theoretic approaches to comparative policy analysis, and in theory-based evaluation methods.

I am serving in several national and international networks including the International Public Policy Association (Executive Committee member); the International Research Group for Policy and Program Evaluation (INTEVAL); the International Network for Intergovernmental Science Advice (INGSA-Europe Advisory board member); the Flemish Evaluation Association (board member); the working group on policy evaluation of the Dutch Evaluation Association Vide (beroepsvereniging voor toezichthouders, inspecteurs, handhavers en evaluatoren); and COMPASSS COMPArative Methods for Systematic cross-caSe analysis (advisory board). I am also a founding member and former co-chair of the Permanent Study Group on ‘Policy Design and Evaluation’ of the European Group for Public Administration.

In addition, I am Associate Editor for Policy Design and Practice, co-editor of the Policy Innovation section of the Journal of Comparative Policy Analysis: Research and Practice, and serving on the editorial boards of the American Journal of Evaluation; Evaluation and Program Planning; Public Policy Journal; Beleidsonderzoek Online; and Vlaams Tijdschrift voor Overheidsmanagement.  

Previously, I occupied positions as doctor-coordinator of the Policy Research Center Governmental Organisation and Decisive Government in Flanders (Steunpunt Bestuurlijke Organisatie Vlaanderen); researcher and lecturer at KU Leuven Public Governance Institute, and programme co-ordinator of the advanced Master of European Politics and Policies at KU Leuven Institute for International and European Policy. In 2014 I completed my PhD, entitled: “Policy evaluation activity unravelled. A configurational analysis of the incidence, number, locus and quality of policy evaluations in the Flemish public sector” (shortlisted for the Jaarprijs Politicologie, the annual prize for the best PhD in political science defended in the Netherlands or Flanders).

My full CV can be received upon request.