Prof. Dr. Dieter Grunow | Social Research and Political Consulting
The research group "Systems Analysis for Management and Policy" (SVP) was established in the winter semester of 1987/88 at the University of Duisburg. It is a continuation of research activities that were initiated within the framework of the "project team of management and public" in 1972 in Bielefeld, in which theoretical and empirical analyses in various fields of politics were created.
The research group is connected to the University of Duisburg-Essen as well as the Rhine-Ruhr Institute for Social Research and Political Consulting (RISP), in which above all (empirical) research projects and consultation tasks are carried out. The division is concerned with how to deal with basic problems of the current political and administrative system. Hence, the necessity arises to complement theoretical and methodical analysis through exchange, consultation and cooperation with "practitioners" in and outside of the public administration, associations and regional institutions.
In the framework of the research group, the conditions, which take part in the basic research as well as are able to work on application-orients current problems, have been gained through extensive empirical research practice in a variety of political and administrative areas. For this purpose we see the improvement of information and communication between “science and practice" as an essential condition.
The continuously updated overviews (over the past two years) are presented in brief form on (selected) publications of the research group members and on the writings and preprint series (SVP-materials) by the research group. With it, an overview of past and current work and results of the research group are given, and access to the available documents is made easier. A detailed publication list in form of a handout can be obtained by requested directly at the research group. The information on current topics are also provided by the research group created "news and information from the research", which appears annually or biannually.
Since 1998, a colloquium of public administration studies has been established. Research subjects are presented and discussed regularly (degree theses, doctoral theses, research projects, etc.).
A "laboratory of public administration studies" is currently emerging, offering a real and possibly a virtual platform for the discussion and handling of questions about policies and public administration studies like questions about methodological research, theoretical discussions, practical problems, simulations, etc.
Selected recent research projects have been:
- Creation of collectively binding decisions in a municipalisation process
- The Europeanization of public policies and multi-layer management systems
- Public responsiveness revisited
- Laboratory of public administration studies