I am a researcher in public administration, organisational theory, and governance. I completed my PhD at Bocconi University in 2024, where I have also taught as an Academic Fellow, and I recently concluded a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Milan–Bicocca.

In my research I am especially interested in how representative government can learn from and about the public through public administration. During my PhD I developed a novel perspective of learning from citizen voice in service of representation, using mixed methods to explore how public actors can learn through accountability processes initiated by members of the public and civil society organisations. Other research interests include strategic governance, organizational theory and causes and consequences of workforce diversity.

Prior to my PhD I was a member of the UK's Government Economic Service, working as an analytical adviser on a range of policy areas and activities including better regulation, the EU's single market in goods, impact assessment, domestic Brexit impacts and higher education reform. I also worked as a secondee to the Italian public administration as part of a bilateral initiative on the Digital Single Market. 

For more information, keep an eye on my research page or send me an email at rebecca.kirley@unibocconi.it. Full CV available on request.

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