Michael Di Francesco's picture

Michael Di Francesco

Associate Professor, Policy and Governance

Qualifications

BEc (Hons I) University of Sydney

PhD (Public Policy) Australian National University

Contact details

Book

Di Francesco, M. and Alford, J. 2016. Balancing Control and Flexibility in Public Budgeting: A New Role for Rule Variability. Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 978-981-10-0340-0.

Journal Articles

Di Francesco, M. 2020. A signal failure: Sports grants, public servants, and traffic lights. Australian Journal of Public Administration. 79 (4): 584-591.

Di Francesco, M. 2018. Key practices in multiyear budgeting: The medium-term budget framework. European Public Mosaic (EPuM) Open Journal on Public Management. Issue 5 (May): 20-35.

Di Francesco, M. and Alford, J. 2017. Balancing budget control and flexibility: The central finance agency as ‘responsive regulator’. Public Management Review. 19 (7): 972-989.

Di Francesco, M. 2016. Rules and flexibility in public budgeting: The case of budget modernisation in Australia. Australian Journal of Public Administration. 75 (2): 236-248.

Di Francesco, M. and Alford, J. 2016. Budget rules and flexibility in the public sector: Towards a taxonomy. Financial Accountability & Management. 32 (2): 232-256.

Di Francesco, M. and Barroso, R. 2015. Bottom-up costing within medium term expenditure frameworks: A survey of practices in selected OECD countries. Public Budgeting & Finance. 35 (3): 44-67.

Di Francesco, M. 2013. Under cover of Westminster: Enabling and disabling a public service commission in New South Wales. Australian Journal of Public Administration. 72 (4): 391-396. (2014 AJPA Sam Richardson Award)

Di Francesco, M. 2012. Grand designs? The ‘managerial’ role of ministers within Westminster-based public management policy. Australian Journal of Public Administration. 71 (3): 257-268.

Di Francesco, M. 2010. Do state sector restructures deliver? Applying an evidence-based approach. Public Sector. 33 (1): 10-12.

Di Francesco, M. 2001. Process not outcomes in new public management? Policy coherence in Australian government. Australian Review of Public Affairs. 1 (3): 103-116.

Di Francesco, M. 2000. An evaluation crucible: Evaluating policy advice in Australian central agencies. Australian Journal of Public Administration. 59 (1): 36-49. (2001 AJPA Sam Richardson Award)

Di Francesco, M. 1999. Measuring performance in policy advice output: Australian developments. International Journal of Public Sector Management. 12 (5): 420-431.

Di Francesco, M. 1999. Variations on the independence theme: The audit office in colonial Australia. Canberra Bulletin of Public Administration. 91 March: 43-60.

Di Francesco, M. 1999. Ethnicity and Australian politics: A comment on Zappala. Australian Journal of Political Science. 34 (3): 425-427.

Di Francesco, M. 1999. The measure of policy? A reply to Mackay. Australian Journal of Public Administration. 58 (2): 107-109.

Di Francesco, M. 1998. The measure of policy? Evaluating the evaluation strategy as an instrument for budgetary control. Australian Journal of Public Administration. 57 (1): 33-48.

Book Chapters

Di Francesco, M. and Alford, J. 2021. Balancing budget control and flexibility: The central finance agency as ‘responsive regulator’. In M. Sicilia and I. Steccolini, Eds, Public Budgeting in Search for an Identity: State of the Art and Future Challenges. Routledge: 68-85.

Head, B. and Di Francesco, M. 2019. Using evidence in Australia and New Zealand. In A. Boaz, H. Davies, A. Fraser and S. Nutley, Eds, What Works Now? Evidence-informed Policy and Practice. The Policy Press: 303-319.

Di Francesco, M. 2015. Policy analysis instruction in Australia. In B. Head and K. Crowley, Eds, Policy Analysis in Australia. The Policy Press: 261-282.

Di Francesco, M. 2014. An evaluation crucible: Evaluating policy advice in Australian central agencies. In B. Guy Peters and J. Pierre, Eds, Public Administration: Volume Three. Sage: 3-20.

Di Francesco, M. 2012. The public service. In D. Clune and R. Smiths, Eds, From Carr to Keneally: NSW Labor in Office 1995-2011. Allen & Unwin: 85-99.

Di Francesco, M. and Eppel, E. 2011. A public management heresy? Exploring the ‘managerial’ role of ministers within public management policy design. In B. Ryan and D. Gill, Eds, Future State: Directions for Public Management in New Zealand. Victoria University Press: 123-158.

Pierce, J. and Di Francesco, M. 2007. Results and services plans and budget reform in New South Wales. In M. Robinson, Ed, Performance Budgeting: Linking Funding and Results. Palgrave Macmillan: 250-273.

Di Francesco, M. 2000. The contract state and the public interest. In G. Patmore and D. Glover, Eds, For the People: Reclaiming Our Government. Labor Essays 2001. Pluto Press: 43-55.

Uhr, J. and Di Francesco, M. 1996. Improving practices in policy evaluation. In J. Uhr and K. Mackay, Eds, Evaluating Policy Advice: Learning From Commonwealth Experience. Federalism Research Centre ANU and Australian Department of Finance: 41-57.

Di Francesco, M. 1996. Policy advice and evaluation: A guide to the literature. In J. Uhr and K. Mackay, Eds, Evaluating Policy Advice: Learning From Commonwealth Experience. Federalism Research Centre ANU and Australian Department of Finance: 161-170.

Working and Occasional Papers

Di Francesco, M. and Alford, J. 2015. Flexible Government Budgeting: Not Fewer Rules, Just Different Ones. Occasional Paper 27, VPSC-ANZSOG Partnership Series, December. ANZSOG, Melbourne.

Di Francesco, M. and Barroso, R. 2015. Review of International Practices for Determining Medium Term Resource Needs of Spending Agencies. Policy Research Working Paper WPS7289, June. The World Bank, Washington DC.

Refereed Blogs

Di Francesco, M. 2015. Closing a gap? The role of bottom-up costing within MTEFs. Public Financial Management Blog (blog-pfm.imf.org/pfmblog/). International Monetary Fund Fiscal Affairs Department (IMF-FAD). 9 December 2015.

Refereed Book Reviews

Di Francesco, M. 2021. Review of ‘T. Mercer, R. Ayres, B. Head and J. Wanna. Eds. Learning Policy, Doing Policy: Interactions between Public Policy Theory, Practice and Teaching (ANU Press)’. Economic Record. 97 (318): 444-447.

Di Francesco, M. 2020. Review of ‘B. Radin, Policy Analysis in the Twenty-First Century: Complexity, Conflict, and Cases (Routledge)’. Australian Journal of Public Administration. 79 (1): 166-168.

Di Francesco, M. 2012. Review of ‘C. Dahlstrom, B. Guy Peters and J. Pierre, Eds, Steering From the Centre: Strengthening Political Control in Western Democracies (University of Toronto Press)’. Australian Journal of Public Administration. 71 (1): 92-93.

Di Francesco, M. 2005. ‘Review of J. Wanna, L. Jensen and J. de Vries, Eds, Controlling Public Expenditure: The Changing Roles of Central Budget Agencies (Edward Elgar)’. Australian Journal of Political Science. 40 (2): 333-345.

Di Francesco, M. 2002. ‘Review of C. Aulich, J. Halligan and S. Nutley, Eds, Australian Handbook of Public Sector Management (Allen & Unwin)’. Australian Journal of Political Science. 37 (1): 176-177.

Di Francesco, M. 2001. ‘Review of I. Culpitt, Social Policy and Risk (Sage)’. Australian Journal of Political Science. 36 (2): 404-405.

Di Francesco, M. 1999. ‘Review of M. Dean and B. Hindess, Eds, Governing Australia: Studies in Contemporary Rationalities of Government (Cambridge University Press)’. Australian Journal of Political Science. 34 (1): 106-107.

Di Francesco, M. 1999. ‘Review of R. Reich, Locked in the Cabinet (Alfred A Knopf)’. Australian Journal of Public Administration. 58 (3): 124-125.

Di Francesco, M. 1996. ‘Review of J. Boston, Ed, The State Under Contract (Bridget Williams Books)’. Australian Journal of Political Science. 31 (2): 253.

Di Francesco, M. 1996. ‘Review of Guidelines on Official Conduct of Commonwealth Public Servants (AGPS)’. Public Administration and Development. 16 (2): 189.

Di Francesco, M. 1995. ‘Review of F. Leeuw, R. Rist and R. Sonnichsen, Eds, Can Governments Learn? Comparative Perspectives on Evaluation and Organisational Learning (Transaction)’. Australian Journal of Public Administration. 54 (1): 141-142.

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