Building lasting relationships for policy impact | Interview with Seán Ó Foghlú скачать в хорошем качестве

Building lasting relationships for policy impact | Interview with Seán Ó Foghlú

In this interview, Seán Ó Foghlú draws on his extensive experience in government and academia to emphasise the importance of building long-term, trust-based relationships in policy engagement. He explains why effective influence comes not from one-off contacts or isolated projects, but from developing networks, understanding policymaker perspectives, and approaching engagement with curiosity, humility, and persistence. His reflections highlight how researchers can move beyond transactional exchanges to foster deeper, enduring partnerships that shape real policy outcomes over time. [Video chapters] 0:00 - Intro 0:21 - Understanding Policy Work 2:19 - Engaging Policy Makers 3:21 - Early Career Research Seán Ó Foghlú is a Senior Fellow in Public Policy working in Maynooth University in the area of research, teaching and civic engagement, relating to public policy and is working across the university in advancing the aims of the university on external engagement. The role involves developing networks of engagement and practice on public policy development, effectiveness and practice, prioritising areas for work to be advanced and advancing such work areas. He is also working in collaboration with the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science with a view to developing linkages with other universities. He was Secretary General of the Department of Education for 10 years until February 2022. The first eight and a half years was with the Department of Education and Skills which included responsibility for the further and higher education sectors. He has 30 years of experience in Irish civil and public service, including four at Assistant Secretary level in the Department of Education and seven years as chief executive of the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland. In his career, he has extensive experience as a senior official in policy development, strategic planning, evaluation of policy and service delivery, team-leading of functional areas and projects, and implementation of key policies. He has strong experience in cross-sectoral working and in working with the political system. This video is part of the ‘Policy Engagement’ training programme delivered by the Institute for Methods Innovation and funded under the Research Ireland Discover Programme.