Professor Oliver Hauser 鈥� academic secondment in government
Professor Oliver Hauser shares his experience of a secondment with the Cabinet Office Evaluation Task Force, applying academic expertise to real-world impact.
Professor Oliver Hauser, Cabinet Office Evaluation Task Force
Professor听Oliver Hauser, an academic听motivated by听real-world impact, worked with the Evaluation Task Force on a secondment in the Cabinet Office.听Oliver is Professor of Economics at the University of Exeter and is Deputy Director of the Institute for Data Science and Artificial听Intelligence.听
Motivation to work with听government听
Oliver first worked with the Evaluation Task Force (ETF) as a member of the external advisory panel. Seeking a deeper involvement, he volunteered his听time and听arranged a听1-day a week听secondment with the team.听This bespoke arrangement, enabled by flexibility and trust from both sides,听allowed Oliver to access government systems and resources, and to embed fully within the team. He reflects:
One of the things I love about being an academic is choosing where to put my time. There are many听ways you can make a听contribution, by educating听or听doing research听to听create听new knowledge.听My motivation to听join the ETF听was to support impact in the real world, helping the public sector.
Oliver鈥檚 work in government听
Oliver co-led a cross-government working group that developed an AI checklist for departments, supporting safe and effective adoption of new AI tools. He also worked with the ETF to publish a new annex to the Magenta Book,听providing听best practice guidance for evaluating the impact of AI interventions. This resource is designed to enhance the safety and confidence with which government departments adopt AI technologies.听Oliver has also led workshops and masterclasses on evaluation and AI across several departments in the Civil Service.
Lucie Moore, Head of the Evaluation Task Force, said:
Oliver has made a highly positive contribution during his time with the team. Colleagues have described working with him as both exciting and intellectually stimulating and have highlighted how much they have learnt from his expertise. He has also broadened our access to academic insight by connecting us with his wider network of academic contacts.
Advice for听academics
Oliver had worked with the Behavioural Insights Team during his PhD which helped him navigate the Civil Service environment. However, the day-to-day realities of a secondment were still a learning curve. He advises:
In a government secondment, you听need to be adaptable and ready to learn on the job. Priorities shift quickly, so听it鈥檚听important to focus on where you can add the most value.听听
Oliver encourages academics considering a secondment to remain open, collaborative, and flexible. He regularly discusses interests, ongoing work and new ideas with his line manager, and both are receptive to trying out innovative approaches. He advises that academics can add meaningful value to the public sector if they listen and make use of their expertise in a way that benefits the public sector. But:
If you come in with a fixed idea that听you听want to test this听one theory or听you听want听to just advance your own research agenda, you become a roadblock.听Instead, if you take the time to really understand听what听the team听needs,听then offer your help, it makes for a much better relationship.
Alongside the impact, I have learned to understand how the Civil Service works by talking to people and understanding听what鈥檚听valuable. That is something I can take back to academia.