NEWS - Bob Jordan is the Geary Institute for Public Policy's first expert in residence

Bob Jordan, a key figure in Ireland’s housing sector and former CEO of The Housing Agency, has joined the UCD Geary Institute for Public Policy as its first expert in residency.

As part of a new initiative aimed at strengthening ties between policymakers and fostering innovation in policy development, the Geary Institute has launched the Policy and Practice Expert Reflections (PAPERs) series. This programme allows industry professionals to spend three months at the Institute, offering insights into critical policy challenges they have encountered.

Open to individuals from Ireland’s civil and public service, as well as relevant NGOs and commercial entities, the expert residency scheme provides an opportunity for policymakers and practitioners to produce a 5,000-10,000-word analysis on a significant policy or practical issue they have faced.

With over 20 years of experience in the housing sector, Mr. Jordan led The Housing Agency from 2021 to 2024, overseeing the implementation of government housing policies. He previously served as CEO of the housing charity Threshold and was a special advisor to then-Housing Minister Simon Coveney between 2016 and 2017. As head of The Housing Agency, he collaborated with government departments, local authorities, and sectoral organizations to enhance housing supply and policy development.

Expressing his gratitude for the opportunity at UCD Geary Institute, Mr. Jordan, now an Adjunct Senior Research Fellow at UCD, emphasized the importance of a systems-thinking approach to tackling homelessness. He highlighted the need to understand how structural, institutional, and individual factors interact to develop effective solutions.

“The Expert in Residency programme is a fantastic example of collaboration between researchers and policymakers, fostering fresh ideas and real change," he said. "By working together, we can create and implement policies that lead to sustainable improvements for those in need.”

The residency is part of a broader initiative, Empowering Policy Excellence (EPEx), which seeks to enhance policymaking, implementation, and evaluation in Ireland, Europe, and beyond. EPEx aims to achieve this by strengthening relationships, increasing research impact capacity, and offering educational opportunities ranging from micro-credentials to doctoral-level training.

Participants in the residency programme will engage in seminars and training at UCD, access research resources, and connect with faculty members. This will help them acquire new skills while enabling UCD researchers to build stronger relationships with policymakers and practitioners, ultimately enhancing the impact of academic research.

Professor Michelle Norris, Director of the Geary Institute, noted that the programme encourages policymakers to move beyond immediate, reactive decision-making and instead take the time to develop innovative, long-term solutions to pressing societal issues.

"The expert residency programme and the PAPERs series will drive innovation within the policy system and foster greater collaboration between academic researchers and policymakers," she stated.

EPEx builds upon existing initiatives at UCD, particularly within the Geary Institute, while expanding support for research impact. This includes offering additional training, strategic advice, and events to improve research grant applications.

The programme also extends its international reach, enabling experts from leading policy institutes abroad to collaborate with the Geary Institute. Furthermore, Geary plans to partner with the Irish Civil Service Research Network to launch a monthly EPEx webinar series, where international experts will present research on policy innovations, with Irish policymakers providing insights on their relevance to Ireland.

These webinars aim to introduce fresh perspectives to the Irish policymaking landscape, inspire innovation, and potentially lead to masterclasses, seasonal schools, and micro-credential programmes in policy development and implementation.