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| Sydney Policy Lab | |
|---|---|
| Name | Sydney Policy Lab |
| Type | Research centre |
| Location | University of Sydney, Camperdown |
| Established | 2015 |
| Director | Mark Burgess |
| Affiliations | University of Sydney, Australian National University, University of Oxford |
Sydney Policy Lab The Sydney Policy Lab is an applied policy research centre based at the University of Sydney focused on translating research into actionable advice for public decision-makers. The Lab works across policy domains including public health, climate, urban planning, digital governance and Indigenous policy, engaging stakeholders from Australian Government, state agencies such as the New South Wales Government, municipal bodies like City of Sydney, and international partners including the United Nations and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. It combines methods from systems modelling, co-design, and evaluation to inform policy development linked to commissions, inquiries and parliamentary processes.
The Lab operates as an interdisciplinary hub connecting scholars from University of Sydney Business School, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Sydney Law School, UNSW, Macquarie University, and institutes including the USAID-linked programs, the Lowy Institute, and the Grattan Institute. Its remit intersects practitioners from Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (Australia), NSW Department of Planning and Environment, Australian Prudential Regulation Authority, and international bodies such as the World Health Organization, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, and Asian Development Bank. The Lab publishes policy briefs, technical reports and contributes to inquiries by entities like the Australian Parliament and state legislative committees.
Founded in the mid-2010s, the Lab emerged amid debates involving think tanks such as the Australian Strategic Policy Institute and research centres like the Crawford School of Public Policy and Australian Centre for Health Services Innovation. It built on traditions from the Policy Lab movement in United Kingdom universities and collaborations with innovators at Harvard Kennedy School, London School of Economics, Yale School of Management, and Stanford University. Early projects drew support from philanthropic organisations including the Paul Ramsay Foundation and the Ian Potter Foundation, alongside competitive grants from the Australian Research Council and partnerships with the CSIRO.
Projects have spanned public health responses referencing events like the COVID-19 pandemic and crises such as the 2019–20 Australian bushfire season, urban resilience work linked to Greater Sydney Commission strategies, and climate adaptation studies tied to the Paris Agreement. The Lab has deployed scenario modelling similar to methods used by the UK Cabinet Office and the International Energy Agency, conducted co-design workshops with stakeholders from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission-linked bodies and community groups, and evaluated pilot programs funded by entities like the National Health and Medical Research Council and the Department of Health (Australia). Outputs include toolkits for implementation used by NSW Health, policy roadmaps cited by the Treasury (Australia), and evidence syntheses informing inquiries led by the Senate of Australia.
The Lab offers training programs and short courses for public servants from agencies including the Australian Public Service Commission, state departments such as the Victorian Department of Premier and Cabinet, and international civil servants from ministries in Indonesia, Philippines, and Pacific Islands Forum. It supervises postgraduate research students enrolled in programs at the University of Sydney Business School, supports executive education in partnership with the Australian Graduate School of Management, and runs workshops drawing on pedagogy from the Blavatnik School of Government, John F. Kennedy School of Government, and implementation labs like Lab for Economic Opportunities.
The Lab collaborates with academic partners including Monash University, University of Melbourne, University of Queensland, and international centres such as Oxford Martin School, Brookings Institution, and Centre for Strategic and International Studies. It engages civil society partners like Australian Council of Social Service, community legal centres, and NGOs including Oxfam Australia and World Wildlife Fund Australia; corporate engagement involves consultancies such as KPMG Australia and firms like Accenture. Research networks include links to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation policy fora, the Commonwealth Secretariat, and collaborative grants with the European Commission.
Work from the Lab has informed policy instruments adopted by bodies like the New South Wales Parliament, submissions to Productivity Commission (Australia) inquiries, and guidance used by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Outputs have been cited in reports produced by the Grattan Institute, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, and cross-jurisdictional policy dialogues convened by the AUKMIN framework. The Lab’s evidence has featured in media outlets including coverage tied to debates on national reviews such as the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety and policy responses to the National Cabinet (Australia).
Governance involves university oversight through the University of Sydney Senate and advisory input from former public officials with backgrounds in agencies like the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Australia), Australian Bureau of Statistics, and former ministers from parties such as the Liberal Party of Australia and the Australian Labor Party. Funding sources combine university allocations, competitive grants from the Australian Research Council, philanthropic support from foundations such as the Myer Foundation, and commissioned work funded by federal and state agencies including the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications. The Lab maintains partnerships governed by memoranda of understanding with international partners including the United Nations Development Programme.