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Music: The Good News by SHANTI from https://tunetank.com/track/263-the-good-news/

At the end of October 2024, Israel’s parliament voted to ban the UN's Palestinian refugee agency (Unrwa) from operating within Israel and occupied East Jerusalem. While most of Unrwa's projects take place in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, it relies on agreements with Israel to operate. Thus, on a practical level, the ban on interacting with Israeli officials means it is now almost impossible for the agency's staff to operate effectively. Joining the show to discuss the Unrwa ban and the broader issues of when, why, and how states obstruct Humanitarian Assistance is Dr. William Plowright, an Assistant Professor of International Security at the School of Government and International Affairs at Durham University, where he teaches on the MSc Conflict Prevention and Peacebuilding and MSc Defence, Development and Diplomacy. Before joining Durham Will spent nearly a decade working in operational management in the humanitarian sector, for Doctors Without Borders / Medecins Sans Frontieres, in various countries and situations of armed conflict, mass displacement, detention, and disease outbreaks. He has just published a new book entitled “War on Rescue: The Obstruction of Humanitarian Assistance in the European Migration Crisis”, where he describes, analyses, and explains why and how governments block assistance to people in times of crisis. To learn more about our guest, Dr. Will Plowright, see his website at https://www.durham.ac.uk/staff/william-plowright/

More information on Dr. Will Plowright's book "War on Rescue: The Obstruction of Humanitarian Assistance in the European Migration Crisis”, can be found at https://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/9781501778353/the-war-on-rescue

Music: The Good News by SHANTI from https://tunetank.com/track/263-the-good-news/

On the 12th of November 2024, President Trump announced that “the Great Elon Musk, working in conjunction with American Patriot Vivek Ramaswamy, will lead the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Together, these wonderful Americans will pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies - essential to the “Save America” Movement.” On the show this week to discuss what reforms for efficiency gains are, what Musk and Ramaswamy might target, and what institutional hurdles they might face is my colleague Dr. Aung Hein, an Assistant Professor of Public Policy in the School of Government and International Affairs, and a core member of staff on our new MSc Public Policy starting next academic year. His research interests include state capacity, public bureaucracy, and civil service reforms. Before joining Durham, he led a policy research programme advising two successive Myanmar civilian governments.

To learn more about Dr. Aung Hein and his research visit https://www.durham.ac.uk/departments/academic/school-government-international-affairs/about-us/news/meet-assistant-professor-aung-hein/

To learn more about the MSc Public Policy at Durham's School of Government and International Affairs visit https://www.durham.ac.uk/public-policy

Relevant Literature:

Bevan G. and C. Hood 2006. What's Measured is What Matters: Targets and Gaming in the English Public Health Care System. Public Administration 84, 517-538.

Burgess S. and M. Ratto 2003. The Role of Incentives in the Public Sector: Issues and Evidence. Oxford Review of Public Policy 19, 285-300.

Finan, F. , B. A. Olken, and R. Pande 2015. Personnel Economics of the State. Cambridge: Bureau of Economic Research.

Hood C. 1991. A Public Management for All Seasons? Public Administration 69: 3-19.

Music: The Good News by SHANTI from https://tunetank.com/track/263-the-good-news/