Zahra Mansoor
Welcome – I am a Lecturer (Assistant Professor) in Public Policy at the School for Policy Studies, University of Bristol.
I work in close collaboration with governments in low- and middle-income countries across South Asia and Africa to answer research questions pertaining to service delivery, policy implementation, civil service reform, and evidence-based decision making. My research has been funded by the International Growth Center (IGC), Economic Development Institutions (EDI), World Bank, and the University of Oxford.
Research Interests
I answer research questions that are important academic puzzles but also equally important to policymakers such as: how can public sector organisations improve the performance of bureaucrats through financial and non-financial incentives? Why are governments often unable to implement policy reforms despite best laid plans, and what can governments do about this? How do system-level civil service policies affect day-to-day functioning and performance of bureaucrats?
I use experimental and quasi experimental methods to answer my questions of interest, while drawing on data from large-scale surveys and administrative data.
Research (highlights)
“Making Recognition Count: Evidence from a Public Sector Teacher Training in Pakistan". Forthcoming January 2027 Economic Development and Cultural Change. (pre-print version)
​
​​
“Systems Approaches to Public Service Delivery: Methods and Frameworks” (with Martin Williams). Journal of Public Policy Volume 44, Issue 2, June, pp. 258 – 283. (journal full-text [open access])
​
​
​Working Papers
​
​
"The Design of Delivery Units in Institutional Reform” (with Martin Williams and Dana Qarout). Under review.