Alex Matheson

Biography

Alex Matheson is currently a New Zealand-based adviser on public governance and management, working for central agencies in the New Zealand government, undertaking university teaching and research and periodic international development consultancies.

From 1996 to the beginning of 2005, Alex was the senior public management expert for two international organisations. From December 1999 to early 2005, he was Division Chief, Budgeting and Management, in the OECD Paris, providing analytical and advisory services on Governance, Budgeting and Management to the senior central agency officials of the 30 OECD member states, and the governments of major transitional economies. From 1997 to end of 1999 he was senior public sector management advisor for the Commonwealth Secretariat, London, playing an advisory and consulting role for Ministers and senior central agency officials in a range of countries in Africa, the Caribbean, and the South Pacific.

Before working for the OECD and the Commonwealth, Alex was a public servant in New Zealand working in senior positions in four government departments. For 16 years this was as a diplomat, (including postings in Seoul, Canberra and Suva) and a senior policy adviser and manager involved in foreign policy, international development and departmental management for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The next nine years were in Senior Executive Service level positions in the Department of Tourism, the Department of Justice, and the State Services Commission. These Assistant and Deputy Secretary level management positions involved membership of the departmental management board and a wide range of specific responsibilities covering policy development, national and international policy implementation, audit and evaluation and structural change. Responsibility also included the implementation of public management reform at the sectoral as well as the whole of government levels.