Introduction to Program Evaluation

Dr Rodrigo Praino is Associate Professor of Politics and Public Policy at Flinders University. He holds a PhD in Political Science and has received several prestigious fellowships, scholarships and awards, including a Fulbright Scholarship. In 2018 he became the first political scientist to win a Tall Poppy Science Award for excellence is scientific research and communication.

A/Professor Praino was the Director of the Flinders postgraduate program in Public Policy and Public Management for almost a decade. He is an expert in decision-making and political behaviour and has conducted successful research on elections, focusing on how voters make decisions in a context of low-information. His publications in this area cover a wide range of issues, including the effect of political scandals and corruption, the political behavior of young voters, the political representation of women, and the role of candidate physical appearance.

A/Professor Praino is also one of the only scholars in Australia engaged in research on space policy. This is a growing field of research that is quickly becoming extremely important. He is particularly interested in understanding and analysing the importance of space assets for defence, economic development, international relations, and decision-making. He is founder of the Space Power and Policy Applied Research Consortium (SPPARC), which conducts research on space policy.

A/Prof Praino’s research has been published by top peer-reviewed academic journals in the Social Sciences, including Political Behavior, The British Journal of Politics and International Relations, American Politics Research and Government and Opposition. It has attracted funding from various sources, including the Australian Research Council, SmartSat CRC, Defence, and UNICEF. It has also featured in major international media outlets, including the Washington Post, the Huffington Post, Politico, the Times of India, the Pew Research Centre and the Herald Sun.