Dr Paul Walley

Professional biography

Paul is particularly interested in the transfer of contemporary operations management practices, such as lean thinking, from the private sector into public sector organisations.  He is widely known for his research into healthcare management, publishing a number of influential reports into the design and improvement of healthcare systems. His work is now being extended to working with police services across the UK.  The current focus of his work is to study the ways in which police services manage demand and capacity.  He has worked with Gloucestershire Constabulary on an in-depth study of demand had how the service meets that demand.  He is also studying the ways in which work is prioritised, using the "Nationals Decision Model" and methods such as THRIVE+.  The next stage of this research will be to survey demand management methods across the police service.

Paul is a highly respected trainer and facilitator in lean thinking and quality management approaches to continuous improvement.  He has used his skills to train managers and healthcare professionals all over the world, including Canada, Denmark, Ireland, Italy and the US.  He has worked on a number of highly successful collaborative system improvement programmes with organisations worldwide using an action-learning approach.  Paul likes to use games and simulations as part of his teaching.  Paul is also particularly experienced in the development of online learning, having successfully developed modules in three UK Business Schools.  

In his role as Director of Learning within the University's Centre for Policing Research and Learning Paul visits police forces across the country to advise on the study of the Open University's courses and also to help deliver innovative "Evidence Cafés".