Barbara is Assistant Professor of Public Management and Policy with particular interest and expertise in public services reform, management and delivery at local, national, and international levels of government. She holds a PhD in Public Policy from Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada.

She is an expert in public procurement and public service commissioning, and is particularly interested in new forms of service delivery and the implementation of policy through policy instruments. Barbara Ann has extensive background in public policy and public management gathered from experience and study in logistics, operational management, governance, and business transformation. She has been lead researcher for the 4 year UK Department of Communities and Local Government funded project, Evaluation of the Local Government Procurement Agenda. She developed the Commissioning portfolio of programmes at the University of Birmingham and a new Masters degree in Public Service Commissioning. She has also taught extensively across MPA, MBA and specialist Diploma programs both in the UK and Canada. 

Barb is also a Research Associate with CRUISE, the Carleton University Research Unit on Innovation, Science and the Environment, in Ottawa, Canada. Barb was Vice-Chair of IPSERA, the International Purchasing and Supply Education Research Association for 3 years and is active in IPSERA, public management academic communities, and the International Public Procurement conference.