Professor Deborah Blackman is the Associate Dean Lifelong Learning at UNSW, Canberra. She is responsible for the development of the UNSW Canberra microcredentialling portfolio, both in terms of content and researching how well such programs work.

As an active memberof the Public Service Research Group, in the School of Business my research interests include: Public Sector Policy Implementation, Systems Level Change, Employee Performance Management, Organisational Learning and Organisational Effectiveness. In 2021 I coedited the Handbook on Performance Management in the Public Sector. I have published internationally in journals including Public Administration Review, Management Learning, Management Decision, Journal of Knowledge Management and the Human Resources Development Quarterly.

I research knowledge transfer in a range of applied, real world contexts. My primary interest is using philosophical and systems explanations to understand why things do not work when theory implies that they should. From those enhanced understandings, new theories and applications can be developed to support the implementation of change or reform.  The common theme of my work is developing effective knowledge acquisition and transfer in order to improve organisational effectiveness.