Emma Brekelmans works as a PhD-Fellow at the Institute of Public Administration. Her research focuses on the quality of interaction between frontline professionals and citizen-clients in the context of public service delivery. Additionally, she teaches in the English Master Public Administration and Dutch Bachelor Bestuurskunde.

More information about Emma Brekelmans

Emma Brekelmans works as a PhD-Fellow at the Institute of Public Administration. Her research focuses on the quality of interaction between frontline professionals and citizen-clients in the context of public service delivery. Additionally, she teaches in the English Master Public Administration and Dutch Bachelor Bestuurskunde.   

Research

The central premise of Emma's research is that the quality of interactions between frontline professionals and citizen-clients is important for the process and outcomes of public service delivery.  

Currently, there is a lot of attention for the relationships and encounters between frontline professionals and citizen-clients. Public encounters – where frontline professionals and citizen-clients meet – are crucial for effective policy implementation and responsive public service delivery. In addition to direct outcomes such as achieving policy goals or gaining access to public services, these interactions also contribute to broader perceptions of government, such as trust in public institutions and democratic legitimacy.  

However, existing studies that focus on these encounters often focus on the perspective of one of these actors. They do not view the interaction as a whole, even though these encounters have the potential to bridge the gap between government and citizens. In this research, Emma brings together the disciplines of Public Administration and Social Psychology to better understand how interactions between frontline professionals and citizen-clients unfold for both sides. With this new focus on the shared perspective, she hopes to offer practical tools for improving public services.  

For more information about the research project, click here.

Education

Emma has been teaching in the Bachelor's programme Public Administration since 2023. Within this programme, she coordinates various courses and gives both lectures and seminars. She also provides support within the Master's programmes Public Administration and Public Sector Management.  

Education for professionals

Together with colleagues from the Institute of Public Administration and the Knowledge Centre for Psychology and Economic Behaviour, Emma contributes to the development and teaching of the training Behavioural Insights for Public Professionals: Better Interaction between Government and Citizens. This training for professionals in the public domain is unique in its combination of behavioural psychology and public administration practice.