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Michael O’Neil

Michael O'Neil

Michael O’Neil

Associate Professor Michael O’Neil is the Executive Director of the South Australian Centre for Economic Studies (SACES). SACES provides applied research, analysis and commentary on contemporary economic, social and public policy issues. SACES’s contract research and consulting services are regularly engaged by public and private sector clients to address complex research needs.

Michael has extensive experience in both the public and private sectors, including the development and evaluation of public policy, program analysis, development and implementation of strategic advice to government and corporate strategy. For example, he has conducted:

  • Strategic reviews and evaluation of large-scale Commonwealth and State public policies and programs in areas including education, labour market programs and skills training, regional development, science and information technology, occupational health and safety and community development programs;
  • Major studies in a number of industries, including mining, defence, electronics and IT, agriculture including the impact of the drought, water security and resource management, education, human services and health and the gambling industry;
  • Strategic reviews, research and evaluation studies into agricultural assistance programs, and the labour market and is at the forefront of economic research and principles in regional development, regional economic geography and industry development;
  • Numerous studies on national, state and local regional development initiatives and structures including for the Commonwealth, for Regional Development Australia organisation, Regional Council Organisations, Local Government and agencies of government;
  • Studies on regional and economic development, interstate business cost comparisons, competitiveness of the national and regional economies, studies into social inclusion, the impact of demographic change on economic growth, the development of economic and social indicators to monitor the quality of life, including the preparation of economic, social and environmental profiles for regions; and
  • Twenty-five major studies into the gambling industry. He is currently a member of an expert panel for research and evaluation into gambling in Canada and a major research project on the social impact of gambling in Massachusetts (USA). He has been invited to deliver keynote presentations on methodologies in gambling research in Canada and the United Kingdom and delivered major research papers to a number of international conferences on gambling.

Michael holds a Masters Degree in Business Administration, a Masters Degree in Social Administration,and qualifications in Economics from Adelaide University and the University of California San Diego, as well as an Arts Degree majoring in history and regional economic geography.

For more information on Michael, please click here.