2004 - Dr. James C. McDavid

Dr. James C. McDavid

JAMES C. McDAVID (Ph.D. Indiana, 1975) began his grade one education as a home school student. He entered the formal school system as a grade two student in Stewartwin School and was part of the first class in Waverly School in January 1955. In 1965, Dr. McDavid graduated from Wm. E. Hay Composite High School in Stettler and from Indiana University with a Ph.D. in 1975.

Dr. McDavid is a Professor of Public Administration at the University of Victoria, and Co-Director of the Local Government Institute. He is a specialist in program evaluation, performance measurement and the production of local government services.

He has conducted extensive research and evaluations focusing on Federal, State, Provincial and local governments in the United States and Canada. His published research includes articles and books on program evaluation, performance measurement and comparisons of local government service production across Canada.

In 2003 he won a three year grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council to study the ways legislators use public performance reports in British Columbia.

Dr. McDavid has organized and presented workshops for public sector managers on service production, program evaluation, performance measurement, contract management, and other related topics. He has co-presented a series of workshops for BC Provincial managers on performance planning and reporting.

Dr. McDavid won the Alumni Teaching Award for the University of Victoria in 1993 and in 1996 won the J.E. Hodgetts Award from the Institute of Public Administration of Canada for the best English language article published in Canadian Public Administration. He was Dean, Faculty of Human and Social Development at the University of Victoria from 1990 to 1996 and is currently a member of the editorial board for the Canadian Journal of Program Evaluation. He has been listed in Canadian Who's Who since 1994.

Dr. McDavid is currently Acting Director of the School of Public Administration at the University of Victoria.

In 2004, he was named a Distinguished University Professor, the University of Victoria's highest award for faculty members.