I am a civil service enthusiast and researcher of the Danish civil service in central government: How do civil servants work? How do civil servants understand their role? What significance does the ministries' organisation have?

I am interested in how civil servants work, including how their professional expertise is combined with political nous. In addition, I research how civil servants coordinate and collaborate both internally within a single ministry and across different ministries. I show how permanent secretaries occupy different roles and how these are tied to their minister. 

My articles show, among other things, how permanent secretaries are appointed on the basis of experience in the ministries and political understanding, whereas subject-matter expertise in the ministry's area is not weighted highly. My research shows how permanent secretaries and ministers must live up to similar informal rules in order to 'survive' at the top of the political system. 

My core competence is the Danish civil service and Danish central administration. In order to deepen my understanding of Denmark, I participate in a cross-national research project in which we compare how top civil servants, ministers and special advisers work together.