Mike is a career Civil Servant, having worked as a government statistician since leaving Cambridge University in 1980 with a first class MA in Mathematics and a post-graduate Diploma in Mathematical Statistics.

He has worked in a wide variety of analytical posts within DWP and its predecessor departments, in fields including: consumer price indices; labour supply estimation/projection; small business statistics; analysis and monitoring of training programmes; support for disabled people. For much of the last 20 years Mike has been involved in DWP’s evaluations, particularly of active labour market programmes, and has represented DWP on the Cross Government Evaluation Group since its inception, through which he has contributed to the last two editions of the Magenta Book.

Mike currently works in DWP’s Central Analysis and Science Strategy Unit, with a focus on coordinating and improving the Department’s external engagement with academic researchers, and providing expert support to researchers across the Department, particularly in evaluation methods.