Professor Paul Henman
Professor

Paul Henman

Email: 
Phone: 
+61 7 336 52383

Background

Paul is Professor of Digital Sociology and Social Policy. He is a Chief Investigator of the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision Making and Society (ADM+S), and Lead of the Social Services Focus Area in the Centre. Having degrees in sociology/social policy and computer science, and having worked in the public service, Paul has a unique insight into the intersection of digital technologies and their social implications.

For over 20 years, Paul's research has focused in the development, design, deployment and evaluation of digital technology, automated decision making and Artificial Intelligence (AI) in government and social services. Taking a multi-disciplinaray perspective, he explores the implications of automation and AI on policy, service delivery, service users and citizenship, governance and practices of power. His work considers the ethical, legal, social and pratical considerations of AI and automation.

Paul's research is regarded as influential in the development of Digital Welfare State and Digital Social Policy literatures. Past publications include Governing Electronically (Palgrave 2010), Performing the State (Routledge 2018), and Adminstering Welfare Reform (Policy, 2006). He is currently finalising Digital Government in an Age of Disruption with Professor John Halligan, which takes an international comparative, institutionalist approach.

His current research focus is on using critical social science to inform the development of practical digital and AI tools to advance pro-social outcomes,

  • Data navigation for lawyers. Working with Economic Justice Australia and welfare rights community legal centres, Paul is working with colleagues to co-design and produce a data extraction and navigation tool. This tool will assist lawyers to better provide legal advice and support to clients who are contesting decisions by the Australian government's Services Australia and Centrelink.
  • Trauma Informed Algorithmic Assessment Toolkit. Working with human service delivery agenies, this project is piloting a practical, online Toolkit to enable organisations to design and deploy AI and algorithmic enable services that is safe, responsible and avoids causing harm.

Availability

Professor Paul Henman is:
Available for supervision
Media expert

Fields of research

Education policy, sociology and philosophy Health policy Human Society Policy and administration Public administration Public policy Social theory Sociology Sociology and social studies of science and technology

Qualifications

  • Bachelor (Honours) of Science (Advanced), The University of Queensland
  • Doctor of Philosophy, The University of Queensland
  • Postgraduate Diploma in Education, The University of Queensland

Research interests

  • Digital government

    Governments have been using digital technologies for decades, with implications for the operation and power of the state, and its relationship with and governance of citizens. Increasingly algorithmic government and AI is heightening concerns with government accountability and transparency, and reproduction of bias, discrimination and inequalities. Charting these dynamics and developing policy and governance frameworks is an urgent research agenda.

Search Professor Paul Henman’s works on UQ eSpace

126 works between 1995 and 2025
All (126) Journal Article (58) Book Chapter (20) Conference Publication (18) Book (3) Other Outputs (25) Edited Outputs (2)

121 - 126 of 126 works

2001

Journal Article

Information technology and transformations in social security policy and administration: A review

Henman, Paul and Adler, Michael (2001). Information technology and transformations in social security policy and administration: A review. International Social Security Review, 54 (4), 23-47. doi: 10.1111/1468-246x.t01-1-00103

Information technology and transformations in social security policy and administration: A review

1999

Journal Article

The bane and benefits of computers in Australia's Department of Social Security

Henman, P. W. (1999). The bane and benefits of computers in Australia's Department of Social Security. International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, 19 (1/2), 101-109.

The bane and benefits of computers in Australia's Department of Social Security

1999

Journal Article

The bane and benefits of computers in Australia’s Department of Social Security

Henman, Paul (1999). The bane and benefits of computers in Australia’s Department of Social Security. International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, 19 (1/2), 101-129. doi: 10.1108/01443339910788686

The bane and benefits of computers in Australia’s Department of Social Security

1997

Journal Article

Computer technology - A political player in social policy processes

Henman, P (1997). Computer technology - A political player in social policy processes. Journal of Social Policy, 26 (3) S0047279497005035, 323-340. doi: 10.1017/S0047279497005035

Computer technology - A political player in social policy processes

1996

Other Outputs

Constructing families and disciplining bodies : a socio-technical study of computers, policy and governance in Australia's Department of Social Security

Henman, Paul (1996). Constructing families and disciplining bodies : a socio-technical study of computers, policy and governance in Australia's Department of Social Security. PhD Thesis, Department of Anthropology and Sociology, The University of Queensland. doi: 10.14264/uql.2018.529

Constructing families and disciplining bodies : a socio-technical study of computers, policy and governance in Australia's Department of Social Security

1995

Journal Article

The role of computers in texturing micro-social environments

Henman P. (1995). The role of computers in texturing micro-social environments. Journal of Sociology, 31 (1), 49-63. doi: 10.1177/144078339503100104

The role of computers in texturing micro-social environments

Current funding

  • 2020 - 2027
    ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision-Making and Society (ARC Centre of Excellence administered by RMIT University)
    RMIT University
    Open grant

Past funding

  • 2023 - 2024
    Mapping automated decision-making tools used in administrative decision making (NSW Ombudsman tender led by University of Sydney)
    University of Sydney
    Open grant
  • 2023
    Trauma-informed AI: developing and testing a practical AI audit framework for use in social services
    Notre Dame-IBM Technology Ethics Lab
    Open grant
  • 2019 - 2020
    Making complex interfaces work for the National Disability Insurance Scheme (ARC Discovery Project administered by Griffith University)
    Griffith University
    Open grant
  • 2017 - 2022
    Government Web Portals as New Government Actors
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2015
    Go8 European Fellowship - Dr Milena Krumova
    Group of Eight European Fellowship
    Open grant
  • 2015
    The cost of raising a child in the case of out of home care
    Western Australia Department of Child Protection and Family Support
    Open grant
  • 2011 - 2014
    Technologies of Performance, Technologies of Governance: The bane, benefits, ethics and future of performance measurement in government
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2011 - 2013
    The institutional structure of e-government: a cross-policy, cross-country comparison
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2010 - 2011
    Exploring the use of residual measures of housing affordability as an alternative to the ratio approach
    Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute Limited
    Open grant
  • 2008 - 2011
    Financing and management of lifetime care for adults with acquired disabilities and high care needs
    ARC Linkage Projects
    Open grant
  • 2008 - 2009
    The Impact of Impairment: differentiating the financial and social implications of raising a child with a disability
    UQ FirstLink Scheme
    Open grant
  • 2006 - 2007
    Equivalent Costs of Living Research Project (2006-7)
    Department of Employment and Industrial Relations
    Open grant
  • 2006 - 2007
    Assesing the Impact of the Commonwealth Welfare to Work Policy Framework in Queensland
    Queensland Department of the Premier and Cabinet
    Open grant
  • 2006
    Equivalent costs of living research
    Department Industrial Relations
    Open grant
  • 2006 - 2008
    E-government: Reconfigurations in Public Administration, Policy and Power
    UQ Early Career Researcher
    Open grant
  • 2006
    Special Needs Cost: Estimating The Additional Expenditure In Raising Children With Disabilities
    UQ External Support Enabling Grant
    Open grant
  • 2005
    Updating costs of children using Australian Budget Standards
    Department of Family and Community Services
    Open grant
  • 2005
    RDG_Enabling Grant_Strategic
    University of Queensland Research Development Grants Scheme
    Open grant
  • 2004 - 2005
    Estimating the cost of raising children with disabilities
    UQ New Staff Research Start-Up Fund
    Open grant
  • 2004
    International comparison of e-government in social security
    IBM Centre for the Business of Government
    Open grant

Availability

Professor Paul Henman is:
Available for supervision

Before you email them, read our advice on how to contact a supervisor.

Supervision history

Current supervision

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Dream and Reality of a Digital State: The Case of Bangladesh with the Lens of Social Constructionism

    Principal Advisor

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Acceptance of digital mental health interventions: Sociodemographic aspects of user engagement with digital psychological interventions

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Associate Professor Rebecca Olson

  • Master Philosophy

    A Happy Medium? Exploring the use of a mindfully designed digital tool for welfare advocates

    Principal Advisor

  • Doctor Philosophy

    THE USE OF DIGITAL GOVERNMENT AMONG REGULATORY AGENCIES IN AUSTRALIA

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Associate Professor Pedro Fidelman

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Designing Indonesia Pension System Reform

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Adjunct Professor Adil Khan

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Acceptance of digital mental health interventions: Sociodemographic aspects of user engagement with digital psychological interventions

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Associate Professor Rebecca Olson

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Acceptance of digital mental health interventions: Sociodemographic aspects of user engagement with digital psychological interventions

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Associate Professor Rebecca Olson

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Leapfrogging women who are refugees and migrants (WRAMs) into STEM skills through Makerspaces

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Dhaval Vyas

Completed supervision

Enquiries

Contact Professor Paul Henman directly for media enquiries about:

  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Automated Decision Making
  • Centrelink
  • Children - cost of
  • Cost of raising children
  • digital society
  • E-government
  • Electronic government
  • Electronic service delivery - computers, internet and society
  • Ethical AI
  • Government performance
  • Living standards
  • Poverty
  • Public administration
  • Social media - impact
  • Social policy and welfare
  • Welfare

Need help?

For help with finding experts, story ideas and media enquiries, contact our Media team:

communications@uq.edu.au