Achieving Impact in Public Service : Essays in Honour of Sylda Blangford

This volume is published as a tribute to the remarkable public service career of Sylda Langford, which culminated in her appointment as the first Director General of the Office for Children and Youth Affairs. Sylda’s working life was devoted to developing evidence-based policies and services to improve the lives of children and to address social exclusion. She pioneered the structures and systems underpinning childcare policy, juvenile justice, adoption, child protection and equal status that exist today. Her ground-breaking work has had a major impact on the welfare of children and young people in Ireland.

Following an Introduction, the book is set out in three parts with nine chapters by
authors experienced and expert in areas which reflect the key themes of Sylda’s
working life. Each was asked to engage with the topics in a way that would
contribute to contemporary discourse and throw light on the challenges involved in making and shaping public policy.