Joanna Hofman

Photo of Joanna Hofman
Associate Director
Cambridge Office

Education

M.Econ.Sc. in European economics and public affairs, University College Dublin, Ireland; M.A. in international relations, Warsaw University, Poland

Media Resources

This researcher is available for interviews.

To arrange an interview, contact RAND Europe Media Relations at +44 (1223) 353 329, x2560, or email europeanmedia@rand.org.

More Experts

Overview

Joanna Hofman (she/her) is associate director at RAND Europe conducting research in the fields of employment and social policy. She specialises in process and impact evaluations drawing on various research designs (from experimental to mixed methods) and approaches (e.g. theory-based, realist evaluations). She has led several evaluations of randomised controlled trials funded by the UK Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and now manages a review of research funding on work and health. She carried out an international review on in-work progression for DWP, and assignments for the European Parliament, including a study on incentives for parents with young children to work, a review of binding pay-transparency measures, and a study on high-quality job creation. She has also completed projects on gender equality and domestic violence for the European Institute for Gender Equality.

Before joining RAND Europe, Hofman worked as a senior evaluation consultant conducting studies of public policies and programmes in the EU. Previously, she was responsible for evaluating programmes financed by the European Social Fund in Poland. She represented Poland at the Local Employment and Economic Development Programme at the OECD and at the Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion of the European Commission. She has carried out several training courses on evaluation approaches, designs and methods.

Hofman holds an M.A. in international relations from Warsaw University and an M.Econ.Sc. in European economics and public affairs from University College Dublin. She is a member of the Polish Evaluation Society, Social Research Association, and European Evaluation Society.

Research Focus

Recent Projects

  • Review of Work and Health Research Funding and Activity
  • After Parental Leave: Incentives for Parents with Young Children to Return to the Labour Market
  • Intimate Partner Violence and Witness Intervention: What Are the Deciding Factors?
  • Evaluation of the Individual Placement and Support for Alcohol and Drug Dependency (IPS-AD) Trial
  • Evaluation of the Innovation Fund Trials

Selected Publications

Hofman, J., Nightingale, M., Bruckmayer, M., de Silva, A., Picken, N., Kunertova, L., After Parental Leave: Incentives for Parents with Young Children to Return to the Labour Market, European Parliament, Luxembourg, 2020

Hofman, J., Barberi, M., Butkute, M., Caturianas, D., Sacher, M., Dimova, S., Stewart, K., Ensuring high-quality job creation from EU funding programmes: How can the best practice of Horizon 2020 be better integrated into other programmes (ESF, Youth Guarantee, Globalisation Fund)? , European Parliament, 2018

van Stolk, C. and Hofman, J. "Transforming employment support for those with mental health problems," in Learning and Work Institute, Opportunity for all: Essays on transforming employment for disabled people and those with health conditions, Learning and Work Institute, 2017

Harte, E., J. Hofman, and A. Sikiaridi, The Role of the European Social Fund in Supporting Childcare Provision in the European Union, RAND (RR-1364), 2016

Janta, B., J. Hofman, E. Harte, S. Hoorens, Socio-economic inclusion of migrant EU workers in 4 cities, City report Leeds, European Commission, 2015

Cancedda, A., M. Curtarelli, S. Hoorens, T. Viertelhauzen, and J. Hofman, Socio-economic inclusion of migrant EU workers in 4 cities. Synthesis Report, European Commission, 2015

van Stolk, C., J. Hofman, M. Hafner, and B. Janta, Psychological wellbeing and work: improving service provision and outcomes, DWP, 2014

Hofman, J. Pollitt, A., Broeks, M., Stewart, K., van Stolk, C., Review of Computerised Cognitive Behavioural Therapies: Products and Outcomes for People with Mental Health Needs, RAND Corporation (RR-1616-ING), 2016

Honors & Awards

  • 2018 RAND Europe award for Quality Assurance, RAND Europe QA Team
  • 2014 RAND Europe President's Award for conducting high-quality research and analysis, President of RAND Europe
  • 2006 Chevening Scholarship, British Government

Languages

English; Polish; German

Commentary

  • Mother working on a laptop while holding her baby, photo by monkeybusinessimages/Getty Images

    Helping Mothers Return to Work Is a Gender Equality Issue

    Employers and policymakers play a crucial role in ensuring that women are not unnecessarily disadvantaged when they have children. Policies such as access to family leave, job protection, and childcare options can play a large role.

    Jan 21, 2021 Open Access Government

  • A compilation of signs on doors of temporarily closed restaurants and shops in central Maastricht, Netherlands, March 16, 2020, photo by Francois Lenoir/Reuters

    Small Businesses Need the Right Kind of Help to Survive the Economic Impact of COVID-19

    Small and medium-sized companies are less equipped than large ones to weather the devastating effects of the pandemic. What could policymakers do to help these businesses get the help they need?

    Jun 26, 2020 The RAND Blog

  • German Minister for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth, Franziska Giffey speaks as she poses with a poster for a campaign against domestic violence, in a supermarket in Berlin, Germany, April 29, 2020, photo by Michael Sohn/Reuters

    Measures to Help Domestic Abuse Victims During COVID-19 Are Welcome but Not Enough

    One of the most worrying and consistent trends during the COVID-19 lockdown is an increase in domestic violence. Governments are taking different approaches in how they act to stop the violence and help victims to be heard during the lockdown. Securing adequate resources for support services is vital.

    May 12, 2020 EU Observer

  • Little boy playing in a dirty drain trench

    Tackling EU Child Poverty Through a Child Guarantee

    Nearly 26.4 percent of children across the EU are experiencing, or are at risk of experiencing, poverty or social exclusion. The proposed Child Guarantee initiative might help address this issue. But it could also be worthwhile to encourage member states to look at funding mechanisms that are already in place.

    May 21, 2018 EurActiv

  • Three woman talking in an office

    Why the IPS Success Story Needs to Be Unpicked

    The Individual Placement and Support model, which helps people with severe mental illness gain employment, has been a major statistical success. Why does it work and how it might be applied to other vulnerable populations?

    Aug 15, 2017 The RAND Blog

  • Woman sitting on couch at home using mobile phone

    Thinking Outside the Box to Find Solutions to Mental Health Problems

    Many innovative ways to deliver mental health services in the UK aim to benefit individuals, industry, government, and the economy.

    Oct 19, 2016 The BMJ

  • Young mother working with her baby

    What Is Being Done in Europe to Get Mothers Back to Work?

    Helping mothers get back to work has many benefits. It supports women's economic independence, helps reduce the gender pay gap, and boosts the economy. Perhaps most importantly, it could keep more children out of poverty.

    Apr 26, 2016 BlogActive.eu

  • A woman works at a Polish delicatessen in Grays, Britain, December 11, 2015

    Are EU Migrants Over-Qualified for the Jobs They Do?

    Debates on EU mobility are focused on what EU migrants take away from their host countries, and the costs they may bring taxpayers. What may be ignored is the contribution migrants bring to local labor markets and how this can grow if they have jobs that make the most of their skills.

    Feb 24, 2016 EurActiv

  • depressed woman at work

    Finding Work for Those with Common Mental Health Problems

    Employment has distinct health and wider personal benefits for people with common mental health problems and it is also associated with lower healthcare utilization, benefit savings, and income tax gains for the UK Government.

    Jan 20, 2014 The RAND Blog

Publications