Silje Hjelmeland

Silje Hjelmeland is a PhD Research Fellow at the Department of Political Science and Management within the thematic area of democracy and citizenship. Her PhD project focuses on local policy development. Specifically, it sheds light on how openness and transparency are practiced in political decision-making processes, as well as the causes that can explain variations in practice across municipalities. While the project primarily examines Norwegian contexts, it also includes a comparative analysis involving Danish municipalities.

The overarching theoretical approach employed in this research revolves around the concepts of “front” and “back” stages or “formal” and “informal” policy-making. Furthermore, the project draws on theoretical perspectives related to system capacity, democratic control, democratic deliberation and accountability to address fundamental questions and trade-offs regarding how open political decision-making processes should be.

Hjelmeland holds a position as a senior analyst at Oxford Research, where she works part-time (25%) while simultaneously pursuing her doctoral degree. Her primary focus within Oxford Research lies in projects related to local governance and welfare. Prior to this role, she earned both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in political science from the University of Agder.