Tom Overmans (1979) is a public administration expert with extensive experience in both practice and academia. He bridges theories from public management, public finance, and psychology in his teaching and research endeavors.

His current research focuses on the budgeting behavior of politicians. He investigates why politicians often prioritize topics that have garnered significant media attention or are easily understandable, rather than investing in issues they personally deem important. Through experimental research, Tom explores the influence of unconscious cognitive biases on the budget judgment behavior of local politicians and seeks strategies to mitigate these biases. He was awarded a personal Veni grant (€280k) from the Dutch Research Council (NWO) to support this research.

Another area of his research delves into the role of Public Administration in addressing public concerns. Tom, along with Marlies Honingh and Mirko Noordegraaf, edited the book "Maatschappelijke Bestuurskunde" (Societal Public Administration), which investigates how Public Administration can effectively respond to contemporary public concerns as climate change, healthcare accessibility, and equality. He presented the book to the Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations during the 50th anniversary celebration of the Dutch Association for Public Administration in March 2023.

Tom actively contributes to bachelor's, master's, and executive education modules covering governance, behaviour, public financial management, public performance, and societal impact.

He serves as an Executive Board Member of the Dutch Association for Public Administration for a second term and is involved in the Executive Committee of the Public Service Accounting and Accountability Group. Additionally, he participates in various international research communities, including the International Research Society for Public Management, European Group of Public Administration, and Public Management Research Association.

Areas of Expertise:
- Public Management
- Behavioral Public Administration, with a focus on Behavioral Budgeting
- Budget cuts, particularly at the municipal level (doctoral research)
- Financial management, including budget, planning & control, and accountability
- Public sector economics, specifically market failure, government failure, collective choice, and taxation