Donald Ridley completed a BSc in Biochemistry in 1975, conducting research into Beta Thalassemia and Sickle Cell disease, characterising the Sodium/Potassium ATPase in Erythrocyte membranes for two years. He joined the UK Civil Service in 1977, fondly imagining a career in the Diplomatic Service. Luckily, instead, he became a VAT officer in London NW10. This led to a career (of sorts) in the accountancy profession. Here, he surreptitiously read for his psychology degree at North East London Polytechnic. In his penultimate accountancy post, he was excellent, conceptually; however, details sometimes eluded him, and, on one such occasion, he successfully convinced both himself and colleagues who should have known better that a major error was in fact correct. This resulted in a pay rise and a move to his final employment in the accountancy profession.

After graduating in Psychology in 1985, Donald worked first at the Royal Aerospace Establishment, examining systems usability of tactical information systems. In 1989, he moved to CEGB/Nuclear Electric, where he and a colleague designed defences against cognitive error for Sizewell B and other Nuclear Power Stations — so far, so good, on that one. In 1990, he joined Hatfield Polytechnic/University of Hertfordshire. There he taught extensively on psychology, business and health undergraduate programmes and took one of the lead roles on the MSc in Occupational Psychology. He developed and delivered a specialised MSc in Organisational Development for senior managers from the UK and Eastern Europe. He has successfully supervised two PhDs to completion and more than 100 Masters theses. His research at Hatfield examined organisational aspects of error prevention and cross-cultural aspects of organisational development.

Donald is a specialist in Organisational Development in the public sector in the former Soviet Union, having worked in a number of locations in Russia, Tbilisi (Georgia), Baku, (Azerbaijan) and Tashkent (Uzbekistan). He has been involved with the development of community mental health services in Pervouralsk in Russia, the development of Addiction Treatment services and refugee/IDP education in Georgia. He consults widely. Examples include the characterisation of the cognitive activities of police officers managing major road incidents, the improvement resulting from a zero-tolerance quality system at an automotive manufacturer, training and development in error prevention and risk assessment in safety critical systems and conflict resolution workshops for organisations. At the moment, he conducts research into organisational abuses in the aid and development sector and presently teaches on BSc, MSc and Doctoral programmes.

Donald is a Chartered Occupational Psychologist and joined the University of East London on 1 September 2002.

• Programme Director MSc Applied Psychology
• Unit leader PY3103 Third year option Occupational Psychology
• Health and Safety Officer for the School of Psychology
• International Development for the School of Psychology

• Organisational Development, particularly in the public sector and particularly in the former Soviet Union
• Error Prevention in Complex systems
• Asssessment of mental workload in complex systems
• Moral and organisational failures of the international aid process

• BSc Psychology
• MSc Applied Psychology
• MSc Business Psychology
• MSc Occupational and Organisational Psychology

• PY3103: Occupational Psychology
• PYM405: Ergonomics

Two sample articles:

1. Some special things that keep Georgia on my mind
2. Somewhere there’s a Kalashnikov

1. Ridley, D. (2003). Some special things that keep Georgia on my mind. Bearr Trust Newsletter No. 38. November 2003.
2. Ridley, D., Mahoney E., Javakhishvili, D., & Makhashvili, N. (2003). Trust us, weve come to help you! Organisational Development of Community Mental Health Services in a small Russian city. Proceedings World Federation for Mental Health, Biennial Congress. P328Pub ICMS (Australia).
3. Ridley, D. (2002). East-East Partnerships — a machinated, mischievous, misnomer. Seminar presented at Bearr Trust Annual Conference, November 2002.
4. Ridley, D., Mahoney E., & Javakhishvili, D. (2000). Trust us we’ve come to help — Organisational Performance in the aid sector. British Psychological Society London Conference.
5. Ridley, D. (1999). The impact of east/west socio-cultural differences on NGO efficacy. Foundation For Human Resource Development, Tbilisi, Social Care in Georgia Conference.
6. Hunter, L., & Ridley, D. (1996). Changes in Organisational Culture in a Developing Czech Management Consultancy. Psychology in a Changing Europe, BEEPG. ISBN: 0-95-288070-9.
7. Ridley, D. (1996). Delivery of a High Level Training Programme in Romania: Some Outcomes. Psychology in A Changing Europe, BEEPG. ISBN: 0-95-288070-9.