RIA: Communication – building credibility

1. RIA: Communication – building credibility Aleš Pecka Department of Regulatory Reform and Public Administration Quality Ministry of Interior, Czech Republic

2. Introduction to Regulatory Reform (RR) • Introduction brought by the OECD Regulatory review in 2001 • Benefit of the outside international „pressure“ • Report 2001 discussed by the Government • Recommendation: Elaborate guidelines and implement the Regulatory Impact Analysis (RIA) into the decision-making process Aleš Pecka

3. Implementation of RIA • Pilot phase (2005-2006): • Application of the Draft Guidelines for conducting the impact assessment on selected legislative proposals • Draft guidelines updated with the involvement of the representatives of businesses (Council for Development of Business Environment) • On the basis of the gained experience: Guidelines reviewed and completed by the end of December 2006 Aleš Pecka

4. Implementation of RIA • Guidelines for Regulatory Impact Assessment adopted by Government in August 2007 • Full impact assessment obligatory to all drafts of primary and secondary laws from November 2007 elaborated on the level of Government Aleš Pecka

5. What is RIA about? • Implementation of RIA is not only about rules and institutions (nevertheless important) – it is (also) a change of culture within the public administration • keep explaining and get everybody on the board…. • Identify particular groups – key players • …choose the right communication strategy towards each group Aleš Pecka

6. Challenge: How to explain RIA? • RIA – a tool for transparency • Impact assessment study represents a clear guide and provides executive summary for everybody (not only politicians or public servants) as regards reasoning of the chosen option and nature of a proposal • the benefits outweigh the costs (avoiding “wrong”, costly decisions…) • The change can only be gradual, the „snowball effect“ helps... • Demonstrate the foreign examples, bring the experts from abroad to seminars and let them present and discuss the concrete issues… Aleš Pecka

7. To whom shall we communicate? • Politicians • Public servants • Legislators • Social partners and NGOs • Media Aleš Pecka

8. Politicians • Politicians are important and indispensable target group to be involved • RIA does not replace political decision-making, it provides only well-founded information for decision-makers… • Therefore: demonstrate the real benefits – examples of successful impact assessments from the pilot phase • Hold seminars with foreign partners Aleš Pecka

9. Public servants • Anticipate naturalresistance • „We will have to do much more work within the same given time…, deadlines remain…“ • „RIA is theconcept imported from abroad and not fitted to our domestic conditions…; • „We have been doing well already in our way…“ • Moreover: • Traditional legal approach • Primary focus on the quality of legal texts Aleš Pecka

10. Public servants • At first sight, new and more demanding work for public servants, but in a number of cases public servants actually do already make partial impact assessment – RIA only provides for the structure and the systematic approach • RIA is therefore for their use, to help them! • Provide training (to learn the methodology) – usefulinput from academics (tutors) • Simulation of real cases, discussion and exchange of views within internal seminars Aleš Pecka

11. Legislators • Most difficult ones • However, proper RIA can help them in decision making: choice of the most suitable options • Assure contacts with foreign legislators • Again, good example policy works: • Presentation of good RIAs with draft laws • Positive example to follow: Government evaluates, so can do the legislators Aleš Pecka

12. Social partners and NGOs • Evident beneficiaries: RIA is the tool to involve them in the decision-making process from its very beginning • They are to fulfill a very important role • Must be ready for collaboration and data provision to the legislators = provision of necessary background information and input from practice • Make them aware of the this role • Invite them to the seminars with politicians = creation of joint pressure • Involve them in horizontal bodies Aleš Pecka

13. Media • RIA – a difficult topic to cover • Usually perceived as another bureaucratic tool and procedure • Useful to target information campaign mostly towards economic journals (most familiar with the concept of impact assessment) • Present RIA as a tool, which would help, if used, to avoid bad, e.g. costly decisions from the recent history in your country Aleš Pecka

14. RIA: Consultation • Important element in the RIA process • How to approach the stakeholders? Do we know them? • Create a supportive tool!: Database of consulted organisations in the Czech Rep. • Accessible on the special website • Contacts to the stakeholder’ organisations structured according to the particular topics, areas and economic sectors • Voluntary registration Aleš Pecka

15. How to learn Public Administration to consult? • Methodology of Public Consultation (2007) • Government launched the testing phase lasting till the end of 2008 • Involvement of public on selected legislative and non-legislative proposals • Lessons learned – input into the review of the Methodology by the end 2008 and its planned final approval Aleš Pecka

16. Thank you for your attention! Aleš Pecka e-mail: ales.pecka@mvcr.cz