Projects

Modern Regulation

Globalization is drawing attention to the issue of effective governance and is fundamentally changing expectations of how and when governments should act and of the regulatory systems they rely on. More than ever before, policymakers must strike a balance between a range of political, economic and civil-sector interests, located both at home and abroad, if they are to ensure that the processes and outcomes relating to public-sector activities are of the desired quality.

If activities in the realms of policymaking and public administration are to remain efficient, effective and transparent in light of such background conditions, governance and regulatory processes are required that:

-- ensure the greatest possible degree of transparency and involvement on the part of the public when it comes to reaching decisions and creating momentum for given issues
-- use strategic planning and implementation mechanisms to achieve policymaking outcomes that the public is aware of and believes in
-- are more focused on clearly defined goals than has been the case in the past

Focus Areas

Developing a "community of practice" / Building networks

As systems for measuring regulatory costs have demonstrated, "policy learning" based on the experiences of other countries is a valuable resource. The Modern Regulation project therefore promotes an exchange of information both among domestic and international actors, e.g., through the annual International Regulatory Reform Conference (www.IRR-Conference.org) and the International Regulatory Reform Network (www.IRR-Network.org), as well as through diverse other events and publications on the national, European and global levels.

Ensuring legislation and its implementation are outcome-oriented

In order to improve decision-making procedures and government management activities, higher-quality instruments are needed for measuring outcomes, as are additional monitoring and coordination structures. The Modern Regulation project focuses on supporting recently established processes (e.g., for measuring regulatory cost) and institutions (e.g., national regulatory control councils). It also strives to expand related approaches and policy goals, such as those needed to verify long-term effectiveness.

Increasing opportunities for public participation

A key aspect of modern regulation activities is helping citizens get involved and increasing their involvement in the political system. More participation is one way to effectively address a democracy's weak spots and to improve processes and outcomes within both the policymaking and administrative spheres. Increasing participation among the public can thus be seen as an important complement to traditional representative bodies of government. At the same time, increasing participation helps make the public more aware of governance activities and how they work.