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

Aleš Pecka Department of Regulatory Reform and Public Administration Quality, Ministry of the Interior, Czech Republic 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 Department of Regulatory Reform and Public Administration Quality, Ministry of the Interior, Czech Republic Implementation of RIA  Pilot phase ( ):  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 Department of Regulatory Reform and Public Administration Quality, Ministry of the Interior, Czech Republic 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 Department of Regulatory Reform and Public Administration Quality, Ministry of the Interior, Czech Republic 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 Department of Regulatory Reform and Public Administration Quality, Ministry of the Interior, Czech Republic 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 Department of Regulatory Reform and Public Administration Quality, Ministry of the Interior, Czech Republic To whom shall we communicate?  Politicians  Public servants  Legislators  Social partners and NGOs  Media

Aleš Pecka Department of Regulatory Reform and Public Administration Quality, Ministry of the Interior, Czech Republic 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 Department of Regulatory Reform and Public Administration Quality, Ministry of the Interior, Czech Republic Public servants  Anticipate natural resistance  „We will have to do much more work within the same given time…, deadlines remain…“  „RIA is the concept 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 Department of Regulatory Reform and Public Administration Quality, Ministry of the Interior, Czech Republic 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) – useful input from academics (tutors)  Simulation of real cases, discussion and exchange of views within internal seminars

Aleš Pecka Department of Regulatory Reform and Public Administration Quality, Ministry of the Interior, Czech Republic 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 Department of Regulatory Reform and Public Administration Quality, Ministry of the Interior, Czech Republic 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 Department of Regulatory Reform and Public Administration Quality, Ministry of the Interior, Czech Republic 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 Department of Regulatory Reform and Public Administration Quality, Ministry of the Interior, Czech Republic 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 Department of Regulatory Reform and Public Administration Quality, Ministry of the Interior, Czech Republic 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