Regulatory Impact Analysis (RIA) is a systemic approach to critically assessing the positive and negative effects of proposed and existing regulations and non-regulatory alternatives. As employed in OECD countries it encompasses a range of methods. It is an important element of an evidence-based approach to policy making.

OECD analysis shows that conducting RIA within an appropriate systematic framework can underpin the capacity of governments to ensure that regulations are efficient and effective in a changing and complex world. Some form of RIA has now been adopted by nearly all OECD members, but they have all nevertheless found the successful implementation of RIA administratively and technically challenging.

This page provides links to the considerable research undertaken by the OECD on methodological issues and country experiences with the implementation of RIA and includes guidance material to improve the performance of RIA, its early integration with policy making and the promotion of more coherent regulatory policy across government.

 

Trend in RIA adoption across OECD jurisdictions

 

Source: OECD (2012).

 

OECD Publications

 

• Sustainability in Impact Assessments: A Review of Impact Assessment Systems in Selected OECD Countries and the European Commission (2012)
• Integrating the Environment in Regulatory Impact Assessments (2011)
• Regulatory Impact Analysis: A Tool for Policy Coherence (2009)
• Introductory Handbook for Undertaking Regulatory Impact Analysis (2008) Russian version of the Handbook
• Building an Institutional Framework for Regulatory Impact Analysis: Guidance for Policy Makers (2008)
• Indicators of Regulatory Management Systems (2007) 
• RIA in OECD Countries and Challenges for Developing Countries (2005)
• RIA Inventory (2004)
• Regulatory Impact Analysis – Best Practices in OECD Countries (1997)
• Ten good practices in the design and implementation of RIA (1997)

 

OECD Workshops and Seminars

• Workshop on the elaboration and evaluation of regulatory impact assessment, Bogota, Colombia, 26-30 January 2015
• Workshop on the elaboration and evaluation of RIA at sub-national level, Cuernavaca Morelos, Mexico, 11-12 November 2014
• Workshop in Risk Assessment in Regulatory Impact Analysis, Mexico, 9-11 June 2014
• Workshop on Competition Assessment in RIA, Mexico City, 24-25 September 2013
• Capacity Building Seminar on Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA), Mexico City, 15-18 October 2012
• Re-Boosting Growth: Overcoming Challenges to Measuring and Reducing Compliance Costs, Berlin, 11-12 June 2012
• Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) in the Czech Republic and Other OECD Countries, Workshop in Prague, 1 June 2012
• The Role of Impact Assessments in Policy Making, Paris, 2 November 2011
• Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) in Russia, Moscow, 1 March 2011
• Workshop on Implementing Regulatory Impact Assessment in Russia: Expectations and Practical Steps, December 2008
• Seminar on the Use of Regulatory Impact Analysis to Foster Economic Efficiency and Policy Coherence, January 2003
  
  

Country guidelines and reports

 

• Australian Government Guide to Regulation
• Austria RIA tool
• Austria's regulatory impact assessment system, 2013
• Canada RIA guidelines
• European Commission Impact Assessment Guidelines
• Germany guidelines on the Identification and Presentation of Compliance Costs
• Ireland RIA guidelines
• Isael RIA Handbook (fotrhcoming)
• New Zealand guidance on RIA
• Norway Report on Cost-Benefit Analysis
• Scotland Better Regulation guidance
• Sweden regulations and reviews
• Switzerland RIA guidance, French, German
• United Kingdom, Department for Business, Innovation & Skills guidance for impact assessments, Impact Assessment Toolkit

 

For further information, please contact Faisal Naru.

 

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» Regulatory policy and governance

 

Related Documents

 

Regulatory Management Systems Country Notes

Country Reports

Alternatives to Regulation

Guiding Principles for Regulatory Quality and Performance

Indicators of Regulatory Management