Organising IA in the policy process How can the NARS benefit from the RIA

Efi Stefopoulou

IA is a policy-making tool: it provides a method that helps to systematically and consistently examine and measure the likely benefits, costs and effects of policy proposals, and identify the best options to implement the policy.

Contextualising IA: Definition

What do policy makers look for when contacting an

IA?

IA is an evidence-based policy tool – looks at all available evidence to determine what the implications of the policy will be in the short-medium-long term.

IA examines the potential • Costs •Benefits •Risks

of a policy/regulation/programme

Costs Benefits Risks

•Direct – indirect costs

•Who pays?

•When?

•How much?

•Other (not monetary) costs?

• Who benefits?

• Specify the beneficiary (Social groups? Business? Certain regions? Age clusters?)

• Transparency

• Acceptable – Non acceptable Risk •What is the

society willing to pay to avert any identified risk? • Accountability • Public

consultation

POLICY MAKING PROCESS

Consultation

Information

Analysis and Assessment

Discussion

Agreement

Policy Implementation

IA

Review / measure effectiveness

How does IA fit into the policy-making process?

•Impact assessment cannot “create” strategic planning or coherence •Consistent and systemic use of IA methods can help to strengthen consultation and co-operation mechanisms •The increased evidence regarding how a policy could be implemented that IA produces, provides decision makers with more detailed, focused information, enabling them to think more strategically.

Contribution of IA to strategic planning

IA does not substitute the decision, but ….

… it supports decision making with data and evidence.

Why the institutional interest on IA?

• Analytical tool – Helps asking the right questions

– options, costs-benefits-effectiveness, trade-offs

• Communication tool – Informs decision making

– Enhances transparency, accountability, credibility

• Learning and appraisal tool – Sets basis for monitoring and ex post evaluations

– contributes to policy coherence

– Can stimulate innovative policy instruments

European Parliament 7th parliamentary term, May 2013

• Rules of procedure – The Commission shall ensure that its impact

assessments are conducted under its responsibility by means of a transparent procedure which guarantees an independent assessment. Impact assessments shall be published in due time, taking into consideration a number of different scenarios, including a "do nothing" option, and shall in principle be presented to the relevant parliamentary committee during the phase of the provision of information to national Parliaments under TFEU Protocols Nos 1 and 2.

• The EU Parliament has created an impact supervisory board, made up of 13 MEPs. The board's task is to set out the priorities for impact assessments, and decide how the Parliament will evaluate the impact that proposed EU legislation would have on individual policies in the 27 member states.

Accountability to the constituents

• Office of Technology Assessment

(Büro für Technikfolgen-Abschätzung beim Deutschen Bundestag -TAB)

– The Office of Technology Assessment at the German Bundestag is an independent scientific institution created with the objective of advising the German Bundestag and its committees.

– Five years contracts with renown scientific institutions (at the moment it is the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology )

Parliaments delivering their own IAs

• Research Bureau of the Chancellery (Biuro Analiz Sejmowych). The Bureau provides both Deputies and Sejm bodies with a reliable information by

– providing comparative and interdisciplinary analyses

– giving opinions on draft legal acts,

– assisting parliamentary committees,

– providing answers to Deputy’s requests

– organizing seminars and conferences

Parliaments delivering their own IAs

Poland

• The Scrutiny Unit of the UK House of Commons supports parliamentary committees, including in their analysis of IAs and in conducting ex post legislative scrutiny.

• The Unit is responsible for co-ordinating the evidence-taking sessions of Public Bill Committees.

• It provides training, for example running a presentation on evidence-taking by public bill committees for committee office and library staff.

Parliaments delivering their own IAs

• Parliamentary Office for evaluation of scientific and technological options (OPECST) – It informs the Parliament of scientific and

technological options in order, specifically, “to make its decisions clear." Regarding this, OPECST "collects information, launches study programmes and carries out assessments.“

– Only Members of Parliament may refer matters to OPECST.

– 18 members of the Assemblée Nationale and 18 Senators ; each member may be designated as a « Rapporteur » assisted by a scientific committee.

Parliaments delivering their own IAs

The Committee for the Future

(Tulevaisuusvaliokunta)

– Conducts assessments of technological development and the effects on society of technology.

– The Committee has 17 members who are all members of Parliament.

– The idea of conducting policy work in Parliament came from the floor.

Parliaments delivering their own IAs FINLAND

Regulatory check-up

The case of the ammendments: Check the evidence that prove the need (or not) for an ammendment

e.stefopoulou@inerp.gr