Scott Jacobs wrote for the Commonwealth Secretariat the Handbook on Designing and Implementing RIA Systems. This is the first generalized Handbook for to assist governments in designing and implementing programs of Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) across multiple regulatory institutions. It identifies major risk factors that have led to failure of RIA programs in other countries and suggests options that countries should consider to reduce the risks of failure. It is impossible to reduce risks to zero, but this Handbook will help increase the probability that RIA programs will, in the end, improve the quality of government policies. https://regulatoryreform.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Handbook-on-Designing-and-Implementing-RIA-Systems-2024.pdf
The project’s objective was to assist Guatemala’s private sector through a dedicated NGO (Horizontes Positivos) in advocating for the government of Costa Rica to launch a Regulatory GuillotineTM. In late 2018, JC&A conducted an in-depth appraisal of the existing regulatory environment and the potential for extensive regulatory reform. It was based on extensive discussions with Costa Rican Ministers and high-level officials, private sector representatives, and experts on the context, experiences, opportunities, and expectations of the parties involved.
Based on these discussions, JC&A proposed a series of “strategic building blocks” to ensure the Guillotine is implemented on a solid legal, political, institutional, administrative, and budgetary basis. The final report presented the most feasible scope, goals, essential operation, operational plan, and budget for the Guillotine in Costa Rica and a series of recommendations to overcome potential short-, medium–, and long-term risks and obstacles.
