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Making Better Regulation in seven steps
Better Regulation Victoria (BRV) offers this free short course for departmental and agency staff.
BRV staff will explain the 'seven key questions' outlined in the Victorian Guide to Regulation. You will learn how to apply these to regulatory design projects, especially when preparing a Regulatory Impact Statement (RIS) or Legislative Impact Assessment (LIA) as part of Victoria's regulatory scrutiny process.
Course timing
The course will be delivered at the following times:
June 2023 (in-person):
- Delivered over two half-day sessions: 9am to 1pm, Wednesday 14 June 2023 and Thursday 15 June 2023
August 2023 (virtual):
- One half-day session only: 9am to 1pm, Tuesday 8 August 2023
October 2023 (in-person):
- Delivered over two half-day sessions: 9am to 1pm, Tuesday 10 October 2023 and Wednesday 11 October 2023
November 2023 (virtual):
- One half-day session only: 9am to 1pm, Thursday 23 November 2023
Course structure
The course will begin with a brief overview of Victoria's regulatory scrutiny framework and the 'seven key questions' that must be considered in any RIS or LIA and are recommended as a part of any best-practice regulatory policy development.
We will then explore the questions in more detail, one by one, using a combination of lecture-style presentations, engaging activities and class discussion:
- Why is the Government considering action? (problem analysis)
- Which outcomes is the Government aiming to achieve? (objectives of action)
- What are the possible different courses of action that could be taken? (identify feasible options)
- What are the expected impacts (benefits and costs) of options and what is the preferred option? (impact analysis)
- What are the characteristics of the preferred options, including small business and competition impacts? (summarise the preferred option)
- How will the preferred option be put into place? (implementation plan)
- When (and how) will the Government evaluate the effectiveness of the preferred option in meeting the objectives? (evaluation strategy)
We will finish by sharing some project management tips and tricks for preparing an effective RIS or LIA.
Please note: Both the online and in-person courses cover the same content. The in-person course is longer, covers the content in more detail and provides more opportunities for discussion and interaction.
Learning outcomes
At the end of the course, you will have a better understanding of the key policy-making steps and tools for decision-making in a regulatory design setting.
You will be ready to prepare or oversee a RIS or LIA for your Department or agency.
Intended audience
This course is designed for all policy staff working on legislative or regulatory design issues, especially at the Officer and Manager levels.
It is strongly recommended for any staff who may be working on (or overseeing external consultants who will work on) a RIS or LIA in the near future.
For more information about the course, please email contact@betterreg.vic.gov.au.
Other training
By agreement, we can also tailor a course or workshop to your department, agency or team's specific needs.
For example, in previous years we have delivered dedicated training sessions focused on a range of practical issues:
- Designing rules and implementation approaches to maximise regulatory compliance.
- Introducing new interns or graduates to regulatory policy design.
- Navigating the exemptions framework under the Subordinate Legislation Act 1994.
- Systems thinking and the indirect relationship between regulations and outcomes.
To discuss your team's particular needs and how we might help, please email contact@betterreg.vic.gov.au.
Reviewed 13 June 2023