Regulatory Impact Assessment Guideline February 2012
RIA Guidelines
1
THE PRESIDENCY: REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA
GUIDELINES FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE
REGULATORY
IMPACT ANALYSIS/ASSESSMENT (RIA) PROCESS
IN SOUTH AFRICA
2012
Cabinet Operations
RIA Guidelines
2
Preface
Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA)1 has become a global phenomenon in response to widespread pressures for more effective and efficient governance.
RIA systems were first developed in United States of America and various European countries in the 1980s.
In South Africa, RIA was approved by Cabinet in February 2007. The approval followed a detailed joint study commissioned by the Presidency and the National Treasury to investigate the possibility of introducing RIA in South Africa.
The study2 was a response to concerns that the government had regarding the findings of various studies on the cost of doing business, inconsistencies in the depth of analysis undertaken by departments when developing regulation and the general absence of impact assessment in the development of regulation.
RIAs are an extension of a broader commitment to the quality of government through evidencebased policy making. The advantage of instituting RIA is that RIA adds structure, predictability, and methodological clarity to assessment while also ensuring that the right information is available for decision making. The manner in which RIA is institutionalized differs markedly from country to country, in order to reflect the different needs and institutional structures of each state.
This document provides a guide on how to conduct RIA and is divided into three key sections:
Understanding RIA;
RIA system in Government; and
Key steps in the RIA process
A template RIA document structure is provided as Annexure A.
For enquiries, please contact the Presidency, Cabinet Office at: RIA@po.gov.za
1
Alternatively referred to as Regulatory Impact Analysis or Impact Assessment
The detailed background study on RIA and its relevance for South Africa (2005) is available on
1
THE PRESIDENCY: REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA
GUIDELINES FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE
REGULATORY
IMPACT ANALYSIS/ASSESSMENT (RIA) PROCESS
IN SOUTH AFRICA
2012
Cabinet Operations
RIA Guidelines
2
Preface
Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA)1 has become a global phenomenon in response to widespread pressures for more effective and efficient governance.
RIA systems were first developed in United States of America and various European countries in the 1980s.
In South Africa, RIA was approved by Cabinet in February 2007. The approval followed a detailed joint study commissioned by the Presidency and the National Treasury to investigate the possibility of introducing RIA in South Africa.
The study2 was a response to concerns that the government had regarding the findings of various studies on the cost of doing business, inconsistencies in the depth of analysis undertaken by departments when developing regulation and the general absence of impact assessment in the development of regulation.
RIAs are an extension of a broader commitment to the quality of government through evidencebased policy making. The advantage of instituting RIA is that RIA adds structure, predictability, and methodological clarity to assessment while also ensuring that the right information is available for decision making. The manner in which RIA is institutionalized differs markedly from country to country, in order to reflect the different needs and institutional structures of each state.
This document provides a guide on how to conduct RIA and is divided into three key sections:
Understanding RIA;
RIA system in Government; and
Key steps in the RIA process
A template RIA document structure is provided as Annexure A.
For enquiries, please contact the Presidency, Cabinet Office at: RIA@po.gov.za
1
Alternatively referred to as Regulatory Impact Analysis or Impact Assessment
The detailed background study on RIA and its relevance for South Africa (2005) is available on