Regulatory Policy Committee (RPC) Mr. Stephan Naundorf

1. What is the mission and mandate of your Committee?

The Regulatory Policy Committee is dedicated to make the world a better place by strengthening the rule of law and supporting rule-based collaboration. We offer governments, international organisations and many other actors analysis, guidance and hands on support for effective, efficient and comprehensible regulations. We promote evidence-based and innovative policy-making. We support rule-makers to design and deliver in collaboration with those concerned resilient and equitable regulations. We advocate for and support the development of agile regulatory policies that enable governments to tackle present challenges and to develop more flexible regulatory systems that will be more resilient to future shocks.

2. You have been designated Committee Chair. What is your background and what has convinced you to take up this post? How do you consider your background and experience contribute to such a role and function?

From a domestic point of view, I am an atypical civil servant, since I have been working for more than ten at the business sector before joining the Federal Government of Germany. In a similar way the academic background of holding a master degree in business and administration and another in political science, does not qualify me straightforwardly to specialise in Regulatory Policy and law making. However, this is my issue of (professional) dedication for more than 15 years now. Perhaps exactly this mix of experiences, both from the business-start-up-scene as well as having Aristotle, Jean-Jacque Rousseau or e.g. Benjamin Barber in my mind, might qualify me for the job to chair the Regulatory Policy Committee.

3. What is your main priority as Chair?

Challenges like the COVID-pandemic, climate change, digitisation, demographic and societal imbalances, and the so far unimaginable violation of peaceful international collaboration we experience right now are far from being mastered. State governments have four main chances to act: they may, tax, spend money, regulate or communicate, either jointly or in isolation. Thus, it’s time to mobilize the governments’ creativity and to listen carefully to those concerned, both in Committee work and beyond, when working on mastering these challenges. The Regulatory community needs continuously to re-fresh and re-evaluate its concepts, tools, and deliverables in close co-operation with the sectoral policy communities.

4. How would you define the added value of your Committee in relation to the work of the OECD in an international context? How does it differ from other international fora dealing with the same topic?

The RPC plays a unique role in the world when it comes to regulatory policy and governance. No other international forum deals with this topic to the extent the RPC does. The RPC is a standard-setting body in this area building on vast expertise and experience of its members. It is safe to say that the OECD put regulatory quality and issues such as regulatory impact assessment and administrative simplification on the

5. Are you facing any specific major challenge derived from the current multilateral environment?

It goes without saying that there is no one-size fits-all solution suitable for all countries. There are diverse legal systems and administrative cultures around the globe and therefore it is sometimes difficult to come up with standards, for example in the area of law making, that would be applicable to all member countries. But the Committee always manages to find a compromise and agree on the common denominator – good practices that can be applied by all administrations.

Beyond these rather practical challenges we also see many attempts to fundamentally defy the rules based co-operation of jurisdictions. The RPC has been engaged for many years now in offering opportunities for the exchange of experience, understanding and systematically analysing international regulatory co-operation. This includes most prominently a partnership with about 50 international organizations. In consequence we now can provide data and analysis also in this domain. Evidence clearly proves the benefits of multilateral, rule-based co-operation for societies and the global community. This work stream has led to a draft recommendation of the OECD on International Regulatory Co-operation to Tackle Global Challenges which is today close to adaption.

6. How do you encourage, and ensure national experts engage productively in the work of your Committee?

First of all, one of the main responsibilities of a chair is to get delegations and experts involved, e.g. also from the academic field. Sometimes this may include to invite delegates actively to contribute their experience, sometimes it may also mean to search the right balance between regions and issues. This also includes to check-out developments in the related fields of expertise, a type of horizon scanning. Committee work should also refer to similar fields of action and interest in other OECD domains. Finally, we also need to engage actively in further developing the formats and methods of collaboration. Thus, we have for example done design workshops working in small groups drawing funny pictures at flip charts, while developing our strategic agenda.

7. How do you help maximise policy coherence through the work of the Committee?

Actually, achieving policy coherence is one of the core objectives of regulatory policy. This contributes to the fact that both the Secretariat and the Committee delegates understand the need for its maximisation. We use the 2012 Recommendation on Regulatory Policy and Governance as a basis for all our work, all other documents have to be linked, one way or the other, to this Recommendation and be in line with its objectives.

8. How do you ensure effective decision making by the Committee?

Mostly through sharing documents sufficiently in advance of the meetings and allowing enough time for open discussion enabling all delegates to express their views either during the meeting or through a written procedure. We also have practically tested and applied elements of the service design and design thinking tool boxes. However, COVID-19 has unfortunately also prevented us from pursuing this path further. I am eagerly waiting for chances to further expand our methods of collaboration.

9. Could you mention the most important documents/reports that the Committee/Group has issued in the last 2 years? Why are these important and what has been their impact?

Probably the most important document issued recently by the Committee is the 2021 OECD Recommendation on Agile Regulatory Governance to Harness Innovation. The Recommendation aims to help governments develop and implement agile and resilient regulatory approaches and facilitate institutional co-operation in

response to and to further stimulate innovation. The pace, scope and complexity of innovation pose farreaching and interrelated regulatory challenges for governments. The RPC has developed this Recommendation to catalyse efforts to improve regulatory policy and governance in order to support government reform and facilitate co-operation in response to those regulatory challenges.

In addition, the Committee is now also preparing a new Recommendation on International Regulatory Cooperation for Tackling Global Challenges. It should react to the current need for strengthened regulatory cooperation to deal with issues such as climate change, health, etc.

10. How can you encourage synergies between policy communities?

As regulatory policy is naturally a horizontal agenda and the RPC standards for regulatory quality can be applied in all areas and sectors, the RPC has been constantly trying to deepen its co-operation with other OECD Committees and working parties, such as the Trade Committee, the SME Committee, the Committee on Scientific and Technological Policy and many others through joint papers, projects and meetings. We are also cooperating with policy communities outside the OECD, e.g. the World Bank, or regional networks (ASEAN, APEC).

11. How do you see the role played by the Secretariat?

Without the excellent preparation, support and extremely high professional standards and eager engagement of the secretariat the Committees could not succeed. Many delegates just see the performance of the secretariat in the meetings. However, analytical work, research, but also administrative professionalism, a focus on deliverables and a thoughtful and future oriented management of issues and relations the secretariat provide a solid fundament for the members’ work in the committees. The OECD has managed to attract a truly exceptional staff which is dedicated to the mission of the OECD and its members.

12. In relation to the standard-setting role, what do you suggest to maintain the relevance and impact of OECD standards over time? Which areas need strengthening?

The OECD needs to make sure that its standards are ambitious, up-to-date and achievable at the same time. Despite being so called soft laws, the OECD should make sure that all member countries are trying to achieve the maximum level of compliance with these standards. Lastly, all standards need to be reviewed periodically to see whether they are still applicable or need an update.

13. How have you ensured a contribution of your actions or influence to continuous improvement within the Organisation?

Actually, our standards for impact assessments, participation of those concerned in rule-making or reviews of existing regulations can be applied, besides national governments, also to the work of international organisations such as the OECD. We provided substantive input, for example, to the OECD standards for stakeholder engagement or evaluation.

14. What are the practical implications of the work of your Committee/Group?

If we have done our work well, governments may take up impulses and tools from our body of expertise: They may engage stronger in outreaching with those concerned, they may adopt systematic evaluation procedures, or they may provide in a comprehensible way evidence on which they have build their (political) decisions.

In any way, taking up practices like these, building on the experience of other governments, inspired, empowered and motivated by the deliberations at the RPC, governments make a true difference for citizens and businesses. Their regulation becomes more effective, more accessible and trustworthy for those concerned.

Making a difference in real life is the proud ambition and the strongest motivation for anybody working on Regulatory Policy.

15. What would be your key advice to a person taking up the post of Chair of an OECD Committee/Group?

From my understanding of the function of a chair, somebody aiming for this position should first of all be keen to listen and to understand. Being communicative eases the job, obviously. And knowing the respective field of expertise, being eager to always scan the horizon of this field, might help a chair to moderate a strategic debate and to further develop the agenda of her or his committee.