Virtual Resource Centre - Ex-ante Policy Impact Assessment

UNDP’s 1st Regional Training on Cross-cutting Issues of Ex-ante Policy Impact Assessment

UNDP BRC is organizing the first regional training on Cross-cutting ex-ante Policy Impact Assessment issues with special focus on poverty reduction and ensuring equal opportunities for the vulnerable and marginalized groups. The training is expected to contribute to strengthening national capacities on ex-ante Policy Impact Assessment in the target countries of the regional project, i.e.: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Moldova and Serbia.

• Advocacy for ex-ante Impact Assessment and creating demand for it, specifically in the area of social affairs;
• To build a pool of qualified individuals in ex-ante Impact Assessment methodologies and tools.

• Mapping of Ex-ante Impact Assessment Tools and Experiences in Europe 
• Mandelkern Group on Better Regulation, Final report
• Better Regulation and Enhanced Impact Assessment
• Evaluation of the Commission's IA System
• Second Strategic Review of Better Regulation in the EU
• Regulating Better - White Paper
• Better Regulation - simply explained
• RIA: Improving the Quality of EU Regulatory Activity
• Better Regulation for Growth and Jobs in the EU 
• Poor problem definition - Children Pills Case
• Case Study - Hitrorez: A story on successful regulatory reform in Croatia
• Case Study - Ria: Regulatory Reform in EU accession countries: Developing Regulatory Impact Assessment System - Croatian case
• Intended and unintended impacts - Collection of plastic and glass bottles waste
• Role play exercise - Hospital at the end of the town 

Key topics to be addressed in the training

•       Designing Terms of Reference (ToRs) for conducting ex-ante Impact Assessment – Although ex-ante Impact Assessment is acknowledged as a means for improved policy making in Europe, the in-house capacities of conducting impact assessments within the ministries, or by civil society organizations are often very much limited. Ownership of the impact assessment is however essential for achieving its purpose, even if most of the impact assessment is being conducted by external consultants. It is key to understand what the main idea behind an ex-ante impact assessment is, what it should contain, how it should be prepared, how much time is needed for certain components of an impact assessment assignment and how to effectively commission impact assessments conducted by external experts.
•        Tools for quality control of Impact Assessments – Introducing and discussing key questions, i.e.: the optimal institutional setup for impact assessments, increased ministerial responsibility, timing and preparation of impact assessment to allow comprehensive discussions, targeting and scope of impact assessments.
•        Consultation process as part of Impact Assessment – The consultation process, and the proper identification of stakeholders, are an essential part of impact assessment. It not only helps gathering data effectively, but also to measure actual consequences of a policy option, and contributes to highlighting potential problems and oppositions and improves future compliance. This session of the training provides practical solutions to ensure effective consultation. 
•        Data collection for Impact Assessment – Discussing this issue aims at helping participants to identify data needs, determine what data are available and how to compensate when there is lack of data. Data collection techniques will also be suggested and discussed. 
•        Identification of policy alternatives to achieve a determined goal, and matching instruments with incentives, expertise, political realities – IA looses its purpose when it solely justifies the already selected policy solution, therefore identification of genuine policy alternatives is key to a proper ex-ante IA.
•        Cutting the red tape - This part of the training will introduce techniques to assess, measure and reduce administrative burdens in order to contribute to better regulation, through case studies and lessons learned from country experiences. 
•        Critical reading of Impact Assessment outputs – This part of the training will focus on how to critically read and assess IA outputs, what are the right and necessary questions to ask, and how to utilise the domestic framework for amending / improving IA outputs. 
•        Advocacy tools for ex-ante Impact Assessment – A session on advocacy skills and advocacy tools will focus on ideas how to create and stimulate political demand for IA.