Role of the state
Although much of our work is focused on the world of Whitehall, the Institute also intends to explore the role of the state in a broader sense. In the first year of our research programme, our focus will be on two particular issues:
- The state as regulator. We will look not only at high profile recent regulatory failures but also more widely at how public sector regulatory practice can deliver tangibly improved outcomes for citizens and consumers. Our approach will be empirical rather than theoretical: what can be learned from regulatory innovators here and overseas, how effective is ‘super-regulation', is ‘citizen-led regulation' an alternative paradigm for the future or simply an extra tool for regulators?
- The role of arm's lengths bodies as agents of regulation and service delivery. The delegation of functions and responsibilities to NDPBs raises real questions about accountability, governance and how to join up policy and delivery. This is hardly virgin territory, but what is new about our approach is both a resolutely practical slant and an analytical perspective that is centred on effectiveness rather than constitutional propriety.
Background
In the wake of the credit crunch, the role of the state and arm's length regulators in managing the economy has seldom had a higher profile.
The last decade has seen both growth and restructuring in the regulatory landscape of the UK. The regulation of markets, and of the quality and commissioning of public services, now touch on almost every aspect of life.
The growing number of regulatory bodies could be argued to be inevitable in the context of a smaller and more ‘strategic' state that regulates rather than directly delivers, but the growth of such bodies also helps fuel the desire to move to a ‘post-bureaucratic state'.
Method
The focus of our programme in 2009-10 is a seminar series, running from June to November. The discussions at these seminars will help to identify key issues, expose different perspectives and pinpoint where the Institute can add value in supporting practitioners.
Outcomes
We intend that the seminars will result in published material of direct practical benefit to those working in these fields. There will also be a direct interface with the Institute's learning and development agenda, building on two recently established NDPB Chief Executives' action learning sets.
Research team:
Nicole Smith
nicole.smith@instituteforgovernment.org.uk
