The Regulatory Governance Initiative (RGI), established in 2007, is an education and cross-sectoral research hub headquartered at Carleton University’s School of Public Policy and Administration (SPPA). The Initiative is intended to have a direct impact on enhancing the effectiveness of regulations (in the narrow sense of “delegated law”) as well as other instruments used by governments and companies to achieve regulatory goals. “Regulation”, thus, is interpreted by us in the broadest sense. We focus on governance and management issues, be they at the macro-level — such as regulatory policy and instrument choice — or at the micro-level — such as risk management issues at the interface of science and policy and workplace issues.
Through three core functions we will achieve our objectives to have a direct impact on improving the effectiveness of regulations of all kinds used by governments, companies and professional associations to achieve policy goals. These three functions are:
- Education – to contribute to the professional development of individuals from across the regulatory spectrum so they can meet the challenges they face and achieve a comparative advantage for Canada and Canadians.
- Research – that pushes the boundaries of thinking around key issues currently challenging government, and that is aimed at finding solutions to real world challenges.
- Dialogue – to bring together leaders and bold thinkers with different perspectives, experiences and responsibilities so they can contribute to more informed debate and better, evidence-based policy and regulation.
In order to fulfill these functions, the RGI is supported by a dynamic group of people led by Rick Stewart, a diverse Advisory Committee, and a world-class network of experts in the field of regulation. SPPA faculty serve as the foundation for this network by providing significant expertise in areas that affect regulatory governance, including: public management, finance and taxation, sustainable development and production, environment and energy, health, science, technology and innovation policy, and cost benefit analysis. With this kind of expertise, the RGI is well positioned to produce cutting edge research and highly qualified personnel to serve as the next generation of regulators.