Regulation plays a crucial role in society. Effective regulation alleviates societal risks and corrects market failures, leading to better productivity and growth. However, poorly designed, feebly implemented, or outdated regulations are burdens on citizens and businesses. They are particularly burdensome for small companies, which must devote considerable resources to complying with regulations. Governments should therefore ensure that regulations enhance, not undermine, societal well-being and economic development. To do this, the public sector requires good tools, techniques, and frameworks for evaluating regulatory quality and performance.

Recognizing this, the APO organized a virtual workshop on Evaluating Regulatory Quality and Performance, 10–12 November, in partnership with the Development Academy of the Philippines. The workshop included sessions on citizen-centric digital regulatory reform, regulatory cost model calculators, regulatory stewardship, regulatory sandboxes, and Australia’s experience with regulatory review. These topics were aligned with the APO 2025 Vision goal of building up robust innovation ecosystems, which include an enabling regulatory environment.

Forty-one participants, with the majority representing the public sector, from 13 APO member countries were involved in this project. There were also nine observers from various public agencies and regulatory authorities in the Philippines. Five resource persons, two from Australia, one from New Zealand, one from the Republic of China, and one from the Philippines, shared their experience in and insights on regulatory management.