Institutional Development and Capacity Building

Strategic Role of the National Regulatory Authority

A key determinant of the approach to be adopted by any regulator must be the rationale behind its existence. Some of this will be dictated by Government policy and some by the outlook of those responsible for establishing and running the regulator itself. Some possible scenarios include:

The regulator as a driver and manager of sector reform;
The regulator as a facilitator of broader socio-political objectives;
The regulator as a defence against undue dominance in the marketplace by one or more participants;
The regulator as a catalyst for private investment;
The regulator as a referee or arbiter of disputes.

In all cases, the strategic direction and positioning of the regulatory authority must be correctly determined if it is to achieve core policy objectives. InterConnect Communications can draw on a wealth of international best practice, including its own experience, to advise governments on the strategic role of the regulator. The scope of this would typically include:

Identification of the most suitable model for an independent regulator based on a comparative feasibility study covering sectoral objectives, the advantages / disadvantages of proposed solutions, a balanced evaluation and solid recommendation based on the clients’ aims, commitments and local background;
A clear definition of the operational tasks to be performed by the regulatory authority to monitor the sector and adequately enforce the provisions of the legal and regulatory framework;
Due consideration of the relationship between the regulatory authority, the government Ministry responsible for telecommunications and other parallel administrations such as other utility regulators, national competition authorities, etc;
Financing mechanisms including estimated costs for establishing the authority and its ongoing annual operating costs;
Best practice methods of regulatory regimes, including the EU Acquis Communautaire.

InterConnect and its team of experienced consultants have successfully supported the development of sector policy, regulation and institutional capacity in a variety of global markets. Our experience covers:

Elaboration of the detailed task descriptions for a new Middle Eastern national regulatory body;
Recommendations for the development of another Arab States telecommunications regulatory authority including mission and organisation;
Suggesting policy and strategic objectives for the establishment of a new independent regulator in a Central European country.

Key Service Areas:

Institutional Development

More Information?

For more information about InterConnect's regulatory services, please contact Fintan Healy by phone on +44 (0) 1291 638400.