LIST OF WORKSHOPS

The general objective of this workshop is to discuss analytical maps and empirical findings on the causal effects of regulatory institutions, regulatory policy tools/instruments, technical standards, regulatory technologies (Artificial Intelligence, Big Data), regulatory stocks and performance indicators/targets (simplification, one-in-one-out, regulatory offsetting). We are interested in papers on the impact of regulation (broadly defined) on governance, jobs, sustainability, levels of corruption, trust in institutions, roles and professions, and the quality of the business environment. We invite papers on individual sectors/domains such as internet governance or countries, as well as comparative analyses. Global and regional integration perspectives are also welcome, e.g. Latin America, European Union and the role of international organizations and actors (standard-setting bodies, global consultants and auditors). Our research questions are: how do we theorize the effects of regulation on final outcomes that are relevant to political scientists – most of the research carried out until on is limited to efficiency? What are the methodologies suitable to align the theorization with research design? What do the findings across sectors and countries tell us about the impact of specific regulatory instruments and regulation as mode of governance?

The second objective is to discuss the effects of stocks of rules. The interest in ex-post regulatory evaluation (or ex-post evaluation of legislation) is relatively recent and it is worth-exploring the challenges and possibilities of this type of causal analysis, as well it usages. The third objective of the workshop is to explore causality by adopting different methodological and ontological perspectives. We welcome papers modelling the causal effects of rules, regulatory procedures, regulatory policy instruments in the tradition of regression, comparative case studies, set-theory, the so-called mechanisms approach and interpretivism.

The fourth objective is to seek publication of the papers in a special issue of a public policy journal (or, given the topic of the workshop, Regulation & Governance) or in an edited volume. The workshop is grounded in the scientific objectives of the ERC advanced project Protego, Procedural Tools for Effective Governance – hence the special issue or edited volume arising from the workshop will benefit from the association with this ERC project.

This call for papers covers the broad field of the causal effects of ‘rules’, regulatory institutions, regulatory policy instruments, standards & technologies, and performance indicators/targets (such as one-in-one-out). We are interested in papers on the impact of regulation on governance, jobs, sustainability, levels of corruption, trust in institutions, roles and professions, and the quality of the business environment. We invite papers on individual sectors or countries, as well as comparative analyses. Global and regional integration perspectives are also welcome, e.g. Latin America, European Union and the role of international organizations and actors (global consultants and auditors).

The call also covers the methodological and empirical debate on the effects of stocks of rules. The interest in ex-post regulatory evaluation (or ex-post evaluation of legislation) is relatively recent and it is worth-exploring the challenges and possibilities of this type of causal analysis in specific countries and comparatively. Both the OECD and the European Union have published strategies and guidance documents on ex-post regulatory evaluation – this raises the question of how these strategies are received and implemented.

Turning to methodological approaches and traditions, we are seeking papers modelling the causal effects of rules, regulatory procedures, regulatory policy instruments in the tradition of regression, comparative case studies, set-theory and interpretivism.   We solicit proposals from the disciplines of political science, socio-legal studies, administrative law, anthropology, public management, public administration, and public economics. The collection of papers will also be considered for a special issue proposal of a policy/regulation journal, or for a proposal to be sent to a publisher specialising in regulation (such as Elgar or Palgrave) for an edited volume. The workshop is grounded in the scientific objectives of the ERC advanced project Protego, Procedural Tools for Effective Governance – hence the special issue or edited volume arising from the workshop will benefit from the association with this ERC project.

The literature on regulation has explored the adoption of regulatory instruments, the diffusion of regulatory reform agendas, the roles of regulatory performance management. With this workshop we want to explore the causal effects of regulation. Although this has been the topic of body of studies in economics, the other disciplines that inform the analysis of public policy and the policy process have much to contribute.

The workshop is dedicated to the theoretical, methodological and empirical study of the causal effects of regulatory institutions, regulatory policy instruments, regulations and performance indicators/targets. We will explore the impact of regulation broadly defined on governance, jobs, sustainability, levels of corruption, trust in institutions, roles and professions, and the quality of the business environment. We will examine individual sectors or countries, as well as comparative analyses. A section of the workshop will debate global and regional integration perspectives, e.g. Latin America, European Union and the role of international organizations and actors (global consultants and auditors).

The call also covers the methodological and empirical debate on the effects of stocks of rules. The interest in ex-post regulatory evaluation (or ex-post evaluation of legislation) is relatively recent and it is worth-exploring the challenges and possibilities of this type of causal analysis in specific countries and comparatively. Both the OECD and the European Union have published strategies and guidance documents on ex-post regulatory evaluation – this raises the question of how these strategies are received and implemented.

We welcome papers modelling the causal effects of rules, regulatory procedures, regulatory policy instruments in the tradition of regression, comparative case studies, set-theory and interpretivism.   We solicit proposals from the disciplines of political science, socio-legal studies, administrative law, anthropology, public management, public administration, and public economics. The collection will provide the basis for a special issue proposal or edited volume. The workshop is grounded in the scientific objectives of the ERC advanced project Protego, Procedural Tools for Effective Governance – hence the special issue or edited volume arising from the workshop will benefit from the association with this ERC project.

Claudio Radaelli is Professor of Public Policy at University College London (UCL), School of Public Policy. He is the chief editor of the International Review of Public Policy and member of the College of the International Public Policy Association. He teaches Regulatory Reform: Analysis and Practice at the College of Europe in Bruges. Claudio is principal investigator on the ERC Advanced Project Protego (Procedural Tools for Effective Governance). He has published widely on regulation, impact assessment, and the role of economic knowledge in public policy, including the Handbook of Regulatory Impact Assessment, co-edited with Claire Dunlop (2017, Palgrave).

Gaia Taffoni is post-doctoral Research Fellow at University College London (UCL), School of Public Policy. Gaia works on the ERC Advanced Project Protego (Procedural Tools for Effective Governance). She obtained her PhD in Political Science from the University of Milan with a thesis on the EU policies of judicial support directed toward the MENA region. Her research interests lie within public policy with a focus on the judiciary and court’s management, digital innovations, as well as court reforms in liberalizing countries. She taught Comparative Politics at King’s College London before moving to the School of Public Policy at UCL.

Publications:

G.Taffoni 'Supporting rule of law from abroad: a comparative assessment of two post-Arab Spring judicial reforms' in Italian Political Science Review, July 2019.

G.Taffoni 'Le riforme della giustizia nei regimi illiberali.Tra vincoli ed opportunità' in Paradoxa 3-2019

Giancarlo Vecchi is Associate Professor of Policy Analysis at the Politecnico di Milano (Polytechnic University of Milan, Italy), School of Management. Past President of the Italian Evaluation Association. His fields of interest include policy evaluation, decision making and implementation research, with specific attention to the public sectors reforms and innovation, digital governance, performance management.

Recent publications:

- Vecchi G. 2019. "Ontologies, Methods and Evidences: Fostering the Use of Mixed Methods with Accuracy." In Rassegna Italiana di Valutazione (forthcoming).

- Di Giulio M. and G. Vecchi. 2019. "Multi-Level Policy Implementation and the Where of Learning. The Case of the Information System for School Buildings in Italy." Policy Sciences, Vol. 52(1): 119-135.

 Busetti S. and G. Vecchi. 2018. “Process Tracing Change Management: The Reform of the Italian Judiciary.” International Journal of Public Sector Management, vol. 31(5): 566-582.