Guidelines for Effective Regulatory Consultations
We have archived this page and will not be updating it.
You can use it for research or reference. Consult our Cabinet Directive on Regulations: Policies, guidance and tools web page for the policy instruments and guidance in effect.
Purpose
These guidelines are issued to advise managers and functional specialists on interpretation of the requirements of the Cabinet Directive on Streamlining Regulation regarding regulatory consultation and to provide tools to support effective consultations throughout the regulatory life cycle.
Context
Federal regulatory activity is governed by the Cabinet Directive on Streamlining Regulation, which requires that interested and affected parties be consulted on the development or amendment of regulations, the implementation of regulatory programs, and the evaluation of regulatory activity against stated objectives. Government departments and agencies must therefore make systematic efforts to ensure that interested and affected parties have the opportunity to take part in open, meaningful, and balanced consultations at all stages of the regulatory process, that is, development, implementation, evaluation, and review.
Although this guide focusses on regulatory consultation, consultation with interested and affected parties should begin long before the decision to proceed with a regulatory approach is taken. Consultations should be woven into all aspects of policy development, including the discussions as to which instrument (i.e. legislation, regulations, voluntary mechanisms, guidelines, or policy) would best meet the public policy objectives.
The process for developing and approving regulations is subject to the Cabinet Directive on Streamlining Regulation
Additional guidance is available at:
Regulatory Consultations
The extent to which stakeholders are involved in a consultation process varies considerably, from simply providing them with information to engaging them in a true partnership with shared decision making. Regulatory consultations tend to fall somewhere in the middle of this continuum, since the final decision regarding regulation rests with a specific individual (i.e. the Minister) or body (i.e. the Governor in Council). These Guidelines focus primarily on the consultation process, which entails a two-way exchange in which stakeholders are given an opportunity to provide input and affect the outcome of a regulatory proposal. A good consultation process assists in developing quality regulations and mitigates implementation risks.
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to regulatory consultations. The size and scope of the consultative process depend on the proposed regulations and the number of people or groups affected by them. Regulations may be broad in scope and affect all Canadians (e.g. Canada Pension Plan Regulations), may affect a large stakeholder group (e.g. Canadian Aviation Regulations), or may affect relatively few individuals (e.g. Oaths of Office Regulations). The process, therefore, may be broad (e.g. many stakeholders, across several regions) or more targeted (e.g. specific stakeholders, specific regions).
When a department determines that regulation is the best tool for achieving the government's objectives, it launches a process of planning and public consultation. It then writes its regulatory proposal and a regulatory impact analysis statement (RIAS). The RIAS is a public accounting of how the regulatory proposal has followed each element of the Cabinet Directive on Streamlining Regulation, including information on the consultations that have taken place to date (who was consulted, their views, and how their comments were addressed, among other things) and a summary of the expected impact of the proposed regulations.
The RIAS is itself a consultation tool, in that it is pre-published in the Canada Gazette, Part I (http://www.gazette.gc.ca/index-eng.html). It should be comprehensive and written in simple, clear, concise language that the general public can easily understand.
Departmental officials are required to submit a draft of the RIAS to the Regulatory Affairs Sector of the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (the Secretariat) to obtain feedback on the regulatory proposal, confirm consistency with the Cabinet Directive on Streamlining Regulation, and ensure that it is clear, complete, and understandable to those who will be affected by the regulations.
Unless otherwise specified, draft regulations must be approved by the appropriate Cabinet committee (currently the Treasury Board) before they are pre-published in the Canada Gazette, Part 1. Pre-publication is intended to provide a final opportunity to obtain comments on the proposed regulations, determine whether any stakeholders were missed in the consultative process, and examine the extent to which the proposal is in keeping with the original consultations.
When draft regulations are pre-published, interested and affected parties are allowed a period of time–usually 30 days–to express their views. The pre-publication comment period may also be determined by international agreements, such as World Trade Organization agreements and the North American Free Trade Agreement. The Cabinet Directive on Streamlining Regulation requires a comment period of a minimum of 75 days for regulations with a potential impact on international trade.
In some (limited) circumstances, an exemption from pre-publication may be granted. For regulations made or approved by the Governor in Council, exemptions may be granted by the designated Cabinet committee on a case-by-case basis. Secretariat analysts can provide advice on the appropriateness of an exemption from pre-publication if they are engaged early in the regulatory development process.
Consulting with Aboriginal groups involves special considerations. A fiduciary relationship arising out of their historic relationship exists between the Government of Canada and Aboriginal peoples. Departments and agencies are to work with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities and peoples; national, regional, and local Aboriginal organizations; and Aboriginal governments and ensure that they meet all obligations that may exist in relation to rights protected by section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982.
Officials must ensure that regulatory consultations are consistent with all relevant statutes related to the proposed regulations. All regulatory consultations must be consistent with the Official Languages Act.
Components of Effective Regulatory Consultations
Ongoing, Constructive, and Professional Relationship with Stakeholders
Broadly defined, stakeholders are individuals, groups, or organizations likely to be affected by proposed regulatory changes. In conducting regulatory consultations, officials should recognize and understand the multiplicity of stakeholders, with their different levels of interest, points of view, and expectations concerning the nature and content of a proposed regulatory regime.
An ongoing, constructive, professional relationship between government and stakeholders is key to achieving a quality outcome from consultations. Applying the following principles will help to achieve this type of relationship.
- Meaningfulness: Officials conducting the consultations should be open to stakeholders' views and opinions and should take these into account in preparing the proposed regulations. They should be impartial with respect to the views expressed and willing to allow them to influence the final version of the proposed regulations, if appropriate. If some aspects of the proposal are not subject to change, this should be clearly communicated, so that participants can focus their efforts and provide meaningful input. Clarity regarding the purpose and objectives of the consultation and the proposed regulations is an essential underpinning of a positive relationship.
- Openness and balance: All stakeholders, whether directly or indirectly affected, should have an opportunity to contribute their views. Significant effort should be made to identify the "most affected stakeholders." Officials should ensure that an appropriate balance of views is represented in the consultation process.
- Transparency: The relationship between the department and stakeholders should be transparent. A transparent approach is essential to building trust. Officials should ensure transparency of:
- the overall regulatory consultation process
- pertinent non-sensitive information
- the decision-making process
- how stakeholder input will be used
- Accountability: Departments should demonstrate accountability by documenting how the views of stakeholders were considered during the development of the regulations and informing stakeholders of how those views were used. Where stakeholder input could not be reflected in the proposed regulations, officials should be able to outline the reason(s) why. Accountability also involves ensuring that the consultations take place over a reasonable period of time, so that participants have sufficient time to submit their views.
Introducing successful regulatory proposals requires the development and nurturing of ongoing relationships between the government and stakeholders. A climate of mutual trust and respect will often carry forward to future consultations. Developing a network of stakeholders allows officials to tap into a wider array of knowledge and information that can greatly assist in the effective and efficient development of regulations.