Mandate Clarity

Mandate Clarity: the regulator’s purpose and regulatory objectives should be clearly defined and communicated to the regulator, the regulated, and the general public.

Mandate Clarity avoids:

• Unnecessary duplication or overlap of functions between regulators and other bodies that can result in unnecessary conflict and costs.
• Possible non-compliance by those being regulated because of a lack of certainty and understanding of the legislation.
• Compliance and enforcement difficulties caused by a lack of clarity as to the regulator’s authority and responsibility.
• Stakeholder confusion as to compliance obligations
• Delays, uncertainty and increased costs caused by the need to obtain authoritative interpretations of the meaning of ambiguous terms and phrases

Self-assessment Question:
To what extent are the roles well defined and mandates clearly established for government ministries, different agencies, and other components of the regulatory system?