Amman, Jan. 28 (Petra) The Economic and Social Council (ESC), in collaboration with the German Cooperation Agency (GIZ), has launched a project titled “Enhancing Regulatory Impact Assessment through Data Mapping, Disseminating Best Practices, and Engaging Stakeholders in Jordan.”

According to a statement released by the ESC on Tuesday, the project aligns with the government’s direction to measure the pre- and post-implementation impact of legislation and government policies. This aims to strengthen legislative stability and improve decision-making mechanisms, supporting the national reform approach. Recently, the government approved the guiding principles for the Regulatory Impact Assessment System for Legislation and Policies for 2025.

The project seeks to develop effective mechanisms for assessing the impact of regulations and policies by providing accurate and comprehensive data. This will enable decision-makers to formulate evidence-based policies to effectively address societal challenges and conduct pre- and post-implementation evaluations of legislation and policies before their enactment.

Mousa Shtewi, ESC President, emphasized that impact assessment studies are a core part of the ESC’s work. A Directorate of Information and Public Opinion Measurement has been established to focus its strategic objectives in this area. He stressed that the ESC’s mission is to institutionalize the participation of all relevant stakeholders in reaching consensus on policies and legislation that should be considered in the policymaking process to achieve balanced and sustainable socio-economic development.

Shtewi highlighted the pivotal role of liaison officers in framing joint efforts between the ESC and institutions, as well as among institutions themselves, which helps improve and develop data.

He provided an overview of the project’s activities, which the ESC will work to complete. These include analyzing data gaps, assessing institutional readiness for regulatory impact assessment, and ultimately establishing best Jordanian practices in evaluating the impact of legislation, regulations, and policies in line with economic and administrative modernization plans.

Mahmoud Al-Shaalan, ESC Secretary-General, noted that the project is a first step toward measuring the social, economic, or environmental impact of legislation and policies to ensure their quality, accuracy, objectivity, and impartiality.

Participants in the meeting discussed the responsibilities of liaison officers, mechanisms to enhance and institutionalize their relationships, and the exchange of data and information to strengthen the procedural work on legislation, policies, and regulations.

They called for the provision of data and the identification of objectives for policies, legislation, and regulations to facilitate their evaluation based on well-considered criteria by relevant entities.

Participants emphasized the importance of unifying statistical indicators to enable decision-makers to access accurate data for measuring the pre- and post-implementation regulatory impact of legislation and policies, addressing gaps and distortions. They also urged benchmarking with countries similar to Jordan that have successful legislative experiences to benefit from their expertise in regulatory impact assessment.

Additionally, participants stressed the need to establish a mechanism for updating legislation and policies in light of rapid technological advancements.

The first meeting was held with the participation of 43 institutions from the public and private sectors.

//Petra// AF
28/01/2025 22:05:41