It is particularly important to improve the ability of assessments to utilise stakeholders and existing information better than today. The report focused on the assessment of statutes’ cross-sectoral impacts as part of statute drafting. Its aim is to support the development of ex ante impact assessment. This document contains a summary of the main results of the audit. The entire audit report is available only in Finnish.
The report indicates that the starting point of sustainable development is developing all life cycle phases of impact information in a balanced manner, extending from the production of information to its collection, integration, assessment and utilisation. When assessing cross-sectoral impacts, it is particularly important to improve the ability of assessments to utilise stakeholders and existing information better than today.
The assessment of cross-sectoral impacts of statutes lacks a clear functional identity and system of accountabilities at the level of policy and steering instruments and the operative practice alike. The position of assessment guidelines, instructions for drafting government bills and other documents relevant to the development of impact assessment within the wider field of steering instruments (Government Programme, spending limits etc.) is partly unclear.
In the case of cross-sectoral impacts, in particular, policy steering does not necessarily support impact assessment. The policy steering of a particular ministry may actually prevent cross-sectoral impact assessment or create pressures and dependencies for it that are difficult to recognise and evade. The problem is exacerbated by the fact that the basic premises of impact assessment as a whole are not particularly transparent.
Attachments
