‘Hindsight is a Wonderful Thing’ lessons from 40 years of experience with regulatory management in New Zealand

Abstract

In this article the authors reflect on careers in regulation and regulatory management, drawing on New Zealand and international experience. The emergence of regulatory management and its practice is viewed in the contexts of the growth of the regulatory state, and the institutional environment for lawmaking in New Zealand. The development of regulatory management tools is sketched out and key influences on regulatory policy and practice discussed. The authors conclude that effective regulatory management requires a combination of practices and cannot rely on a single instrument or process. If it is to be successful, regulatory management needs to be firmly situated in a broader environment of robust public institutions.