Meeting regulatory impact analysis (RIA) requirements

How to submit a regulatory proposal

When an agency works to make a regulatory change, they need to submit the details of their regulatory proposal to the Ministry of Regulation (the Ministry). This is done through our RIA Online platform. We’ll then confirm the right approach to take, to ensure compliance with Cabinet’s RIA requirements.

RIA Online is where you:

create the proposal
complete a climate implications of policy assessment (CIPA), which is reviewed by the Ministry for the Environment
apply for an exemption from the impact analysis process, if the proposal is eligible
get confirmation of the process to follow when submitting your proposal to Cabinet.

If you haven’t accessed RIA Online before, you’ll need to set up an account with us. Send us an email at RIA.Online@regulation.govt.nz, with the Subject line “RIA Agency Access Request”. Setting up an account in RIA Online is an automated process, so once you’ve requested access via email, you should be able to access your account within an hour or so.

Note that we can only approve and set up RIA Online accounts for people with a government email address ending with the suffix “.govt.nz”. If you have any issues signing up, contact us at RIA.Team@regulation.govt.nz to let us know.

Already have a RIA Online login?

If you already have a login for RIA Online, you can access it here.

Go to RIA Online open_in_new

Creating a Regulatory Impact Statement (RIS)

If the proposal is subject to RIA requirements and not suitable for an exemption, you’ll need to create a RIS to go with the Cabinet paper. This summarises an agency's best advice on a regulatory proposal to both its Minister and Cabinet, and is based on the findings of the regulatory impact analysis.

There are different templates agencies can use to create a RIS depending on what’s required. We’ll confirm which one is most appropriate for your agency when we confirm the process you need to follow to submit the proposal to Cabinet.

We’ll also confirm:

the wording to include in the impact analysis part of the Cabinet paper
the appropriate quality assurance arrangements to make.

RIA Online is designed for content that is unclassified or in-confidence. If you have a RIS that involves sensitive content, or a national security classification, contact us at RIA.Team@regulation.govt.nz for information on how to submit your proposal.

Quality assurance for RIS documents

Each RIS prepared as part of a regulatory proposal to Cabinet should be independently assessed before it’s submitted with a Cabinet paper.

All RISs are quality assured against the same four criteria.

Complete:
- Is all the necessary information in the Regulatory Impact Statement, as set out in the relevant template?
Convincing:
- Is the analysis accurate, robust and balanced?
- Are the analysis and conclusions supported by the analytical framework, and a commensurate assessment of costs and benefits and supporting evidence?
- Do the assumptions make sense?
Consulted:
- Does the RIS show evidence of efficient and effective consultation with stakeholders, key affected parties and relevant experts?
- Does it show how any issues raised have been addressed or dealt with?
Clear and concise:
- Is the material communicated in plain English?
- Is the RIS an appropriate length?

Once completed, the RIS document is submitted to Cabinet along with the Cabinet paper, and any other documents required, via CabNet.

Get information about CabNet from the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinetopen_in_new

Publishing RIS documents

Once RISs have been submitted to Cabinet, they’re published on both the authoring agency’s website, as well as here on the Ministry's website. They're published online at the same time as the relevant bill is introduced to Parliament or the regulation is gazetted, or at the time the material is proactively released.

In line with the proactive release requirements, RISs generally need to be published within 30 business days of the proposal being considered by Cabinet. RISs should be submitted for publication through RIA Online.

Making RISs available online helps ensure an open and transparent regulatory process. However, it’s important to note that not all information in the RIS documents is appropriate to release publicly. When requested, any sensitive information will be withheld, consistent with the Official Information Act 1982.

You’ll find copies of all published RIS documents in our library.

Regulatory Impact Statements (RISs)

If a RIS document includes redacted content, agencies should ensure the version submitted for publication through RIA Online matches the version published to their own website.

Getting help with impact analysis

If you need advice on Cabinet's impact analysis requirements, contact the team at RIA.Team@regulation.govt.nz. We can answer any queries you have related to impact analysis, and give advice on which templates to use for your submission.

You’ll find RIS templates and further guidance on regulatory impact analysis in the following documents, some of which were created by the Treasury.