The Five Regulatory Themes
The framework contains 20 core skills arranged into 5 themes, each of which sets out the key skills of regulatory practice. Each theme includes a progression table showing how skills develop across all four development levels.
Regulation theory
Regulation theory is the foundational understanding of regulation, including statutory principles, ethics, impact assessment, and regulatory models. The theme equips regulators to make proportionate, transparent, and evidence-based decisions aligned with the law and public interest.
- Regulatory principles
- Regulatory professionalism and ethics
- Costs and benefits of regulation, including growth, resilience and societal benefit
- Regulatory models and approaches
Regulatory system design and casework
This theme covers the design and operation of regulatory frameworks and systems, including legislative processes, casework management, and the creation of effective regulatory structures that achieve proportionate outcomes.
- Understanding legislative processes
- Casework systems
- Designing regulatory frameworks
Data, evidence and technology
This theme covers how regulators use data, evidence, and intelligence to make informed regulatory decisions and respond to emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence.
- Regulating emerging technologies
- Using data, evidence and intelligence
- Using artificial intelligence
Regulatory tools and interventions
This theme covers the full range of regulatory tools and interventions available to regulators, from standard-setting and authorisation through to monitoring, enforcement and evaluation.
- Setting and promoting standards
- Authorising
- Monitoring and assessing compliance
- Enforcement
- Evaluation
Regulatory communication, collaboration and engagement
This theme covers how regulators communicate and engage with a wide range of stakeholders, including regulated entities, other regulators, government, and the public.
- Communication
- Working with regulated entities
- Working with regulators
- Working with government
- Public engagement