Services / Regulatory Strategy & Transformation
An integrated way to
Modern, trusted regulators.
The challenge
Regulators invest heavily in change, yet the same problems in decisions and performance often persist.
When an issue recurs, the usual response is another procedure, more training or another control. Sometimes that helps. Often the cause sits elsewhere in the system: in how the regulator is designed, how change is planned and how decisions are assured. Fixing one part on its own rarely holds.
Stop fixing symptoms. Start fixing systems.
Three connected dimensions
Good design sets direction. Transformation makes it happen. Assurance helps us learn and improve.
Intentional design that creates capable regulators
What regulator do we need to achieve our intended public outcomes?
We help regulators design an operating model that connects purpose with how the organisation works: governance that defines authority and accountability, the core regulatory functions the mandate requires, and the enabling functions that support them.
Design in detailPractical transformation that delivers lasting change
How do we change today's regulator into the one we need?
We help regulators define a shared future state and turn it into one coherent roadmap, so every initiative contributes to the regulator they need to become.
Transform in detailAssurance that drives better decisions and outcomes through continuous improvement
How do we know our decisions are sound, and keep improving them?
We help regulators build confidence in today's decisions and improve how tomorrow's are made, using our Regulatory Assurance Framework to assess maturity, diagnose causes and plan action.
Assure in detailDesign
Good design starts with the mandate. The question is how each part of the regulator works together to deliver its purpose and intended public outcomes.
An operating model that connects the regulator's purpose with how it works, from strategy and governance to capability, systems, engagement and resourcing.
Who has authority, how decisions are made and how the regulator is held accountable.
The functions the mandate requires, and how they work together.
Deliberately designed support, capability and assurance that make regulatory delivery work.
Creating a coherent regulator with clear accountability and shared capability.
Transform
A strategic operating framework connects organisational strategies and plans around a shared regulatory purpose. A shared future state gives individual initiatives a common direction.
Define the regulator we need to become.
Assess the current position and identify gaps.
Prioritise changes and resolve dependencies.
Sequence delivery, with clear ownership and governance.
Monitor progress and adjust as we learn.
Every initiative should contribute to the future regulator.
Assure · Regulatory Assurance Framework
At the heart of Assure is RIS Advisory's Regulatory Assurance Framework: a continuous improvement framework that strengthens regulatory decisions and the organisational systems behind them.
It connects governance, culture, capability, systems and practice to support consistent, transparent, risk-based and accountable decisions, and uses evidence, review and learning to understand what works and where to improve.
Assess how well assurance is established, applied consistently and embedded in everyday practice, then track improvement over time against an agreed target.
Trace a recurring issue back through the system to understand which parts contributed to it and why, rather than treating the visible symptom.
Identify the practical levers to pull, such as guidance, capability, supervision and governance, to address underlying causes and reduce recurrence.
Assure · Regulatory assurance maturity
A regulatory assurance maturity assessment examines how well each part of the regulatory assurance framework is established, applied consistently and embedded in everyday practice.
The result is a clear picture of the regulator's current assurance maturity, compared with an agreed target. The gap between the two shows where to focus, and where existing practice is already strong.
Targets are set for each area based on risk and organisational needs, because not everything needs to be at the highest level. Reassessing over time tracks progress and guides the next round of improvement.
Assure · How we apply it
Each engagement is tailored to the regulator's mandate, risks and starting point. A typical assessment follows five stages.
Gather evidence from documents, data, interviews and practice to establish a clear, objective baseline of where the regulator is today.
Agree an appropriate target for each area, informed by risk and organisational needs. Not everything needs to be at the highest level.
Compare current and target maturity to identify strengths and priorities, and investigate why gaps exist so the response fits the cause.
Prioritise improvements, resolve dependencies, assign owners and sequence delivery across realistic horizons that reflect capacity.
Connect assurance evidence to governance, reporting and planning cycles, sustain what already works, and reassess maturity to track progress.
Assure · What you receive
The work is designed to give executives and boards confidence in today's decisions and a clear plan for improving tomorrow's.
Design with purpose. Transform with direction. Assure through evidence and learning.
Anissa presented this approach at the AELERT 2026 Conference. She conceived the Regulatory Assurance Framework while leading the transformation of a state building and construction regulator, has refined it since, and is now designing a customised version for a state environmental regulator. The framework is RIS Advisory's own methodology and is applied through client engagements.
Start a conversation with Anissa about the challenge you are facing and how RIS Advisory can support you.