turn, could help answer other types of questions, examining the effectiveness of a committee and the reasons for this. For example, are some committees more effective because of the role of private sector organizations which are inherently better organized and thus more effective in securing influence on reform committees? Are some committees unable to deliver because of the public sector fragmentation – political contention or conflicting incentives hindering the ability of the government to reach a clear decision and sustain implementation momentum? How does a reform committee assess its effectiveness if it not using KPIs? Even when using KPIs, are they in fact a good measure of success both to themselves and to external observers? These and many other related questions about the underlying components and complementary factors that enhance the effectiveness of successful reform committees could further be explored. The data provides also ample opportunities for operational advice, particularly to countries seeking guidance on how to establish or (improve) their own reform committee.

Furthermore, additional regular updating of reform committee data would allow tracking of the nature and extent of change. A follow-up the economies that did not participate in the first round may elicit additional information and allow for more regional and country-specific research, including additional case studies. With each round of data collection, additional key questions could be asked or refined on the basis of lessons learned from earlier data analysis. Finally, interviews from members of the different types of reform committees would provide a more detailed ‘inside view’ of the roles, responsibilities, and incentives of the reform committee members.

# **7. Conclusion**

Business regulatory reform is important for every government because it matters for private sector development, job creation, service delivery, and economic growth. After identifying what needs to be reformed, the next big challenge for governments is how to effectively implement the reform. Some do it through specifically designed reform committees, others through already existing structures in the government. Close to half of the reform committees globally are housed in the Prime Minister’s office reporting directly to him/her, while others are part of a working group in a Ministry or Agency. In most economies, public sector representatives are members of both the steering board and the working groups. However, this does not define the quality of engagement. Many engage very actively with the private sector at every stage of the process, while others do not engage at all or very little. Each approach can have a different degree of success. This paper and accompanying dataset provide new insights to help governments strengthen their institutions for better business regulations. The dataset also provides many opportunities for future research, both in terms of theory on the role of institutions in development and concept validation on the organization and effectiveness of reform committees. Lastly, combining these data with other datasets such as the Business Ready data can help governments better design business regulatory reforms important to firms and society at large.

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