Becoming a Regulatory Professional: From Sector Expert to Steward of Practice

Written by Adam Beaumont and Simon Corden

Over recent decades, regulation has evolved from a sector-based function into a profession in its own right. Regulators are now recognised not just for what they regulate, but for how they regulate. applying transferable skills in risk, behaviour change, engagement, and system stewardship. This shift raises an important question: how can agencies deliberately build, value, and sustain regulatory professionalism?

For much of the 20th century, being a regulator was less a career choice and more likely a consequence of where you worked. Regulators were drawn from the sectors they oversaw, a kindergarten teacher regulating childcare, a lawyer regulating legal practice, a builder regulating the building sector and so on. Sector expertise, not regulatory skill, defined the role. Recruitment and training reinforced this, focusing on technical knowledge and the culture of the regulated industry.

In the 1980s, regulation wasn’t seen as a profession. Few set out to become regulators; it was simply a task within a sector or department. That began to change in the 1990s as scholars like John Braithwaite, Neil Gunningham, and Julia Black gave language and theory to the practice of regulation. The establishment of RegNet at ANU provided an academic home for regulatory thinking, and concepts like responsive and “really responsive” regulation shifted the focus from enforcement to engagement, risk, and system design.

By the 2000s, work by Malcolm Sparrow (The Regulatory Craft) and Arie Freiberg helped regulators think beyond sector-specific rules to the broader tools and frameworks of the craft. Communities of practice followed, some sector-based, like AELERT, others aligned around shared legislative frameworks such as consumer protection and occupational safety. These networks fostered collaboration, learning, and a shared identity among regulators.

The 2010s saw further maturity. Scholars such as Fiona Haines, Martin Lodge, and Cary Coglianese deepened the theoretical and practical foundations of regulation. Staff began moving more freely between agencies, bringing with them not just sector knowledge but regulatory expertise. The idea of being a “regulator first” gained ground. Universities, including Monash and ANU, offered courses dedicated to regulation, while “Better Regulation” initiatives in Australia, the UK, and the US emphasised regulatory practice not just regulatory impact processes focused on new regulation.

In Australia, communities of practice continued to strengthen the professional identity of regulators. Victoria’s CoP, hosted by IPAA, and a Queensland CoP, laid the groundwork for the National Regulators Community of Practice (NRCoP), now hosted by ANZSOG (and which both authors have been National Chairs). New Zealand took a leadership role in embedding regulatory stewardship. Through the work of Keith Manch and others, stewardship became a formal responsibility, recognising that regulators must care for the long-term health of the systems they oversee. The NZ Productivity Commission’s 2014 report on regulatory institutions and practices was a key moment, highlighting and recognising the need for regulatory capability and professionalism.

As more staff moved between agencies, the value of regulatory capability became clearer. Secondments, shared training, and cross-agency collaboration grew. Regulators began to see their craft as portable and applicable across sectors and jurisdictions. The sector still mattered, but it was no longer the defining feature.

Today, we stand on the shoulders of four decades of evolution. Foundational skills, risk assessment, behaviour change, stakeholder engagement, behavioural insights, system design have helped many professionals see themselves as regulators first, with their sector as secondary. Being a regulator is now a career path, a discipline, and a growing profession. And as challenges grow more complex, think climate change, digital transformation, cyber security, social equity, the need for skilled, reflective, and collaborative regulators has never been greater.

As regulation continues to mature as a profession, agencies can reinforce this evolution through their people practices. That means being open to hiring from outside the sector, seeking candidates with regulatory judgement, systems thinking, and engagement skills, not just technical expertise related to the regulated sector. It means encouraging staff to participate in cross-sector training and development, such as the NRCoP’s The Professional Regulator program, and supporting secondments or exchanges to build breadth of experience. And it means investing in mentoring and communities of practice that connect regulators across disciplines.

By valuing and nurturing regulatory capability in this way, we help ensure our profession and the systems we steward remain adaptive, credible, and trusted.