Advocacy

Mission

The mission of the Advocacy Working Group (AWG) is to develop practical tools and guidance to improve the effectiveness of ICN members’ competition advocacy activities. The AWG’s original mandate was to undertake projects with a view to recommending best practices and to provide information to members in support of their advocacy functions. This work took place from 2001 through 2003. In 2008, the AWG was reconvened and a revised work plan reflecting developments in the field, including the increased use of market studies, was approved by the Steering Group. In 2008-2009, the AWG engaged in a review and update of existing ICN advocacy work, and examined in greater detail members’ experiences conducting market studies as part of their advocacy efforts, with the goal of developing good practices for conducting studies.  

Current Work

Competition Advocacy Experience Sharing Project

  • To conduct a series of teleseminars on particular types of competition advocacy or particular categories of market problems (e.g. former state monopolies, self regulated markets, after markets, public procurement, according to the Conclusions/Recommendations of the 2008-2008 Review and Update Project Report and subsequent feedback from AWG members.
  • To update and facilitate the use of Competition Advocacy Toolkit for networking advocacy experts of ICN member agencies as well as NGAs according to recommendations presented in Annex 3 to 2008-2009 Review and Update Project Report.
  • To provide a web-based facility on the ICN website as part of the Competition Advocacy Toolkit, for member agencies and participating NGAs to post information on their advocacy activities, relevant speeches and articles, and any advocacy issues they may wish to discuss.
  • To liaise with the ICN Advocacy and Implementation Network (AIN) on competition advocacy experience sharing in order to facilitate the advocacy activities of AIN beneficiary agencies in conjunction with the Advocacy and Implementation Support Programme. AIN supporting agencies (those providing advisory assistance to the beneficiary agencies) will examine the needs of the beneficiary agencies in recommendations on competition advocacy issues and prepare such recommendations jointly with the AWG: the AWG will participate in drafting and/or reviewing these recommendations.


Market Studies Project

  • During 2009-2010, a Draft Handbook on Good Practice in conducting Market Studies was prepared collaboratively, with input from a range of ICN member authorities and NGAs. It contains chapters on: overview of the market studies process; project management of market studies; stakeholder engagement; market study selection; information collection and analysis; developing and securing outcomes; and evaluation. The aim of the handbook is to capture aspects of International good practice on market studies.
  • During 2009-2010, the AWG put together data for a web-based Market Studies Information Store listing all the market studies carried out by participating ICN member authorities in the previous five years. This will be a resource for member authorities and for NGAs, and, it is hoped, will facilitate the sharing of good practice on market studies.
  • During 2010-2011, the Draft Market Studies Good Practice Handbook and the Market Studies Information Store will be 'road tested'. As part of the road testing, ICN member authorities that are planning to carry out market studies or set up or review market study regimes during 2010-2011 will be asked to report on their experience of referring to the handbook in that context, and to suggest any necessary revisions in the light of their experience. The ICN Secretariat will also monitor the number of hits on the Market Studies Information Store in order to assess its usage levels.
  • We also invite comments and suggestions on the draft Handbook and Information Store from all ICN members and NGAs by email to the addresses set out below.

Road testing of the Draft Market Studies Good Practice Handbook and Information Store:  we welcome your feedback

We would welcome your comments on the draft Market Studies Good Practice Handbook and Information Store. Comments and suggestions can be posted at the following email addresses:

In addition, the Advocacy Working Group (AWG) invites ICN member agencies that are planning to carry out market studies or set up or review market study regimes during 2010-2011 to 'road-test' the Draft Handbook by referring to it in that context, and suggesting any necessary revisions in the light of their experience.

Contact Information

The Working Group is co-chaired by the United Kingdom’s Office of Fair Trading and the Federal Antimonopoly Service of Russia.

For more information about the AWG, please contact:

Ms. Sophie Mitchell
ICN Counsel
Office of Fair Trading (United Kingdom)
Telephone: 44 207 211 8829
E-Mail: sophie.mitchell@oft.gsi.gov.uk

Mr. Vladimir Kachalin
Assistant to the Head
Federal Antimonopoly Service of the Russian Federation
Telephone: 7 918 553 7862; 7 985 162 5887; 7 863 263 7259
E-Mail: kachalin@aaanet.ru

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