Interacting with stakeholders: Generating trust, confidence and influence through credibility, responsiveness and values

Gaining public trust and confidence by regulatory bodies can only come about by demonstrating in an open and engaging way a high level of integrity and professionalism. The challenge is to operate in a fast changing environment where the regulators are increasingly under scrutiny. The thirst of the public for information has increased due to the availability of vastly improved media and communication channels and society has acquired a heightened concern for its own safety and security. The factors that pose challenges to the regulatory functions and some potential ways forward are discussed in this paper. (author)