Regulating for Resilience: A Whole of Society Approach

Published: 30th September 2024

Just over a year ago UKRN worked with the Whitehall & Industry Group to bring together leaders from regulators, the wider public sector, industry, academia and not-for-profits in a workshop, to explore how organisations across the sectors could implement the recommendations set out in the Government Resilience Framework, which was published in December 2022. The session focused on the benefits of collaboration using a ‘whole of society approach’ to build a strong resilience system.

On Thursday 26th September, we revisited this concept that working together through a whole of society approach maximises our collective impact and helps to support and facilitate the development of a resilient society, systems and services.

Our event, hosted by Ofcom, brought together representatives from the Cabinet Office Resilience Directorate, the National Preparedness Commission, the National Infrastructure Commission and our regulator members to explore current measures and initiatives in resilience.

Creating Conversation

Guest Speaker and Panel Member:

Margaret Read

Director of Policy, National Infrastructure Commission

Panel Facilitator:

James Jenkins

Chair UKRN Climate Change Network,

Principal in Environment and Climate Change, Ofwat

Guest Speaker and Panel Member:

Lord Toby Harris

Chair, National Preparedness Commission

Panel Member:

Tim Gilfedder

Network Security and Resilience Policy, Ofcom

Guest Speaker:

Nihal Newman

Director, Network Security and Resilience Policy, Ofcom

Guest Speaker and Panel Member:

Jade Harford

Head of Critical Systems,
Supply Chains and Climate Adaptation, Cabinet Office

Guest Speaker & Panel Member:

Dr Richard Judge

Director, Bartlett Judge Associates

Our guest speakers and panel brought to life, with diverse and engaging conversation, topical themes covering;

• Resilience requiring a cross-sector, system approach that considers interdependencies, to be fit for our turbulent, uncertain, novel and ambiguous society.
• Strong leadership providing clear strategic direction and setting the resilience risk appetite for the UK.
• Resilience standards developed and implemented by 2030, at the latest, to ensure that future infrastructure investment recommendations factor in resilience and climate change risks.
• Essential collaboration and knowledge sharing, encouraging a cross-sectoral approach to resilience.

The UKRN is best known for delivering excellence through collaboration, across the regulatory landscape, for the benefit of consumers and the economy.

Supporting resilience is one of the core objectives of the UKRN’s strategy.

We deliver this by providing opportunities for our members to connect and collaborate with expert partners, in order to share best practice and develop joint approaches to resilience.

Our thanks go to all our speakers and panel members, for their time and commitment to make the day a success, and also to Ofcom for kindly hosting and generously supporting the event.

“It is essential resilience doesn’t become a post code lottery”

“All crises are ultimately local”