Abstract
This paper examines the tensions involved in regulating innovative, flexible organizations and their activities in the interest of public health and security. Drawing on a longitudinal case of regulatory design, it traces how a government agency used an approach that: 1) took into account situated practice and multiplicity of experiences, 2) worked through inquiry and dialogue, and 3) considered and drew on available resources to decide on a regulatory design. Such an approach examines simultaneously regulatory design, enforcement possibilities, and organizational capacities. It discusses the implications of such decision-making processes for the regulated organization as well as for public health and security.