Sections 67 and 68 of the Criminal Justice and Court Services Act 2000 initiated the development of multi-agency arrangements for public protection against sex offenders in the community. The Act defined the Responsible Authority as being the chief officer of police and the local probation board for each area, and their responsibilities comprised the following: (1) assessing and managing the risk of serious harm posed by certain sexual, violent, and other dangerous offenders; (2) reviewing these arrangements with a view to monitoring their effectiveness; and (3) preparing and publishing an annual report on the discharge of these arrangements within the area. The purpose was to assess and manage the risks posed by certain sexual and violent offenders in order to prevent re-offending and minimize the risk of serous harm to the public. The guidance establishes the MAPPA framework that seeks to achieve two objectives through the Responsible Authorities of England and Wales: to improve the consistency and quality of the MAPPA and to strengthen the strategic management within areas. With the guidance issued only recently it is premature to comment on its effectiveness in addressing some of the shortcomings in the first phase of MAPPA development. It is possible to identify three challenges that will shape that continued development over the next 2 years. The first relates to change management, the second to resourcing, and the third to critical cases and effective public communication. 1 figure, 13 notes