The search of a new logic of public administration reforms: the case of metropolitan areas in Italy

AuthorRenato Ruffini - Mihaela Tuca - Alessandro Sancino - Martino Andreani
PositionAssociate Professor, PhD, LIUC Univeristy, Castellanza, Italy - PhD, National University of Political Sciences and Public Administration, Romania - Lecturer of Management, Department of Public Leadership & Social Enterprise, Open University Business School, London, UK - PhD Candidate, LIUC University, Castellanza, Italy
Pages396-399
European Integration - Realities and Perspectives 2014
396
The Search of a New Logic of Public Administration Reforms:
The Case of Metropolitan Areas in Italy
Renato Ruffini
1, Mihaela Tuc2, Alessandro Sancino3, Martino Andreani4
Abstract: The aim of this paper is to formulate some recommendations for the currently undergoing re form
of Italian metropolitan areas. This case is particularly relevant since it clearly represents how, even if
expected by law, reforms might not happen on the implementation side. We draw the recommendations from
some basic assumptions of the collaborative governance model. Recommendations deal with the development
of a systemic, collaborative and leadership oriented view of reforms. Indeed, reforms should be intended not
only as a legislative process, but also as a co mplex change management process characterized by the decisive
role of the human factor.
Keywords: local government; metropolitan areas; collaborative g overnance; public administration reforms;
Italy
1. Introduction
From London to Bucharest and from Washington to Rome via Brussels, local governments around the
globe are facing new challenges and they are experiencing several kinds of reforms. In this paper we
adopt a managerial perspective and we discuss the collaborative governance model as a new logic for
public administration reforms; in particular, we focus on the undergoing reform of Italian metropolitan
areas.
The metropolitan areas in Italy were introduced with the law no. 142/1990 to be the new second tier of
local government. They would have been created after the elimination of the Provinces in the
correspondent areas. However, until now, actually they have never been created. For current times,
law no. 54/2014 has been recently approved by the Italian Parliament that imposes the substitution of
ten areas of the Provinces with the new Italian metropolitan areas as of 1st July 2014.
Accordingly, the aim of this paper is to formulate a series of recommendations on this specific reform
using theoretical constructs of the collaborative governance model as a potential new logic of public
administration reforms. This case study is particularly relevant since it clearly represents how, even if
1Associate Professor, PhD, LIUC Univeristy, Castellanza, Italy, Address: C.so Matteotti, 22, 21053 Castellanza Varese, Ital y,
Tel.:+39 0331 572111, E-mail: ruffini@liuc.it
2 PhD, Nation al University of Political Sciences and Public Administration, Ro mania, Address: 6 Povernei Street, Sector 1,
Bucharest, Romania, Tel.: +4021.318.08.97, Coresponding author: mihaelatuca@snspa.ro.
3 Lecturer of Management, Department of Public Leadership & Social Enterprise, Open University Business School, London,
UK, Address: Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom, MK7 6AA, Tel.: +44 (0) 1908 655 888, Fax: +44 (0) 1908 655
898, E-mail: alessandro.sancino@open.ac.uk.
4 PhD Candidate, LIUC University, Castellanza, Italy, Address: C.so Matteotti, 22, 21053 Castellanza Varese, Italy, Tel.:+39
0331 572111, E-mail: mandreani@liuc.it.

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