The tenth edition of the FPA Annual Report, signed by FPA – Digital 360, was presented on 22 January in Rome. The publication offers an in-depth analysis of the main innovation phenomena in the Italian Public Administration, highlighting the ongoing transformations and future prospects of the public sector.

Among the topics covered in the Report are: change and modernisation in PA, the impact of artificial intelligence, the challenges of cohesion and PNRR, and the new frontiers of public communication. Particular attention is paid to administrative capacity, which is considered a fundamental pillar to make the most of the opportunities of EU programming.

The contribution of Alessandra Augusto, Managing Authority of the Programmes for Strengthening Administrative Capacity National Operational Programme Governance and Institutional Capacity 2014-2020 and National Programme Capacity for Cohesion 2021-2027, fits into this framework. In her speech ‘Administrative capacity and cohesion: the winning combination for the development of territories’, MA Augusto describes the key interventions of the two National Programmes, to make cohesion policy interventions in Italy more effective and bridge regional disparities, with a focus on the competition for the recruitment of 2,200 officials in the South, training and the Service Centre. ‘The long-term goal is in fact to create a network of connected and interdependent territories in which innovation becomes an engine of growth even for the more peripheral ones and territorial cohesion a strategic element for the country’s competitiveness,’ he emphasises. And again, ‘The success of these initiatives will depend on the ability to create solid governance, implement integrated policies, and transform challenges into opportunities for development and innovation, for a more united and competitive Italy.’

The Report also emphasises the FPA podcast cycle, ‘Cap-Coe – Cohesion starts again from people’, the initiative that narrates the Programme with a perspective focused on the fundamental role of people in cohesion policies.

The theme of strengthening skills and administrative capacity finds further space in the Italiae Project. Promoted by the Department for Regional Affairs and Autonomies and financed with resources from the Operational Programme Complementary to #pongov, the Project aims to achieve these objectives by encouraging cooperation between Italian municipalities. Giovanni Vetritto, Project Manager, in his speech elaborates on the strategic value of these cooperation networks to promote local development. The experiences linked to the Italiae Project are also recounted in the ReportagePA L’Italia che riparte. Storie e progetti di un Paese che funziona: a journey through five territories to discover stories of innovation and good practices that contribute to improving people’s quality of life.

Download FPA Annual Report 2024