Municipal reaction to functional rescaling in Italy
International Journal of Public Sector Management
ISSN: 0951-3558
Article publication date: 14 May 2018
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to discuss the municipal reaction to a recent rescaling policy in Italy that, since 2010, require to small municipalities to jointly manage their basic tasks (compulsory joint management – CJM) through intermunicipal forms of cooperation. The paper will investigate: how many small municipalities did effectively join their basic tasks; which forms of cooperation did they choose to perform these tasks; and which kind of reaction municipalities enacted toward the national provision.
Design/methodology/approach
Quantitative data rely on an original database collecting information on all Italian municipalities up to 2015. A qualitative research has also been conducted by submitting a semi-structured questionnaire and interviews to the civil servants in charge of the CJM in each of the 20 Italian regions and to other privileged interlocutors.
Findings
Italian municipalities poorly complied with the CJM norm and when they did, they choose the easiest way to do it (using the simplest available intermunicipal cooperation form). Among the explanations for this reaction: the lack of consistency and clear political will of the national policy maker in respect to this norm and the lack of a mind set at the local level oriented to cooperation and networking.
Originality/value
This paper highlights the main patterns of conflict in functional rescaling of small-sized municipalities in Italy, thus providing both fresh new data on this phenomena and useful elements for shaping future policy making on this topic.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This research has been possible also thanks to a Short Moblity Fund of the Univ Naples Federico II.
Citation
Bolgherini, S., Casula, M. and Marotta, M. (2018), "Municipal reaction to functional rescaling in Italy", International Journal of Public Sector Management, Vol. 31 No. 4, pp. 448-465. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJPSM-12-2016-0204
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2018, Emerald Publishing Limited