innovation in Public Administration

Alessandro FusacchiaHead of Cabinet

Ministry of Education, Universities and Research

ASP 12th CycleCycle Opening Event

Milano, February 19th 2016

1

the best place

to make innovation happen

Bureaucracy,

engineers, architects,

designers & Co.

Why should you care?

1. whatever you are going to do, the State will be there

2. you can make the State a better place

is bureaucracy scary?

innovation in Public Administration | #ASP16

the starting pointQuality of democracy depends on quality of laws● Ambiguity → laws reflect compromises

● “Stratification approach” → partial interventions

after a while it is impossible to have (and understand) a comprehensive framework

● Exception is the rule → waiver + lack of repeals

The lawmaker

● how does the Council of Ministers work?

● how does a Parliament work?

the starting pointQuality of laws determines the level of red-tape

● Public officials are unable to implement since lawmakers/regulators are

unwilling to avoid ambiguities → Delays!

● When public officials cope with ambiguities… they have to provide an

interpretation → counterparts can appeal them,

TAR (administrative courts) gets into the scene

● Red-tape language is used in order to “protect” public officials

●

there is no ESC key!

innovation in Public Administration | #ASP16

policy #1 “Restart, Italia!”CHALLENGE

How can a Government (2012) expected to tax do something for Youth, Entrepreneurs and Innovation? → turning Italy into an attractive country for start-ups.

PATHTask Force (12 experts / policy angels) → informal consultation

Report Restart, Italia! → Law Decree “Crescita 2.0” (October 2012)

OUTPUTS (more at MiSE’s website)

- how many? → 5.143 and counting → a strong cultural movement - evolution (the policy was extended = Trojan horse)

→ small and medium-sized enterprises, Start-up Visa, Start-up Hub, Patent Box

contents of “Restart, Italia!”innovative start-ups and certified incubators

incentives for investments in seed and venture capital

fixed-term contracts

stock option and work for equity

crowdfunding

no shame for a failed company

policy #2 “La Buona Scuola”CHALLENGE

invest in education (at a time of spending review) and update the educational framework

PATH

2 working groups → “teachers” + “skills” “data driven” drafting and policy design → “La Buona Scuola. Let the country grow”

CONSULTATION → a debate as big as a country 1,8 million of citizens involved / 2,000 debates / 115 position papers / 20 regional reports

La Buona Scuola Reloaded – citizens can improve a Government draft Survey + Comments + Co-Design Sections

APPROVAL

IMPLEMENTATION → work in progress

contents of “La Buona Scuola”More autonomous and responsible schools

An extraordinary teacher recruitment plan

School principal as the educational leader

New skills and literacy

School-to-work schemes, laboratories and digitization

Professional development schemes

Funds aimed at awarding teachers

The school system gets transparent: Open Data & Registers

School bonus

key dimensions

innovation in Public Administration | #ASP16

key dimensions

Target Content Process

1 Target Restart, Italia! La Buona Scuola

Numbers A few A lot

Initial impact Low High

Density Low High

Self-awareness No Yes

An homogeneous community?

Yes No

Mood Cool – Change –

We can make it

Disappointment –

Things never change

2 Content Restart, Italia! La Buona Scuola

Inputs coming from... External Internal

Killer application No Yes (extraordinary

recruitment plan)

“Can we adjust the trajectory”?

Very Much Little

Demand Policy-driven … drives the policy

3 Process Restart, Italia! La Buona Scuola

Commitment of the “target”

Low High

Modality online/offline online/offline

Approval Extra–group Intra–group

Timing Autonomous Fixed schedule

Role of media Follower Agenda setter

how to make it

innovation in Public Administration | #ASP16

golden rules for (better) government 1. focus on ex post, stimulate engagement in the implementation phase,

not just during the drafting phase

2. build up an alliance with the best public officials around, and challenge them openly

3. invest in training programs for public officials, attracting human capital

4. develop a “narrative” in public policies: citizens must be brought up, trained, driven

towards new collective behaviours (e.g. ban on smoking in public spaces)

5. do not contradict the method/process,

“be consistent otherwise people will not trust you!” + “there's no way back!”

the State of the art

- Ideologies are dead → how can we cope with decisions aimed at safeguarding small interests or peculiar/partial requests?

- We lack incubators of comprehensive and global visions, we lack Nineteenth Century’s political parties at their best = clearing houses

- Without a clear electoral/political mandate and with electoral campaigns merely focused on personalities…

the art of the State:from law making to policy design

better and more effective decisions crash tests + mobilization

reconcile two traditional dimensions of politics: solving problems + building up consensus

cope with the representation crisismuch deeper than the political crisis

in the meanwhile...the case of the European Union

● efficient and innovative public administration

● good quality policy making

BUT…

● governance rather than government;

● the Constitutional 3%, “representation without taxation”;

● “No Europe for young men”

= stress test failed?

[ policies require politics ]

and good luck!

thank you,

@Fusacchiaalessandro.fusacchia@istruzione.it

ASP 12th CycleCycle Opening Event

Milano, February 19th 2016