2022, September 14th. Chiara Leonardi and Elena Not (from our partner Bruno Kessler Foundation) are the authors of the paper “Challenges and opportunities for ICT in Co-production: a case study of Public Service Innovation in an Italian municipality”. The paper contributes to the ongoing debate on how ICTs can be exploited to support the co-production of public services by exploring the case study of an Italian municipality that is experimenting with new forms of governance and co-production practices
For the purpose of enhancing the standard of public services and ensuring their efficacy and sustainability, new paradigms and governance models that encourage participatory activities and harness networks of public agencies, businesses, and citizens are being tested. The co-production paradigm, which incorporates the participation of several players in the design and delivery of public services and might substantially benefit from information and communication technology, is becoming more and more fundamental to this environment (ICTs).
For example, social platforms and communication and sensing technologies promise to improve citizen involvement and public service delivery, boost the effectiveness of collaborative processes, and empower both individuals and groups.
However, the success of implementing ICTs to promote these behaviors depends greatly on elements both inside and outside of government institutions, including organisational and cultural factors, a lack of technical skills, and financial resources.
By investigating through a case study how local administrations are experimenting with new forms of governance and co-production practices, and which pitfalls and shortcomings can be practically overcome through digital technology, this paper seeks to contribute to the ongoing discussion on ICT-enabled co-production. The research aims to identify the implications and needs for a digital platform that will support the co-production process in its entirety, from the moment an initiative is launched to the point when a public service is created, developed, and provided in partnership with private stakeholders and citizens, and then sustained over time.
Due to their extensive experience with collaborative public service initiatives, the authors chose the Italian municipality of Reggio Emilia as a very instructive case study. A single access point to online services, the co-design, and the co-delivery of a digital portal for citizens, was the subject of our investigation. They tried to capture the organisational structure, the dynamics of the network members, and the potential and challenges presented by ICTs. Insightful digital tools are needed, according to the findings, to promote capacity building, step-by-step instruction, simplification of handoffs, openness of network status and process accountability, reduction of the costs of public engagement, ongoing review, and sustainability by design.
