Municipal reaction to functional rescaling in Italy

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.

Is local always better? Strengths and limitations of local governance for service delivery

“…Against the background of the analytical framework described earlier, the contribution by Silvia Bolgherini et al (2018) touches on factors relating to intergovernmental relations, the degree of local autonomy, the extent of reforms, and cooperation between municipalities.…”

“…A rescaling policy recently introduced in Italy obliges small municipalities to manage basic tasks jointly in a form of IMC known as compulsory joint management (CJM). In their article, Bolgherini et al (2018) examined how small municipalities reacted to this policy, the extent to which they were effective in managing their joint functions together, the type of cooperation they adopted, and whether local governments resisted the reforms introduced. Quantitative data from official sources as well as qualitative data, generated by a semi-structured questionnaire, were analyzed and it was found that, in general, Italian local governments, complied poorly with the CJM requirements.…”

Oblique-change matters: ‘bradyseismic’ institutional change in local government

“…However, this was enacted in each region with different timings, strategies, and designs (OPn.10). The Compulsory joint management (CJM) for municipalitiesintroduced in 2010 as OP, then reinforced by the Delrio Law and then definitely canceled in 2019 by the Constitutional Court (Bolgherini et al, 2018a) as SP (n.2)is an example of the uncertainty that followed. Overall, in the legal dimension, the prevalence of SPs (seven out of 11) is higher than that of the oblique ones (only three).…”