The Role of Information Communication Technologies in the Reform Process of Italian Local Authorities

This book is the result of research activities carried out during these years and focalized in the change process of Italian local authorities. Italian local authorities reform process started in 1990 and it has received an important and significant contribution by the implementation of new technologies ICTs inside public administrations system. The implementation of ICTs in Italian public sector is dated June 2000 with the issue of the first E-Government Action Plan. The implementation of new technologies in Italian public sector – as in other European Countries – involves many issues as the role of local authorities inside public administrations system, the relationship between local and central authorities, the relations with citizens and enterprises, the administrative transparency and the accountability. All these issues are important for the main goal of the reform processes started in all the European countries and represented by the creation in Europe of a “digital society for all”. The “digital society for all” aims to become the basis to realize the e-democracy. This programme started in Europe in 1999 with the eEurope Action Plan. Eight year later it is important to verify what’s happened, the results reached and what’ s changed or what is going to change. This book is composed by two papers. The first paper explores how new technologies, in particular web based technologies, are being deployed in differing ways in local government reform in Italy and England. In both cases one of the prime aims is to improve the accountability of local government. However, what is meant by accountability is interpreted in dissimilar ways in Italy and in England. The paper describes what is happening in Italy and in England. The second paper focuses its attention on the measurement issue around the e-government process with regard to local authorities. The measurement issue is discussed in this paper with regard to the European, British and Italian experiences. After discussion of the measurement issue, this paper presents the findings of an empirical survey carried out with regard to Italian local authorities. This empirical survey aims to understand if and how it is possible to measure e-government policies at local level. With these findings this paper tries to measure the level of interaction A2C between Italian local authorities and citizen/business. The two papers are two different steps of the same research activity which is not finished yet. The research activity tried to analyze the Italian reform process with regard to other Countries and in particular with regard to what is happening in the UK. This book has benefited form extensive interactions and discussions with colleagues over these years all around Europe