Strategies and Performance Management in Public Administrations
A.Y. 2025/2026
Learning objectives
The course aims to provide elements for the formulation of corporate policies and strategies from a business economics perspective, also in relation to their implementation and resource allocation. The course focuses on the main methods and tools for the examination of evaluation and control systems in public administrations. In particular, some of the main types of control and evaluation in Italian public administrations will be examined. Furthermore, the organizational and managerial implications related to the functioning of evaluation and control systems in public companies will be analyzed.
Expected learning outcomes
At the end of the course, students will be able to: i) know the elements of strategic planning and the strategy formulation process; ii) identify and interpret the evaluation systems currently in use in Italian public administrations, their evolution and the reasons for their failure; iii) distinguish and analyze, from a systemic perspective, the founding dimensions of a planning, evaluation and control system; iv) examine, from an economic-business perspective, the functioning of an evaluation and control system in the public sphere; v) analyze the main determinants of the implementation gap (with reference to strategic planning) and improper phenomena/distorting factors of control and evaluation systems.
Lesson period: Third trimester
Assessment methods: Esame
Assessment result: voto verbalizzato in trentesimi
Single course
This course can be attended as a single course.
Course syllabus and organization
Single session
Responsible
Lesson period
Third trimester
Course syllabus
The following topics will be addressed during the course:
- formulation of corporate policies and strategies in relation to public administrations and the public company system;
- main types of control and evaluation in Italian public administrations;
- main dimensions of an evaluation and control system;
- main organisational and managerial implications related to the functioning of planning, evaluation and control systems in public administrations
- formulation of corporate policies and strategies in relation to public administrations and the public company system;
- main types of control and evaluation in Italian public administrations;
- main dimensions of an evaluation and control system;
- main organisational and managerial implications related to the functioning of planning, evaluation and control systems in public administrations
Prerequisites for admission
The course requires knowledge of elements of business economics related to public administrations, or notions of public management.
Teaching methods
The course includes lectures and case study discussions in order to strengthen the ability to apply the acquired knowledge.
Teaching Resources
- Cepiku, D. (2018). Strategia e performance nelle amministrazioni pubbliche. EGEA.
- Rebora G. e Meneguzzo M. (1990). Strategia delle amministrazioni pubbliche. Torino: UTET (Chapters 3, 4 and 5 only).
1. Method
- Rebora, G. (2007). Una traccia per l'analisi dei sistemi di controllo in diversi contesti aziendali. In Rebora, G. (a cura di) La crisi dei controlli: imprese e istituzioni a confronto (pp. 15-22). Milano: Pearson Education Italia.
- Pollitt C. (2009). Bureaucracies Remember, Post-bureaucratic Organizations Forget?, Public Administration, 87(2), 198-218.
2. Control experience
- Mezzera, A. e Turri, M. (2008). Il controllo successivo sulla gestione promosso dalla Corte dei conti. In Governare e programmare: l'azienda pubblica tra innovazione e sviluppo al servizio del cittadino e del paese: 3° workshop nazionale di Azienda pubblica.
- Barbato, G. e Turri M. (2015) Il pluralismo teorico per esaminare la valutazione della performance nei ministeri italiani. Liuc Papers, Numero 284.
- Barbato G., Salvadori, A. e Turri, M. (2018). There's a lid for every pot! The relationship between performance measurement and administrative activities in Italian ministries. Cogent Business & Management, 5: 1527965.
3. Control failures
- Minelli E., Rebora, G. e Turri M. (2009). Why do controls fail? Results of an Italian survey, Critical Perspectives on Accounting, (20), 933-943.
- Rebora G. e Meneguzzo M. (1990). Strategia delle amministrazioni pubbliche. Torino: UTET (Chapters 3, 4 and 5 only).
1. Method
- Rebora, G. (2007). Una traccia per l'analisi dei sistemi di controllo in diversi contesti aziendali. In Rebora, G. (a cura di) La crisi dei controlli: imprese e istituzioni a confronto (pp. 15-22). Milano: Pearson Education Italia.
- Pollitt C. (2009). Bureaucracies Remember, Post-bureaucratic Organizations Forget?, Public Administration, 87(2), 198-218.
2. Control experience
- Mezzera, A. e Turri, M. (2008). Il controllo successivo sulla gestione promosso dalla Corte dei conti. In Governare e programmare: l'azienda pubblica tra innovazione e sviluppo al servizio del cittadino e del paese: 3° workshop nazionale di Azienda pubblica.
- Barbato, G. e Turri M. (2015) Il pluralismo teorico per esaminare la valutazione della performance nei ministeri italiani. Liuc Papers, Numero 284.
- Barbato G., Salvadori, A. e Turri, M. (2018). There's a lid for every pot! The relationship between performance measurement and administrative activities in Italian ministries. Cogent Business & Management, 5: 1527965.
3. Control failures
- Minelli E., Rebora, G. e Turri M. (2009). Why do controls fail? Results of an Italian survey, Critical Perspectives on Accounting, (20), 933-943.
Assessment methods and Criteria
Examination procedure for attending students
It is only possible to sit the exam as an attending student at the end of the course (June and July 2026).
The examination will be oral and will focus on the topics covered in the course; there will also be a presentation and discussion of an in-depth study. Such will have to be agreed and approved by the lecturer at the beginning of the course and will concern the analysis of a planning, evaluation and control system.
The oral test, in particular, will be designed to ascertain:
- the achievement of the objectives in terms of knowledge and understanding in relation to the syllabus;
- the ability to apply knowledge and understanding through the discussion of case studies relating to specific companies and public administrations;
- the autonomy of judgement, also through the analysis of case studies discussed during the course;
- the use of specific language relating to the economic operation of public companies and administrations and the ability to present the arguments in a clear and orderly manner.
The presentation and discussion of the in-depth study aims to verify the ability to apply the acquired knowledge, understand the implementation dynamics, verify the ability to integrate the knowledge and draw conclusions on the basis of the collected data by developing autonomous analyses and reflections.
Examination procedure for non-attending students
The examination will be in written form and organised as follows:
- up to three questions (open questions) to ascertain the achievement of the objectives in terms of knowledge and understanding of the programme content;
- one or more questions to ascertain the knowledge and ability of applied understanding (e.g. interpreting a planning, evaluation and control system and possible implementation possibilities/improper effects); this matter also allows to verify the ability of autonomous judgement.
The examination is also aimed at understanding written communication skills, especially in relation to the use of specific language relating to the economic-business operation of public administrations.
After the first two exam sessions (June-July 2026), the examination procedure will exclusively be held in written form.
Regarding the grading scale (how grades will be assigned), regardless of attending or non-attending mode:
A. Scores in the range of 18-22 will be assigned with the following requisites:
- Basic knowledge and applied understanding in reference to the curriculum.
- Limited ability to collect and/or interpret data and formulate independent judgments.
- Sufficient communication skills, especially regarding the use of specific language related to the economic functioning of public services.
B. Scores in the range of 23-26 will be assigned with the following requisites:
- Fair knowledge and applied understanding in reference to the curriculum.
- Fair ability to collect and/or interpret data and formulate independent judgments.
- Adequate communication skills, especially regarding the use of specific language related to the economic functioning of public services.
C. Scores in the range of 27-30 will be assigned with the following requisites:
- Good or excellent knowledge and applied understanding in reference to the curriculum.
- Good or excellent ability to collect and/or interpret data and formulate independent judgments.
- Fully appropriate communication skills, especially regarding the use of specific language related to the economic functioning of public services.
D. Honors will be granted when there is outstanding knowledge and applied understanding in reference to the curriculum, exceptional judgment, and communication skills.
It is only possible to sit the exam as an attending student at the end of the course (June and July 2026).
The examination will be oral and will focus on the topics covered in the course; there will also be a presentation and discussion of an in-depth study. Such will have to be agreed and approved by the lecturer at the beginning of the course and will concern the analysis of a planning, evaluation and control system.
The oral test, in particular, will be designed to ascertain:
- the achievement of the objectives in terms of knowledge and understanding in relation to the syllabus;
- the ability to apply knowledge and understanding through the discussion of case studies relating to specific companies and public administrations;
- the autonomy of judgement, also through the analysis of case studies discussed during the course;
- the use of specific language relating to the economic operation of public companies and administrations and the ability to present the arguments in a clear and orderly manner.
The presentation and discussion of the in-depth study aims to verify the ability to apply the acquired knowledge, understand the implementation dynamics, verify the ability to integrate the knowledge and draw conclusions on the basis of the collected data by developing autonomous analyses and reflections.
Examination procedure for non-attending students
The examination will be in written form and organised as follows:
- up to three questions (open questions) to ascertain the achievement of the objectives in terms of knowledge and understanding of the programme content;
- one or more questions to ascertain the knowledge and ability of applied understanding (e.g. interpreting a planning, evaluation and control system and possible implementation possibilities/improper effects); this matter also allows to verify the ability of autonomous judgement.
The examination is also aimed at understanding written communication skills, especially in relation to the use of specific language relating to the economic-business operation of public administrations.
After the first two exam sessions (June-July 2026), the examination procedure will exclusively be held in written form.
Regarding the grading scale (how grades will be assigned), regardless of attending or non-attending mode:
A. Scores in the range of 18-22 will be assigned with the following requisites:
- Basic knowledge and applied understanding in reference to the curriculum.
- Limited ability to collect and/or interpret data and formulate independent judgments.
- Sufficient communication skills, especially regarding the use of specific language related to the economic functioning of public services.
B. Scores in the range of 23-26 will be assigned with the following requisites:
- Fair knowledge and applied understanding in reference to the curriculum.
- Fair ability to collect and/or interpret data and formulate independent judgments.
- Adequate communication skills, especially regarding the use of specific language related to the economic functioning of public services.
C. Scores in the range of 27-30 will be assigned with the following requisites:
- Good or excellent knowledge and applied understanding in reference to the curriculum.
- Good or excellent ability to collect and/or interpret data and formulate independent judgments.
- Fully appropriate communication skills, especially regarding the use of specific language related to the economic functioning of public services.
D. Honors will be granted when there is outstanding knowledge and applied understanding in reference to the curriculum, exceptional judgment, and communication skills.
SECS-P/07 - BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION AND ACCOUNTING STUDIES - University credits: 6
Lessons: 40 hours
Professors:
Sancino Alessandro Angelo, Turri Matteo
Professor(s)