Law and public administration

The course offers an analysis and evaluation of public policies with the aim of understanding the needs that give rise to the adoption of a certain policy and the effects that this policy may have on its target audience, both from an ex ante and ex post perspective. Ex ante, Regulatory Impact Analysis (RIA) allows for a precise outline of the methods of intervention and an estimate of the presumed costs and benefits of the public policy, and therefore an assessment of its feasibility. Ex post, Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) makes it possible to verify whether and to what extent the public policy has been targeted and appropriate and whether it has therefore produced the expected results. Part I (16 hours – 2 CFU) The constituent elements of public policy and the participants in the policy process are identified. This is followed by a description of the life cycle of public policy (agenda setting, public policy formulation, public policy decision making, public policy implementation, public policy learning and evaluation). Next, the characteristics of the public policy “market” are illustrated and the decision-making mechanisms relating to the choice of a public policy within the policy process are described. Some basic concepts are then introduced, relating to the public bodies that provide public policies and their performance (input, activity, output, outcome, productive efficiency, effectiveness, quality, impact, unintended effects, socio-economic needs). Part II (16 hours – 2 CFU) The meaning and importance of consultations (of people and/or data, databases, written sources) are explained. The various consultation techniques aimed at citizens, experts and, in general, stakeholders who are or may be affected by public policy are then illustrated. Next, techniques for consulting data, databases and statistics are explained, along with how to use them in social research and public policy evaluation. Part III (24 hours – 3 CFU) The basic tools for evaluation and the data and statistics on which evaluation is based are introduced. The concept of ex ante evaluation is explored in depth, focusing on its meaning, areas of application, motivations, construction process and content. Some methodologies for the ex ante economic evaluation of the effects of public policy are then presented. The concept of ongoing evaluation and monitoring is then explored in depth, focusing on corrective measures in the implementation of public policies. The essential concepts for ex post evaluation are presented, with reference to the construction and application of the indispensable causal explanatory models. Finally, the areas of application, the design of evaluative research, counterfactual analysis and the impact assessment of a policy are explored in depth. Part IV (16 hours – 2 credits) The last part of the course is devoted to specific topics: performance evaluation of public administrations and management; evaluation of public policies and public finance trends; social impact assessment; analysis of conditions that favour or hinder the institutionalisation of evaluation.

There are no particular prerequisites for other courses. However, the student is assumed to have basic knowledge of Economics.

A. La Spina. 2020. Politiche Pubbliche. Analisi e valutazione. Il Mulino Manuali. A. Martini, U. Trivellato. 2011. Sono soldi ben spesi? Marsilio Editore. Capitoli 1 e 2 Presidenza del Consiglio dei Ministri – Dipartimento per gli Affari Giuridici e Legislativi. Strumenti per il ciclo della regolazione. Aprile 2013. Disponibile su: http://www.qualitanormazione.gov.it/uploads/download/file/270/Strumenti_per_il_ciclo_della_regolazione.pdf

1) Frontal lectures to acquire the evaluation techniques 2) Frontal classes to apply the acquired evaluation techniques 3) Seminars and/or group work for research and analysis of specific cases

Attendance to the course is not mandatory. However, among the elements considered for evaluation are active participation and the ability to reason and study independently.

Written test (1 test lasting 60 minutes): open questions relating to the concept of ex ante evaluation, ex post evaluation, ongoing evaluation, monitoring, environmental evaluation, consultation; specific open questions that require you to describe a specific evaluation or consultation technique Oral test (possibly, to complete the written test, variable duration): same type of questions as the written test Ongoing assessment (2 written tests lasting 60-120 minutes, equally distributed throughout the course): same type of questions as the written test. This type of assessment is used by the teacher to understand the progress of the group Elements taken into consideration for the evaluation: frequency (even if not mandatory), active participation, reasoning ability and independent study Objective of the written test, the oral test and the ongoing evaluation: to determine the knowledge acquired by the student during the course Objective of the project evaluation: to determine the student's ability to put the acquired knowledge into practice

A. La Spina. 2020. Politiche Pubbliche. Analisi e valutazione. Il Mulino Manuali. A. Martini, U. Trivellato. 2011. Sono soldi ben spesi? Marsilio Editore. Capitoli 1 e 2 Presidenza del Consiglio dei Ministri – Dipartimento per gli Affari Giuridici e Legislativi. Strumenti per il ciclo della regolazione. Aprile 2013. Disponibile su: http://www.qualitanormazione.gov.it/uploads/download/file/270/Strumenti_per_il_ciclo_della_regolazione.pdf L. Bobbio, G. Pomatto, S.Ravazzi. 2024. Le politiche pubbliche. Problemi, soluzioni, incertezze, conflitti. Mondadori Università G. Moro. La valutazione delle politiche pubbliche. 2010. Carocci editore A. Lippi. La valitazione delle politiche pubbliche. 2007. Il Mulino

1) Frontal lectures to acquire the evaluation techniques 2) Frontal classes to apply the acquired evaluation techniques