The Italian National Recovery and Resilience Plan and Administrative Capacity: A Real Game Changer?

The National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), in close alignment with the 2021- 2027 Cohesion policy framework and Council recommendations, represents an unprecedented opportunity to strengthen the capacity of the Italian public administration in a systematic fashion. However, are the measures foreseen adequate to deliver the anticipated objectives? Will the short timeframe of the plan be sufficient to attain a lasting strengthening of the Italian public administration? Will a synergy be created with the parallel investments realised under the EU’s cohesion policy? In answering these questions, we highlight some shortcomings of the plan that might hamper the reforms. We conclude by wondering whether the strategy pursued by the NRRP marks a return to a New Public Management model that is now considered by many as obsolete.