I cambiamenti culturali e sociali, la crisi della finanza pubblica e le tensioni economiche e finanziarie caratterizzanti gli ultimi trent’anni hanno incrementato l’interesse dei cittadini, in quanto elettori, contribuenti e utenti di servizi pubblici, alla realizzazione delle politiche e dei programmi, alla valutazione delle modalità di acquisizione e utilizzo delle risorse e dei risultati conseguiti, in particolare in termini di impatto sui bisogni. Vi è una diffusa richiesta di accountablity politica e amministrativa. La scarsità di risorse e la contestuale necessità di assicurare livelli essenziali di servizi impongono scelte politiche, decisioni e attività manageriali consapevoli, basate sulla conoscenza delle performance, per aumentare il valore pubblico (Van Dooren et al. 2010; Moore, 2003; Mussari, 2010). L’attenzione alla performance nelle amministrazioni locali è stata sollecitata dall’approccio “value for money” (Palmer, 1993), dalle crescenti attese rivolte a tutti i livelli di governo, dalla maggiore attenzione alle esigenze degli stakeholders e a una gestione improntata ai criteri di efficienza ed efficacia (Hood, 1995). La performance nella P.A. è argomento che suscita attenzione nella dottrina (Kloot and Martin, 2000, Van Dooren et al., 2010; Torphe and Beasley, 2004; Radnor and McGuire, 2003, Lapsley and Mitchell, 1996) e nella prassi in molti Paesi, (Lee, 2008; OECD, 1997; Poister e Streib, 2005; Pollitt e Bouckaert, 2000; Ongaro, 2008, Verbeeten, 2007). In Italia il d.lgs 150/2009 ha inserito per la prima volta nel vocabolario della P.A. il termine performance, concetto sul quale già da tempo si è concentrata la dottrina aziendalistica (Mussari R., Grossi G., Monfardini P., 2005; Padovani et al. 2010, Hinna L. and Monteduro F, 2006, Mussari 2010, Fattore, 2009) La ricerca, previa analisi della dottrina sul Public Perfomance Management (PPM) e sulle modalità con le quali il legislatore e la prassi hanno introdotto il ciclo delle perfomance nella realtà degli enti locali, mira a verificare in quale misura i comuni abbiano avviato il sistema di misurazione e valutazione della performance e, in particolare, quale sia la diffusione del Piano della Performance 2011-2013.

Performance has aroused considerable interest both nationally and internationally. Only with the 150/2009 Legislative Decree the term performance was introduced in the prac- tice of the Italian public administrations (PA). These institutions are used to operating in a context where the performance measures have primarily focused on inputs rather than on results and impacts; moreover, managerial processes follow a mere compliance logic. The introduction of measurement systems and performance includes elements of absolute novelty in particular with regard to the effectiveness of the measurement and to the im- pact of public actions on the community. The research aims to assess the extent to which municipalities have started using the system of performance measurement and evaluation and, in particular, what the distribution of “Piano della Performance 2011-2013”. This is to determine the Italian municipalities susceptibility regarding the performance manage- ment, make a first reflection on good practices and problems that emerged.

The process of public services outsourcing has created a system of parties that contribute to needs satisfaction and to public value creation. The functional separation between the public administration and the utilities pro-ducers requires a rethinking of traditional control systems, to enable a more effective process of measurement and evaluation of overall performance and improve decision-making at political, strategic and operational level. This paper identifies, on theoretical basis, the role that the service contract can play in increasing emphasis on performance.

The process of public services outsourcing has created a system of parties that contribute to needs satisfaction and to public value creation. The functional separation between the public administration and the utilities producers requires a rethinking of traditional planning and control systems, to enable a more effective process of measurement and evaluation of overall performance and improve decision-making at political, strategic and operational level. This paper identifies, both on theoretical basis and best practice, the role that the service contract can play in increasing emphasis on performance.

must be measured and evaluated with a global approach, as a summary of the contributions of the subjects who operate in the territory and who have different relations with the public local administration. The information system, built on the needs of the governance of public local network, must be able to summarize and represent all the variables that affect the creation of global value and promote shared decision processes. As the information system is functional to the knowledge of the context in which it operates, the passage from a "monolithic” organization to a network makes it necessary to reconsider the traditional information systems in use. The theoretical-explorative research proposes some reflections about the effect of the new organization context on the information system with particular reference to the instruments and processes that favour the evaluation of the performance of all the subjects who co-produce value in the local context. The following is a contingent approach based on a functionalist perspective, according to which information systems are affected by the context in which they are installed. The local public administration information system has to be divided into functions, identified as a set of activities for the satisfaction of a specific need or connected needs. These are variously characterised and depend on several variables: involved partners, connection reports and information needs. Functional units, called Governance units, constitute the intermediate level of performance assessment between the organization's performance (micro level) and organizational performance (the meso level). In this sense the public administration information system must be rethought, taking into account the different performance depth levels and the specific information governance units needs. The research work, after analyzing the organizational preconditions that enable the design and operation of the information system, offers the tools systematization and integration already known to local public administrations

The aim of this paper is to identify the exogenous and endogenous conditions that may lead to specific characteristics in the processes of introducing performance management system and their success/failure. In particular an analysis was carried out on the route followed to adopt the performance management system in an University in Southern Italy, first formally and then substantively. The life-cycle approach is used to examine the various phases of adopting the performance management system: design, implementation, use, evaluation or assessment and impacts. Also considering the limits of the analysis of a single case study, the analysed case shows how the substantive adoption of the managerial changes in the public administrations is based more on cultural elements, skills and abilities, on the organizational learning, rather than on the application of rules or regulations or on the mere transposition of models and tools originating in private companies. The case study illustrates these problems and shed light on needed research.

Public Performance is a subject that arouses doctrine and practice interest in many countries (OECD, 1997). In Italy the D.Sc. n. 150/2009 has focused attention on Performance Measurement, Management Systems. In order to avoid the usual gap between what is expected by the law and what is actually achieved, attention should be given to starting conditions and to the implementation process. The paper examines the real reasons that lead to the "Ciclo della Performance" start in four Italian municipalities and the existence of those conditions that fostered the development of this process together with the resulting problems emerged.

Recent history in public administration has been characterized by the introduction of performance measurement and evaluation systems, so that some authors talk of Performance State. Instruments of Performance Management and their related applicability to the public administration context have been object of many studies, in particular quantitative ones. By means of a qualitative survey, this study is aimed to analyse some Italian municipalities and verify if and with what goals the internal actors do really utilize performance information in decision-making processes. The final aim is to detect key factors which have influenced the use (or the non-use) of performance information and to draw lessons learned from the analysed experiences.