The use of computers and new information technologies in thè Italìan Public Administration. Institutional and functional aspects

• Autore: Isabella D'Elia Ciampi
• Pagine: 141-150

Page 141

@1. General Frame of Reference

After a long gestation, some significant institutional prospects that could have a profound impact on thË renewal and expansion of thË computerization of thË Italian Public Administration have finally been realized. First of ali, working on thË basis created by thË outline law for thË civil service (L. 93/1983), thË Department of Public Organization was created within thË context of thË Office of thË Prime Minister. The Department has specific responsibilities for thË coordination of public initiatives regar-ding computerization. Subsequently, and mainly thË reform law of thË Prime Minister's Office (L. 400/1988) and thË legislative decree reorganiz-ing thË national statistical System (d.lg. 322/1989) brought about innova-tions in thË frame of reference for public computerization from both thË structural and functional aspects, and thus provided thË impetus for thË coordination of thË computer initiatives of thË Public Administration and thË interconnection of public data bases. These regulatory actions also aim towards thË creation of a reliable and organic public computer System and outline a new structure for managing socialeconomic data.

This new computer policy should find further support in thË law on thË New Structure of Locai Governments (L. 142/1990) and thË recent law ´New Standards for Administrative Procedures and Rights of Access to Administrative Documents (L. 241/1990). These standards, which aim at developing more rational, coherent, simpiified and democratic methods for administratiye activities and tasks also entail an effective organization of work in public offices and thË integration of thË respective computer systems.

In addition to these institutional and organizational measures which, per se, tend to favor thË development of new technologies in thË public administration, a recent and copious set of regulations which foresees new computer applications in nearly ali areas of administrative activities and newPage 142 levels of action in industriai policy, bears witness to and heraÏds thË expan-sion of thË computerization of thË Public Administration that surpasses previous steps.

The prospects for thË development of public computerization are being supported by thË government and specifically, thË Department of Public Organization and thË National Institute for Statistics (Istituto nazionale di statistica ISTAT) with a series of valid initiatives aimed at coherently implementing thË coordination and streamlining of thË above measures. These are mainly organizational and adrmnistrative actions. However, much action of a decisive nature for thË development of public computer systems has yet to be launched - mainly because they are more directly impacted by thË politicai instability of recent governments. These are regulatory actions such as legislation for thË discipline of personal data banks and software protection, as well as politicai actions such as those needed for thË development of telecommunications as well as further and more coherent organizational measures.

Over thË short term, therefore, we expect a serious additional commit-ment on thË part of thË Italian government, and more decisive plans in this area that will support this platform especially in view of thË fact that Public Administration, and hence its rational and modern organization -plays and will continue to play a vital role in thË process of European integration which is already at our collettive doorstep.

@2. Institutional Coordination

@@2.1. The establishment and implementation of thË Department of Public Organization within thË framework of thË reform of thË Office of thË Prime Minister

Institutional coordination of public computerization initiatives has always been one of thË major problems in thË field. In fact, it has been recognized as thË basic tool that thË state requires to develop its politicai actions, and has already been thË object of primary attention in various European countries.

The solution to this problem in Italy has emerged only gradually. Having overcome thË limits of a long institutional controversy between thË General Procurement Office and thË Office of thË Prime Minister, thË issued was faced and gradually resolved more clearly within thË context of thË reorganization of thË Prime Minister's Office.

The outline law on thË civil service (L. 93/1983) which exploited aPage 143 similar structure already implemented at thË Office of thË Prime Minister with internai organizational acts, had created thË Department of Public Organization (art. 27).

This Department was assigned thË task of ´coordinating thË initiatives for rearranging thË public administration and organizing thË respective services, even with regard to related computerization (item 3); and ´those activities deemed necessary, as per thË thË Ministry of thË Treasury General Procurement Office, to guarantee thË planning of thË materials and equip-ment needed for thË operation of thË government offices and maximum utilization and coordination of technology and computers in thË public administrations (item 9).

A preliminary specification for that role was issued in thË Department's organization regulations (D.P.R. 536/1984), giving oversight of thË various duties to thË Prime Minister or, if appointed, to thË Minister for Public Organization, towards whom thË Department has an auxiliary role (art. 1). It...