Relazione sulla ricerca

Obiettivo

The main objective of this research is to give to the academic community, and to the lawmaker too, a description of "optimal size" with respect to the wide area governance. Since today, studies on the subject of "optimal size" have focused primarily, if not exclusively, on the municipalities, and the problem of their excessive fragmentation and their high number. There are no studies that have explored this aspect from the point of view of the intermediate level, then the provinces, maybe because it's believed, mistakenly, that the associated exercise of the functions by municipalities is the solution of the problem. But municipal functions, even if carried out in association, are different from the functions of a wide area. In addiction, the theme of "optimal size" has always been studied only with reference to economic data, and instead it is clear that it must be tackled holding together several components, economic, social, geographical, political, institutional.

Actually, in the discussion about the "optimal size", institutional arguments have always crossed economic and efficiency arguments. From the institutional point of view it seems evident that homogeneity of the intermediate administrative level must be preserved: it is much easier to manage institutional affairs if this level is organized in a homogeneous way, called province, county, district, department: at this intermediate level can be managed administrative functions. From an efficiency point of view, it is easy to verify that every function should be managed according a different size, fit to the peculiar function. Water, waste, pollution, health services, instruction service can have a different optimal size. But the administrative organization cannot be multiplied according the different optimal sizes related to every different area of administration.

The study aims to demonstrate that the Italian province, maybe with some modifications with respect to the number, while isn't the "optimal size", however is the minimum efficient scale for managing the features of wide area, in consideration of the criteria of identity and political nature of which must be taken into account in dealing with these issues.

In Italy, according to the French tradition, the intermediate administrative level has always been that of the province.

Even before the raise of the Republic, italian administrative system was structured on territorial division in provinces, whose main feature is to be at the same time local authority and constituency of statal decentralization. This hybrid nature has developed and accentuated provincial identity in Italy. In fact, on provincial basis are organized most of social and political activities of the country (trade unions, chambers of commerce, political parties…), local and national electoral systems and also the State territorial presence (prefects, superintendences). Certainly, the increasing number of provinces from the 1990s has contributed to weakening in the public opinion the perception of provincial identity; at the same time, the introduction in 1993 of electoral a new electoral system characterized by direct election of provincial president has concurred to develop, in the long term, a sort of short circuit in consideration of the existence of different levels of government with popular legitimation. These different factors have conduced to the revival of the polemic about the uselessness of the province. Considering both the profiles of provincial functions (scarce and not easily identifiable) and the political features of electoral system, it seems misleading to resolve the problem about the wide area territorial government by proposing the abolition of the province. However, in recent years, also due the economic crisis, the italian lawmaker has been directed toward the elimination of the intermediate level of government. But the elimination of the level of government, does not delete the functions. There are, therefore, two possible alternatives: the creation of a network of different optimal areas that intersect and overlap, or the creation of a single entity, basically responds to different needs. In the first case provides perhaps the optimization of the service, but at the expense of overall efficiency from the institutional point of view. In the second case, however, while sacrificing some economic optimization, it's possible hold together the economic aspect of the effectiveness and efficiency with that of identity, political participation and therefore also of the control.

Through the study and analysis of in force legislation that regulates the main areas of competence of the wide area (water, environment, public transport, construction of schools, roads, job centers, etc.), the aim of the research is to verify the different overlaps and the real distance between the several "optimal sizes" and the "minimum effective operating" for the public services, that are the provinces. Even now, there are different operating solutions in the territory for the management of some of the main functions of a wide area.The reference is, for example, the ATO, the Consorzi di Bonifica, Consorzi del Sistema idrico integrato, and other organizations that Regions have set up to handle functions typically of wide area (for example job centers and vocational training). What criteria have been adopted for the identification of the boundaries? What geographical or demographic situations are consider? Which is the link with the local, regional or state institution? Why that same function isn't performed by the province?

The research intends to compare the two systems described above - a network of several "optimal size" or just one authority that can be the "minimum effective operating system" - to give the lawmaker the most efficiently solution.