LOCAL GOVERNANCE AND CO-PRODUCTION LABORATORY

Local governments, third-sector associations, as well as increasingly private market enterprises, have tended in recent times to use principles and practices of co-planning and co-production of public goods, which involve political decision-makers, stakeholders, and civil society representatives, to ensure effective programs, actions, and policies to meet the needs of the community.
Especially in the European context, new governance approaches of public-private networks have been experimented, based on the logic of meta-governance, participatory processes and the co-responsibility and direct involvement of social actors.
The workshop - which adopts a strong experimental and participatory approach according to the principle of learning by doing - offers students the opportunity to simulate, acting as a research team, the design of policies for local authorities, through the main methodologies of social research in support of participatory processes.
The workshop thus presents itself as an ideal complement to the knowledge learned in different contexts of the course of study (from sociological and legal aspects to data analysis and economic profiles), allowing students to put their skills to the test.

By the end of the course, students will be able to:
- recognize the elements of complexity underlying local authority governance
- experience the design of a local policy
- involve local actors in design and evaluation processes
- use mixed methods social research techniques capable of supporting participatory processes

None. However, a predisposition for participation, collaboration and teamwork are qualities that can be expected from participants.

- Introduction to the meta-governance approach
- Co-production and participatory processes
- Social research techniques and mixed methods approach
- Local planning and social research

- N.A. Andersen, (2016), Il welfare delle potenzialità, il management pubblico in transizione, Mimesis, Milano. Chap. 1-3-4-5-6-7-8-10
- Bertin G. (2011), Con-sensus method, FrancoAngeli, Milano

Oral exam: a personal paper is to be presented and discussed. The timing of the presentation of the paper will be specified during the period.
During the discussion, not only the skills acquired but also the argumentative and critical analysis skills will be assessed.
Regarding how marks will be awarded, regardless of whether attending or not:
1. points in the 18-22 range will be awarded in the presence of:
- sufficient knowledge and ability to understand the course content;
- limited ability to interpret data, making independent judgments;
- sufficient communication skills, about the use of written language and specialist language relating to public policy.

2. points in the 23-26 range will be awarded in the presence of:
- fair knowledge and ability to understand the course content;
- discrete ability to interpret data, making autonomous judgements;
- fair communication skills, about the use of written language and specialist language relating to public policy.

3. points in the 27-30 range will be awarded in the presence of:
- good or very good knowledge and understanding of the course content;
- good or very good ability to interpret data, making independent judgments;
- good or very good communication skills, about the use of written language and specialist language relating to public policy.

Summa cum laude will be awarded in the presence of excellent knowledge and skills.

The Course will be 'laboratory-based', with the first part devoted to the theoretical topics, and the next parts to the activity of co-design and co-production of a local policy. The laboratory phase is based on the use of research techniques to support participatory processes. The possibility of scheduling group visits to the offices of local institutions and city associations will be evaluated with the attending students. Processing and analysis of the data collected during the external meetings will be part of the workshop activities.

Italian

written

This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "Poverty and inequalities" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development