Applying Behavioural Science in the Italian Public Administration

Abbreviations and key concepts

Bounded Rationality	The concept that people often make decisions under constraints of limited information, time, and mental bandwidth, leading them to use heuristics or rules of thumb to make the best decision they can under the circumstances.
BPA	Behavioural public administration. The interdisciplinary study and application of behavioural science to the internal workings of public administration, focusing on the attitudes, behaviours, and choices of civil servants and administrative teams to improve decision making, processes, and outcomes within public administration.
BPP	Behavioural public policy. The use of empirical findings from behavioural sciences to design and implement public policies that influence citizen behaviour.
CoG	Centre of government. The bodies who advise the highest level of the government executive, for example: administrations supporting councils of ministers, prime minister’s departments and cabinet offices.
Choice Architecture	The way in which options are presented to decision makers, which can influence the choices they make, often without restricting options or significantly changing incentives.
DFP	Dipartimento della Funzione Pubblica / Department of Public Administration.
EC	European Commission.
Government	The group of elected or politically appointed officials who set the strategic direction of the state and are accountable to parliament, courts and the electorate. The government determines policy priorities, and the administration implements them.
Noise	Unwarranted, random variation in decisions that lead to inconsistent outcomes in situations where consistency is expected.
OECD	Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
PIAO	Piano Integrato di Attività e Organizzazione / Integrated Activity and Organisation Plan.
Public Administration	The permanent machinery of government who implement laws, policies, and programmes, including ministries, departments, agencies, regulators, and other public bodies, excluding elected officials and political appointees. Public administrations operate under the direction of government but maintain continuity and impartiality across political cycles.
Public / Civil Servants	Employees of ministries, agencies, regulators, offices, parliament, audit institutions, courts and other independent bodies, and regional and local administrations, but not including elected and politically appointed officials, judges and prosecutors or technical support staff in public administration (e.g. drivers and cleaners).
Sludge	Excessive or unjustified frictions, burdens, or administrative barriers that make it harder for individuals, including civil servants, to perform a desired behaviour.