Applying Behavioural Science in the Italian Public Administration

Governments are under pressure to deliver more, faster, and more fairly. This report shows how applying behavioural science to the everyday work of civil servants - how they plan, decide, manage people and run processes - can make public administration more consistent, practical and effective. Developed with Italy's Department for Public Administration and the European Commission, it translates real-world lessons into clear practices that others can adopt, adapt and test. The Blueprint applies lessons from two pilots in Italy to illustrate what this looks like in practice: helping administrations follow guidelines and helping teams set better strategic objectives aligned with public value. The Blueprint integrates these leassons from Italy with broader behavioural research in public administration and presents a framework for civil servants to apply behavioural techniques in their own administrations. The Blueprint is for leaders and practitioners across central, regional and local government, as well as policy teams, delivery units, HR and integrity functions, who want practical ways to improve outcomes for people while reducing friction inside their organisations.