PhD in Public Governance, Management e Policy (Public-GoMaP)

The PhD program is characterized by a marked interdisciplinarity. Specifically, the research topics reflect the fields of specializations of the four Departments that jointly constitute the PhD program, namely: the Department of Political Science (specialized in Public Governance), the Department of Business Sciences (specialized in Public Management), the Departmenta of Economics (specialized in the Public Policy) and the Department of Statistical Sciences (specialized in quantitative methods). Doctoral students will carry out research activities in one or more sub-areas of the broader interdisciplinary design: governance, management or evaluation of public services and policies. These sub-areas are declined in specific research projects of interest designed under the supervision of thesis Advisors, according – but not limited –  to the topics covered by the training activities (cf. Research training activities). For instance,  the specific issues tackled may focus on aspects of economic and social development, environmental sustainability, financial sustainability, technological innovation, the ability to face operational, natural, financial, geopolitical and cybersecurity risks, social protection, the ability to respond to public needs in hybrid public-private contexts, social cohesion, the evaluation of local public policies with applications in relevant areas of public intervention such as hospital and territorial assistance, investments in infrastructure for sustainable mobility, local, social and educational policies.

Call for further PhD Positions
Appointed by Rectoral Decree n. 1066/2023 Prot. n. 0226313 of 04/08/2023

* The following shall take part in the work of the Examination Board as expert members for positions linked to specific research topics:

• Viola Damen, Luca Sangiorgi - Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli

Call for applications
Appointed by Rectoral Decree n. 709/2023 Prot. n. 149534 of 02/06/2023

* The following shall take part in the work of the Examination Board as expert members for positions linked to specific research topics:

• Salvatore Alia - Coop Alleanza 3.0
• Alessia Marrazzo - Learlab s.r.l.

Issues related to public management, governance and policy are addressed through a solid multidisciplinary scientific approach. The focus is on learning the necessary skills and tools for the management of organizations that directly or indirectly intervene in designing, delivering and monitoring  public services, capitalizing also on Candidates’  work experience (when available).  Objectives: a) ability to analyze emerging needs; b) ability to collect, interpret and present data useful for decisions and impact assessments, considering ethical and privacy issues; c) ability to imagine innovative multi-level and multi-stakeholder governance solutions, within the typical operational framework of the PA; d) knowledge of qualitative and quantitative tools for measuring and evaluating performance and policies; e) awareness of the opportunities of digital technologies. The objectives are consistent with the M4C1.4 measures of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP).

Doctoral Students’ activities are spread over a total of three years, with each training year characterized by a prevalent mission. Year I is dedicated to basic multidisciplinary training; Year II to customized specialized training in preparation of the research work; year III is dedicated to the completion of the own research project and the presentation of the final thesis. During year I, and part of year II, Doctoral students receive a common and mandatory multidisciplinary training of each cohort for at least 120 hours of lessons. The objective of Year I is to develop a common language and basic skills in the three disciplinary areas, namely Public Governance, Public Management and Public Policy, as well as to provide the methodological skills for research (see Research training activities). During year II, the Candidates' learning experience is customized with the support of the teaching staff and in particular of the Supervisor to prepare the research work. The tools used to complete the training activity will benefit from the competencies at disposal in the four proposing Departments and from visiting period at international universities, from participation to academic seminars, conferences and workshops and/or internships, pending PhD Board’s approval. During year II, the l research project plan is finalized. During year III, the activity is mainly focused on the development of the research project, functional to the presentation and discussion of the final thesis. Within this timeframe,  Students’ presentation of projects’ preliminary development and findings in conferences and workshops is highly recommended.

A sequence of courses in the two-year period (year I and year II) offers interdisciplinary training in the main thematic areas of Public Governance, Management and Policy and in methodology and method. In particular, compulsory courses (I / II year), and specialization and seminars (II year) instrumental to the development of the research thesis (II / III year), according to the following main themes are offered. Starting from aspects related to the evolution of global, multi-level and multi-stakeholder governance models, complex organizations, comparative and European public law (coordination between EU, national, regional and local administrations) and the role of PA Managers and Officials, the courses deal with the measurement and management of performance (ethics, social equity, sustainability, accountability, intellectual capital), distinctive aspects of public-private partnerships, co-production and hybrid organizations (organizational, operational and strategic relationships between the subjects that realize public goods) with attention to risk management aspects to ensure operational, financial and environmental sustainability.

Consistent with the NPRR, the learning/training activities include issues related to social cohesion and tools for the comparative measurement of the performance of companies with different purposes and governance (e.g. capitalist and cooperative). The same deal with the design of effective and sustainable public policies, taking care of impact assessment (causal inference, controlled experiments), and attention to the estimation and prediction of macroeconomic dynamics concerning relevant areas of public intervention such as hospital and territorial assistance, investments in infrastructure for sustainable mobility and local policies. The possibility of tailor-made profiles allows candidates to capitalize on their previous experiences, also relying on the support of an external Supervisor, pending Board’s approval.

Even though mainly carried out in Italian, the PhD program promotes internationalization through three main lines of intervention:

• during year II, specialized learning/training is offered, customized to fit each candidate’ s needs and investigation path, also building on already running activities of international PhD programs at the four founding Departments (specifically the PhD programs in "Political and Social Sciences",  "Management", "Economics" and "Statistics");
• in-depth seminars on the topics of interest to the program are organized envisaging active involvement of international Visiting Scholars;
• periods of specialization are proposed at Universities, research institutes or International Organizations with which the four Departments regularly collaborate.

Doctoral Students are required to produce a final thesis on their research project suitable for publication in national or international products and to present the progress of their research on dedicated occasions during years II and III, benefiting from the feedback of  PhD Board Members, the Researchers at the proposing Departments and any Supervisors or external Stakeholders,  as agreed by the PhD Board. The research work is oriented to scientific rigour and to the advancement of knowledge instrumental to building improvements in the performance of public administrations. To achieve this goal, the PhD board will seek collaborations with a selected group of external Members of high professional profile from the world of the PA. Doctoral students are also stimulated to present their work at national and international conferences, also thanks to the active support of their Supervisors. This activity aims at both progressively improving the research work relying on the feedback received during  the discussion, and at constantly engaging Doctoral Students in fruitful dialogue. For those who already work within the PA, the Learning/training acquired aims at consolidating professional skills gained in the PA, or in national or International Organizations operating in favor of the PA for the provision of public services and the implementation of public policies, including consulting companies and PA suppliers. Ultimately, this would largely contribute to their professional position,  encouraging life-long learning processes.