The National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) is a program based on the NextGenerationEU funds, aimed at supporting the economic recovery of the European Union in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. Each EU member state has submitted its own national plan, to be completed by 2026.
Italy stands out in terms of the distribution of NRRP funds, receiving a significant share. These funds are intended for the implementation of reforms and investments that address structural and regional disparities, promoting inclusive growth and improving services that enhance the well-being of local communities.
Given the scale of this public policy initiative, a comprehensive evaluation of the funding allocation process is essential.
This project pursues this task. In particular, since the NRRP rules state that various governmental levels may oversee projects, it is noteworthy that municipalities serve as the implementing authorities for a large portion of them. For this reason, the impact of the funds received by the Italian municipalities is investigated, as they are the primary recipients and are responsible for both territorial interventions and the modernization of public administration.
The project has several goals. Through a counterfactual analysis, it aims to determine whether the allocation of NRRP funds at the municipal level: a) achieves the goal of modernizing public administration, including digitalization, the simplification of bureaucracy, and strengthening administrative capacity; b) influences territorial development toward inclusive growth; and c) enhances the well-being of citizens.
A further objective is to assess whether municipalities face difficulties and/or delays in implementing the NRRP and investigate the causes.
To overcome the current lack of data needed for a rigorous impact assessment, a national survey of municipalities will be conducted. Using the survey data, synthetic indicators will be developed to evaluate the effects of NRRP funds on digitalization, territorial development, and individual well-being. The findings will provide a comprehensive assessment of how well the NRRP funding has supported local development, administrative capacity, and the well-being of citizens.
A Pre-Analysis Plan (PAP) has been prepared to guarantee a thorough and transparent impact evaluation. It meticulously outlines the hypotheses to be tested, the methodology for constructing synthetic indicators, the sampling strategy, and the structure of the questionnaire.
