Not a black or white issue: choosing alternative organizational models for delivering early childhood services

ABSTRACT

This article investigates how municipalities choose their organizational arrangements for delivering early childhood services and the interplay among the regional framework, local legacies, and agency factors influencing these choices. We answered these questions through a mix-method approach and a comparative analysis of four European regions in the same country (Italy). Our data shows that a variety of hybrid organizational models for service delivery is possible, and the fundamental role played by the regional framework in affecting organizational choices – with local factors such as legacy and agency compensating in the event of its absence.

KEYWORDS:

• Inter-municipal cooperation
• contracting out
• organizational tools
• service delivery
• early childhood services

JEL CLASSIFICATION:

• H75
• H83
• H41

Acknowledgement

The authors contributed equally to this work. The authors would like to thank Journal of Economic Policy Reform’s editors and the anonymous reviewers for their valuable advice and comments on previous versions of this paper.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. https://dait.interno.gov.it/territorio-e-autonomie-locali/sut/elenco_unioni_comuni.php

2. https://openitaliae.it/unioni-di-comuni/dati-generali-unioni#introduzione-unioni-di-comuni

3. Cfr. Interview with official working in a MU, Tuscany Region.

4. Cfr. Interview with official working in a MU, Veneto Region.

5. Cfr. Interview with official working in a MU, Veneto Region.

6. Cfr. Interview with official working in a MU, Veneto Region.

7. Cfr. Interview with official working in a MU, Lombardy Region.

8. Cfr. Interview with official working in a MU, Lombardy Region.

9. Cfr. Interview with official working in a MU, Lombardy Region.