Leading Digitalization in the Public Administration: A Study of Digital Transformation Managers in the Italian System

The digitalization of public administration represents a crucial factor for the socio-economic growth of a country. Whereas infrastructural and process drivers are relevant to support the transformation process, human resource capabilities and the presence of purposeful leadership and managerial capabilities are crucial to fully exploit the potential offered by digital technologies. In such perspective, this research focuses on the Italian system as a case study, with the objective to identify strengths and weaknesses related to the management and human capital drivers of digital transformation. In particular, we focus on the role of the Responsible for Digital Transition (RTD), a professional role introduced with the Digital Administration Code (DAC) to enable public institutions to effectively undertake their digital transformation journey. We use open data and public repositories to analyse an extensive sample of 954 RTDs, and we compare the curricula of appointed professionals with the legislative requirements and the specific functions defined by the CAD. We also provide a literature-based and practitioner-oriented framework of competence areas to facilitate our benchmark. The study shows that over 20% of public entities have not yet appointed a RTD and in most cases there is a significant discrepancy between the competencies possessed and those required by the CAD. This represents a critical issue, which highlights the need of targeted interventions to address the gaps in both the appointments and the training procedures and methods. The study offers a critical evaluation of the current state of digital transition in the Italian system, highlighting the main challenges and proposing possible solutions. We also contribute to the academic discussion with a competence definition framework and insights on the centrality of human capital to drive digital transformation.