Indagine sull’amministrazione difensiva

This study analyzes the phenomenon of defensive administration through the data collected with a new questionnaire to which 538 public administrators – Rups – active in the public procurement sector for works, services and supplies responded. The questionnaire is divided into a series of subsections containing both situational questions and questions on the perception of risk and the use of insurance policies. The main results confirm the presence of defensive behaviors for a minority but not negligible share of the Rups: in the scenario questions, the defensive decision is taken by a subset of Rups ranging between 10 and 20 percent of the total. This figure qualifies the one on the perception of defensive behaviors where, on the other hand, the Rups report that a share between 30 and 50 percent of the decisions, both individual and of the contracting authority of origin, are taken from a defensive point of view. Regarding the possible remedies, a large number of respondents (between 30 and 50 percent) declare they have an insurance policy for tax liability. Improving legal training and introducing financial incentives to reward quick decision making are among the other remedies for defensive administration most commonly claimed to be most effective.