Italy

This chapter traces the history of Italian legislation concerning the education, training and upskilling of public servants. The implementation of such legislation is also illustrated and discussed. The terminus a quo is the second half of the 19th century. At that time, on-the-job training made possible the intergenerational transmission not only of knowledge, skills and competences, but also of values and styles of behaviour. The terminus ad quem is the recent reform of the National School of Administration, heir to the Higher School of Public Administration, dating back to 1957. In this time frame the evolution of the knowledge, skills and abilities required for employment in the public service and for the exercise of its ever-changing administrative functions are investigated together with the transformation of the state from night-watchman to welfare state. The generalisation of open competition for recruitment and the process of legalisation of administrative activities are also described as well as the domination of legal competences in all sectors of administration and the establishment of degree courses in Political Science meant to put that domination under check.