Agreement between Cervap and Decisions lab to support ‘Public Value Driven’ decision-making processes through artificial intelligence

The CERVAP (Centro di Ricerca sul Valore Pubblico) of the University of Ferrara and the Decision Lab of the Università degli Studi Mediterranea di Reggio Calabria have signed a three-year collaboration agreement aimed at promoting innovation in public administration through the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and the development of advanced decision-making methodologies geared towards the generation of Public Value.

'We are excited,' said Prof. Enrico Deidda Gagliardo, Founder and Scientific Director of CERVAP, 'to start this collaboration, which represents a further step in our Centre's journey towards the frontier of Public Value. By combining our experience with that of Decision Lab, we will develop innovative solutions that will foster not only the efficiency and operational effectiveness of administrations, but also and above all support decision-makers and public managers in making informed decisions on the Public Value they could generate'. Prof. Massimiliano Ferrara, Founder and Scientific Director of Decisions LAB, also adds 'I join the enthusiasm of my esteemed colleague Deidda Gagliardo for this collaborative synergy between the two Research Centres from which, I am sure, new knowledge will develop in a field in which the distinction between the theoretical and the operational, between the scientific substratum and the aspect of the "practioner" merges into a mixture from which new "value" can be drawn. For some years now, as a university research centre, we have been carrying out studies and research in the field of explainable artificial intelligence, and we are certain that these topics will also find wide application in the public administration sphere'.

The core of the collaboration lies in the integration of CERVAP and Decision Lab expertise to develop new methodological approaches based on the 'Pyramid of Public Value', with the aim of using AI and Big Data to support strategic and managerial decisions. In particular, the agreement focuses on the development of research activities in the fields of Public Value measurement and management, corruption prevention and transparency, in order to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of public policies. In addition, it envisages advanced training courses co-designed between the two institutions, on topics related to AI, decision support systems and performance management. Finally, one of the main objectives is the dissemination of the results obtained through conferences, seminars and workshops, thus contributing to the promotion of best practices.

Both institutions will work on studies concerning the impact of automation and artificial intelligence in administrative processes, with a particular focus on the analysis of PIAOs (Integrated Activity and Organisation Plans) of the PAs of the different sectors, assessing their programmatic appropriateness and functionality for Public Value. Research will use predictive models, machine learning and multi-criteria optimisation techniques, such as Multi Attribute Decision Analysis (MADA), to support data-driven policy and management decisions.