Toward a ‘shared administration’ approach: Do local governments walk the talk?

This article highlights important issues for practitioners in Italy's transition toward a 'shared administration' approach under the 'Third Sector Code'. Drawing on the analysis of 26 'calls for interest' for third sector organizations to co-design welfare services-funded through the Italy's National Recovery and Resilience Plan-it reveals how many civil servants blend traditional purchaser-provider practices with new collaborative principles, reflecting a clash of institutional logics. These insights have important implications for public decision-makers, policy advisors and public officials who are implementing shared administration. Navigating institutional complexity can foster innovation and adaptability in public administration, yet a cultural shift is required toward more flexible, responsive governance structures. Emphasising capacity-building initiatives, cross-sector training and leadership development, the article offers practical measures to prevent tokenistic adoption of collaborative tools. Taken together, these findings equip decision-makers with strategies to move beyond hybridized practice, ultimately realizing the transformative potential of shared administration. A recurring question in institutionalist literature is the emergence of forms of institutional hybridity at both the organizational level and among local implementers. This article explores the materialization of institutional logics at a micro-level through the textual analysis of administrative artefacts. Focusing on Italy, which recently integrated the principles of 'shared administration' into its institutional environment, the study examines 26 'calls for interest' issued by local governments under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. These calls invite third sector organizations to engage in welfare programmes prioritizing the collaborative practice of co-design with public partners over contracting-out. The study uncovers persistent elements of a traditional contractual logic that coexist with collaborative features, producing a form of 'assimilated hybridity'. This article sheds light on how public sector organizations respond to institutional complexity resulting from significant reform programmes.