Public sector reform trajectories: A complexity-embracing perspective

To understand the divergent outcomes of the same centrally-defined reform programme means addressing the complexity of implementation. Italy’s local government reform programme highlights the shaping role of contextual elements in the rollout of programmes within multi-level systems. The authors emphasize the need for a pragmatic approach to the ‘implementation puzzle’—one that leverages the local variables and that enables self-organized responses. Decision-makers should strategically engage with the complexity of multi-level institutional systems.