Abstract

This paper aims to investigate the «administrative capacity» of the Italian Regions from a comparative perspective. In particular, the analysis considers several variables linked to the administrative capacity to build a «composite indicator of administrative capacity». This could be a useful indicator to assess regional disparities from a new point of view. Indeed, administrative capacity represents a multidimensional concept since it is strictly linked to many variables. The results show that there are strong disparities among Italian Regions in the level of administrative capacity. These disparities are also marked when we consider three groups of Regions (less developed, transition and more developed Regions) based on regional GDPs for the allocation of European funds.