The National Strategic Reference Framework for 2007-2013 (NSRF) encloses an innovative initiative aimed at improving quality and availability of essential services of key importance for the well being of citizens and relevant for regional policy action.
The achievement of adequate standards in areas such the quality of education, child and elderly care, urban waste management and water service is the parameter used to judge the effectiveness of cohesion policies, as these are essential quality-of-life services that help determine an area’s level of development.
The current state of affairs is marked by persistent regional disparities, especially between Southern Italy and the rest of the country, not only as regards standard economic measures but also the availability of essential goods and services to which the citizens should have equal access and whose unavailability reduces the impact of regional development policies.
Accordingly, the NSRF makes more specific reference to the ultimate goals of development policies through the establishment of appropriate indicators with binding targets to be met in 2013 by the regions of the South.
In order to highlight the importance of the objectives and mobilise the various levels of government that share responsibility for delivering services, the achievement of targets is linked to a performance-based mechanism benefiting the regions of the South and the Ministry of Education for the quality of education. The resources available are substantial: €3 billion from the Fund for Under-utilised Areas for 2007-2013.
Compared with the previous development policy programming round, the new approach sets binding targets for final objectives, explicitly identified in terms of service provided to citizens, rather than intermediate objectives for the enhancement of administrative capabilities.
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