Platforming Public Administration: An Empirical Analysis on the Institutionalization of Digital Technologies

The integration of digital technologies within organizational settings is substantially impacting public administration (PA), reshaping its operational landscape and dynamics. However, prevalent approaches often adopt deterministic lenses, emphasizing techno-optimism and overlooking the nuanced, context-specific nature of PA digitalization. This paper looks at PA digitalization in a situated manner, by scrutinizing the use of digital technologies within specific organizational contexts. Focusing on a large-scale digitalization initiative within the Italian PA led by the Department for Digital Transformation (DTD), this study investigates how diverse governmental bodies endeavor to “govern” digitalization practices through a designated platform, PA2026. The DTD aims to homogenize digital practices across the Italian PA and the PA2026 platform is central to this mean, thus raising crucial questions regarding the role and functionality of digital platforms within PA frameworks. By also contextualizing the DTD’s initiatives within broader PA digitalization policies, this study aims to unravel the interplay between technology and institutionalization processes, shedding light on DTD’s actions as a form of institutional entrepreneurship, seeking to institutionalize specific digitalization practices and technologies within the Italian PA.