New Professional Competencies for Italian Public Administration: Project Management and the Sole Responsible Project Manager in the New Procurement Code

In recent years, businesses have undergone profound organizational changes driven by rapid societal shifts. This phenomenon has led to an increased demand for effective and efficient services, laying the groundwork for a new approach to Public Administration management. The challenges that Public Administration is facing at present are related not only to the reconfiguration of its organizational models, but also to new professional competencies for personnel that will ensure the delivery of services capable of creating public value. In fact, [3] and [8] emphasize the importance of knowledge integration in interdisciplinary research projects. In addition, the importance of understanding organizational structure and of identifying knowledge integration problems is emphasized. Furthermore, interdisciplinarity – that is, collaboration between different disciplines – implies an increase in knowledge integration. In this context, new organizational models are emerging, necessitating the introduction, not as an option but as an imperative, of new professional roles and related competencies, such as the Sole Responsible Project Manager (SRPM). This contribution, beginning with a reflection on the evolution of organizational models, aims to investigate the fundamental role played by Project Management [4] and the role of SRPM, in redefining management dynamics within Italian Public Administrations. It thus transitions from exploring the literature to analyzing the Italian regulatory framework and the significance of the UNI ISO 21502:2021 and UNI 11648:2022 standards as essential guidelines for the management of public projects. Specifically, it delves into the role of the SRPM and the importance of Project Management in addressing the challenges and future prospects faced by Italian Public Administration.