Towards a network model? Reflections on regional social and health models of governance

Abstract

The goal of this paper is to determine the prevalent governance model in regional social and health systems, in the Italian setting. At the end of a long period of institutional reforms, it appears indeed that a model of regulation is emerging based on networks and on the participation of the citizens. However, in analysing standard procedures, one observes the persistence of ordered hierarchies and bureaucracies, in which public institutions are at the centre of decision-making processes, whether on the local level or centralized. This is particularly visible if one analyses the management of financial resources that are meant to support policies.