The time required to complete public works is a crucial factor for infrastructural investment decisions, and it is of particular interest in the context of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. This paper analyses local and institutional features that may explain the differences in performance between Italian macro-areas. We also identify areas with potential for interventions aimed at narrowing such divides, concerning for instance the ability and competence of the contracting authorities.
We find that completion times for public works are longer in the South and Islands than in the rest of the country, particularly in phases requiring intense administrative activity. Several characteristics of local authorities are associated with shorter completion times: a larger share of female and younger workers, greater administrative efficiency in tax management, smaller current workload, and greater experience in managing public works.
