Sommario: 

1. Introduzione. 

2. Misurare per decidere: contraddizioni ed eccesso di regolazione. 

3. Misurare per migliorare la qualità delle attività. 

4. Misurare per controllare l’azione amministrativa. 

5. Conclusioni.

Abstract:

The measurement of administrative activities is an issue which, although neglected by legal science, deserves special attention in relation to the broader issue of the quality and efficiency of public administrations. Despite the constant political attention to the problem of measurement of public activities, the results of the programs adopted in this area are still disappointing. The main objective of this article is toreconstruct a balance sheet – in a legal sense – of the Italian experience of measuring administrative tasks, by trying to detect the key-nodes of such a matter. The question that guides this kind of research concerns the reasons of measurement: in other words, why measure the administrative action?The three main answers to this question help us to understand how the aforementioned nodes formed,and to formulate proposals for revision of the rules and guidance for the future public decisions.