ECONOMIA E IMPRESAEconomia e politiche pubblicheAnno accademico 2025/2026

9797637 - DIGITAL PUBLIC SERVICE DESIGN

Docente: GIULIO MARINI

Risultati di apprendimento attesi

Break down as per Dublin Descriptors

1 Knowledge and understanding
The module poses firmly that services will continue to represent in the future a cornerstone for economic and social development, and that the digitalization may manifest in multiple ways. Social services are understood as a latent and hidden source of demand aged/aging and developed societies are likely expected to demand. Providers might be multiple and not necessarily public sector ones due to demise of traditional welfare-state. Co-creation is proposed as an exemplar of "outside-in" Ulrich application where the management of the design of the service is key.

2 Applying knowledge and understanding
Students learn about the problem of organizational legacy as one of the main hurdles in designing organizational changes and/or new services. Students also acquire awareness about contextual cogency to deliver a social service by: geography, socio-economic class, cultural class, culture, and other factors.

3 Making judgements
The module extensively discusses the issue of policy assessment, both policy makers' dilemmas (even when of commercial or non public sector domain), and ex-post evaluation following researchers' role, keeping the seminal Weberian distinction neat and unambigous. Students are incentivised to see the social implications, the sensitive dimension of public services, and how to navigate internal and external normative reactions. Yet, particular emphasis is paid on the HRM strategic function of public service providers

4 Communication Skills
Students have to discus publicly in a 5' exectutive manner the results and proposals of their assignment. Whilst this procedure assures that non-ethical AI solutions have been used by students, it alo stress students to learn communication skills, from time management, and Question&Answers stage of a professional presentation.

5 Learning skills
Students are encouraged to search and assess autonomously scientific and grey literatures to depeen knowledge about specific cases. Specific cases do represent the assignment each student has to write and discuss, so that such meta-learning skills per per stipulated 2-Cycle level is guaranteed.

This Module aims at deepening knowledge about economic and social demand of public services. Such services are not necessarily covered by public companies, and they are likely to make extensive use of digital technologies. The perspective of co-creation is key as citizens concor to the definition of what, how, and even why certain services may become a reality. The module will sketch how big data may enter the scene, without necessarily enter the issue of data analysis. The Module to this regard is more focused on the designing stage of public services.

Modalità di svolgimento dell'insegnamento

Lectures are in presence. Teams cannot be used for delivering lectures unless there are very serious reasons to do otherwise (e.g., a student is at home with medical documentation, in that case I may allow to attend from remote)

Prerequisiti richiesti

There are no specific skills or knowkedge required to undergo this Module, other than a good level of English. Lectures are in English, material is in English. Students may speak in Italian if they believe they can't make their point.

Frequenza lezioni

Over DEI platform students will find place (PS = Palazzo delle Scienze) and hours. Lectures are on Mondays and Tuesdays.

Contenuti del corso

This Module faces these topics:

Welfare State and public services
Type of Goods (private, common, public, natural monopolies)
Change of public services across time
Main drivers of social change (demographics and other)
New Public Management
HRM within NPM
Application of Ulrich’s “outside/in” model into digital public services
Critics on NPM
The nature of service economy
Digitalization of economy and services
Participatory theories and co-creation. Respective implications

Monography: Juliane Jarke. (2021) Co-creating Digital Public Services for an Ageing Society. Evidence for User-centric Design. Springer Open Access copy here: https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-52873-7

Big Data and Digital Public Service
Designing Public Services
Cases from recent literature filled the aforementioned points, such as:

Bolívar, M. P. R., Munoz, L. A., & Munoz, C. A. (2023). Identifying patterns in smart initiatives' planning in smart cities. An empirical analysis in Spanish smart cities. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 196, 122781.
Ciesielska, M., Rizun, N., & Chabik, J. (2022). Assessment of E-government inclusion policies toward seniors: A framework and case study. Telecommunications Policy, 46(7), 102316.
Wirtz, B. W., Becker, M., & Schmidt, F. W. (2022). Smart city services: an empirical analysis of citizen preferences. Public Organization Review, 1-18.
Amankwaa, G., Heeks, R., & Browne, A. L. (2024). Powershifts, organisational value, and water management: Digital transformation of Ghana's public water utility. Utilities Policy, 87, 101724.
Welch, T. F., & Widita, A. (2019). Big data in public transportation: a review of sources and methods. Transport reviews, 39(6), 795-818.

“Contributo dell’insegnamento agli obiettivi dell’Agenda 2030 per lo Sviluppo Sostenibile”:

GOAL 3: SALUTE E BENESSERE

Assicurare la salute e il benessere per tutti e per tutte le età: il corso analizza preferibilmente, ma non esclusivamente, il tema del benessere degli anziani

5.4 Riconoscere e valorizzare il lavoro di cura e il lavoro domestico non retribuiti tramite la fornitura di servizi pubblici, infrastrutture e politiche di protezione sociale e la promozione della responsabilità condivisa all'interno del nucleo familiare, secondo le caratteristiche nazionali: il modulo affronta il tema della divisione social del lavoro, attribuendo significato al lavoro occulto di cura, spesso fardello di donne.

8.3 Promuovere politiche orientate allo sviluppo che supportino le attività produttive, la creazione di lavoro dignitoso, l'imprenditorialità, la creatività e l'innovazione, e favorire la formalizzazione e la crescita delle micro, piccole e medie imprese, anche attraverso l'accesso ai servizi finanziari: il modulo intende affrontare il tema dei servizi pubblici in un'ottica imprenditoriale, sia essa portata avanti dagli attori pubblici, del terzo settore, o di soggetti che operino nel vuoto di quest'ultimi adottando strategie for profit.

11.2 Entro il 2030, fornire l'accesso a sistemi di trasporto sicuri, sostenibili, e convenienti per tutti, migliorare la sicurezza stradale, in particolare ampliando i mezzi pubblici, con particolare attenzione alle esigenze di chi è in situazioni vulnerabili, alle donne, ai bambini, alle persone con disabilità e agli anziani: potentially, this module is considering new forms of services along public transportation

Modalità:

per ciascun punto valgono sia le lezioni frontali, che studi di caso proposti dal docente, incluso il testo d'esame, ed eventuali materiali scelti dagli studenti a fini di composizione dell'esame scritto su cui si basa la valutazione finale

Testi di riferimento

Juliane Jarke. (2021) Co-creating Digital Public Services for an Ageing Society. Evidence for User-centric Design. Springer

Open Access copy here: https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-52873-7

Verifica dell'apprendimento

Modalità di verifica dell'apprendimento

This module will have two distinct modes: for those who attend lectures reaching a thresolds (e.g., 75%), and those who do not qualify to such goal.

Attendants: written assignement to be submitted over dedicated unict.it Teams group (details delivered during the lectures and over Teams)
non-Attendants: slightly heavier written assignement. Instructions are: to read the book and all five cases; select one case (one article) and imagine to apply the same issue in a context student knows well (his/her birthplace; the city where he / she spent most of his / her life). Please refer to the organizational issues in the first place. The essay has to be 500 words long. During the oral part of the exam the student will present the essay via a power point. Questions from teacher will follow.

Esempi di domande e/o esercizi frequenti

Why co-creation is relevant?

Which are the main reasons for developing forms of digital transformation?
What is a public service, what does it make different from a good one may purchase?
Which is the role of designing such services?
Which is the role of data in such topic?

English version