Social Report of Public Administrations and Principle of Transparency

This paper looks at the role of the social report and its instruments to achieve the transparency in the activities of public administrations, good administrative performance and to contrast corruption, enhancing forms of cooperation between private and public administrations. The full realization of transparency is developed, in the Italian legal system, through a series of reforms in recent years aimed at achieving maximum expansion of the principle, in line with a general need also perceived at European level. In this context, the paper aims to propose the introduction of a specific regulation to contribute to a change in the relationship between private and public administration and make administrative action more effective, especially when there are sensitive interests, as those regarding environmental issues. The evolutionary path also shows a trend to use some concepts belonging to the business world, useful to obtain a change as to the observation perspective of the relationship with the public administration. In the overall picture that comes out, it should be emphasized a specific regulation of the social report, especially within local authorities, where it requires a more immediate relationship between public administration and citizens. It is also an instrument to promote a "cultural" change, capable of pursuing the objective of creating a planning and control network, with public action aimed at satisfying the needs of citizens, within a path in which knowledge, consensus and trust are closely linked.