The value of standardisation in public administration services: The Italian corporate banking experience

The Public Administration (PA) plays a key role in fostering the competitiveness of the European economy and financial market. Consequently, different stakeholder categories have recently registered new interest in cooperating to support the PA’s modernisation. In Italy, the Government has launched an institutional programme, the ‘e2012-innovation strategies’, marking some fundamental steps in the PA innovation process, as demonstrated by the introduction of the e-invoicing obligation for suppliers of PA. The banking system plays a core role in the concrete implementation of the mentioned objectives, thanks to a widespread presence over the territory, the availability of multiple channels and great knowledge of innovation and technology. The Italian banking system holds a further relevant asset, based on cooperation logics: the CBI Service, managed by the CBI Consortium, demonstrates best practice in the field of the innovation and standardisation of corporate banking services. In line with trends and the institutional commitment towards PA efficiency, the CBI Consortium is currently supporting the development of new models of interaction between the banking system and the Central Public Administration, and the implementation of innovative electronic services (documents, payments, reporting), interoperable with international standards, for the public sector.