The Organisational Model and an Innovative Accreditation Standard in the Education Sector

In this chapter, we present the way in which the Italian government is attempting to deploy a corruption prevention strategy through the application of organisational models pursuant to Legislative Decree 231. In particular, we present the experience of the VET sector. The choice of VET was made because of the importance this sector has for economic growth, not only in Italy but also for all European countries. In fact, the Europe 2020 strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth focuses on ambitious goals like increasing employment, promoting innovation, reducing the number of early school-leavers and increasing the number of people who obtain tertiary education. VET-oriented initiatives help young people to achieve their full potential through training and education, and thus improve their employment prospects; by facilitating an individual’s access to lifelong learning opportunities and providing guidance, these initiatives ensure smooth transitions between the worlds of education, training and employment. A characteristic of the VET sector is the importance of the accreditation framework, as a prerequisite for accessing public funding and having the right to participate in public procurements, and/or to deliver recognised diplomas. Hence, the Italian government is trying out a particular and innovative kind of accreditation system based on the organisational model pursuant to Legislative Decree n. 231/2001, which is now compulsory for all VET providers and has become a fundamental pillar of the accreditation system. The nature of this obligation means that it is important to understand it through the lens of organisational theories, and in our interpretation we find that it is the new institutionalism theory which best fits the nature and characteristics of accreditation systems and compliance pursuant to Legislative Decree 231.