In Italy the Senior Civil Service or "la dirigenza"[specify] is the set of high-ranking executives (“Dirigenti”) who are in charge of the top and middle management of national or local governmental offices.
Until October 2002, the Senior Civil Service was meant to be an inter-ministerial homogeneous body, managed by a pool known as the "Ruolo Unico dei Dirigenti" (Uniform Register).
This tool allowed the government to publish available positions in real time and to establish a labour market for managers.
A collective bargaining agreement (drafted by ARAN, the agency representing the public employer and the executives' trade union), stipulates the management conditions required in individual contracts.
When an executive cannot immediately find a new position on termination of a fixed-term contract, he /she keeps part of his fixed wage (60% of the remuneration).
In order to encourage both internal promotion and competition, 40% of the positions of director generals may be filled by second level executives and 10% by non-government personalities.
When the "rotation" obligation was formally withdrawn in the decree of October 2002 (probably because of shorter contracts), the principle of mobility was preserved.
Continuing education is covered by a directive from 2001 whose purpose was to galvanise training plans, considered a primary tool for leading change at government services.
In February 1993, a founding legislative decree introduced contracts for officials who are now employed under general labour laws.
Mobility was boosted by the development of an inter-ministerial database with the resumes of all first level executives and a list of available positions updated in real time.
The "ruolo unico dei dirigenti" has made way for ministerial pools but the inter-ministerial database continues to be used.
The main purpose of the newly created dirigenza was to remedy the lack of professionalism and the political bias of the hallowed senior public service by fostering a culture of excellence within the government and promoting close relations based on shared principles combining the founding values of the civil service - integrity, neutrality and impartiality - with the more pragmatic qualities demanded from managers.