The 21st century presents unprecedented challenges for rethinking the institutional functions of public administration (PA). On the one hand, processes of depoliticization and technicalization highlight the need for PA to intervene through non-executive roles in various and multi-level forms of political governance. On the other hand, demographic shifts, economic inequalities, groundbreaking technological advancements, and climate change require PA to operate in a context marked by turbulence, demonstrating the capacity to innovate its traditional roles and functions. In this scenario, the capacity of public administrations to participate in the processes of developing and implementing welfare state and social policies appears fundamental. Recently, there has been increasing attention paid to administrative capacity, and indeed, it has emerged as a crucial factor in navigating contemporary challenges, as demonstrated by the implementation of the National Recovery and Resilience Plans (NRRPs).

Although administrative capacity is widely recognized as a key factor in PA innovation processes, the formal and informal processes that underpin it today are less explored. Thus, several questions require answers. The first is preliminary: What exactly does “administrative capacity” mean? How – that is, through which structures, processes, actors, and resources – is administrative capacity built within public administration in concrete terms? And what type of administrative capacity can be mobilized to support and innovate welfare policies in neoliberal times marked by global competition and the dominance of (neo)managerial logics? These questions clearly revolve around both reform processes and everyday administrative practices, involving not only “hard” factors, such as the availability of tangible resources and tools, but also “soft” elements, such as administrative styles, values, and cultures.

The call invites theoretical and/or empirical contributions addressing one or more of the following topics in different domains and sectors:
- Administrative capacity
o Enabling factors: skills, competencies, and organizational arrangements.
o Hindering factors.
- Administrative and welfare narratives
o The impact of different administrative narratives (NPM, New Public Governance, Neo-Weberian State, etc.) on welfare and social policies;
o The interaction between administrative and welfare narratives.
- Practices, values, and spaces of agency of public servants and a wide range of professionals involved in public governance, welfare, and service provision across different hierarchical levels and policy domains.
- Democratic innovations in PA and governance:
o Participatory/deliberative democracy and citizen involvement;
o Co-production with the Third Sector and users;
o Collaborative governance among public agencies and civil society actors.
- Foundational elements of democratic administration:
o The role of PA in promoting equitable welfare, democracy, and social justice;
o The operationalization of traditional democratic values and principles, such as responsibility, accountability, and transparency, and new orientations toward co-creating public value.
- Digitalization:
o How digital innovations are reshaping PA and welfare policy landscapes;
o Risks and benefits in terms of inclusion and exclusion.

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Making Democratic Public Administration: Narratives, Governance and Social Policies