The National Operational Programme on Governance and Institutional Capacity is the main tool for implementing the strategic priorities of strengthening and innovating Italy's Public Administration, as agreed between Italy and the European Commission and included in the 2014-2020 Partnership Agreement.

The Programme is one of the tools of the 2014-2020 cohesion policy financed by the European Union through its European Structural and Investment Funds (‘ESIF’). European Structural Funds are the main investment tool under the European Union’s cohesion policy, the aim of which is to boost economic growth and employment in the Member States and their regions, as well as to encourage European territorial cooperation.

The initiatives that have received funding refer to the strengthening of skills, organisational arrangements and the range of services, methods and procedures used, as well as technological tools and solutions and forms of institutional cooperation to allow for more efficient coordination between the various levels of government.

Over € 780 million have been allocated to the programme, made up of EU resources from the European Social Fund (ESF) and European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), as well as Italian public resources; the programme concerns public administrations throughout Italy.

Thanks to the contribution of EU funds, the NOP on Governance is able to finance initiatives to support and implement national measures to reform the PA; through its intervention strategy, the programme also contributes to achieving the objectives of intelligent, sustainable and inclusive growth, as part of the Europe 2020 strategy.