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Local government

Municipalities Play Crucial Role in Delivering SDGs

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Municipalities have a critical role to play in delivering the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the local level. A new research study published in the journal Public Money & Management explores the possible configurations of technical and political variables that can enable or hinder the integration of SDGs into local government strategizing. The study, conducted by researchers at IULM University, analyzed data from 44 municipalities in Italy and identified key conditions that support local governments in localizing the SDGs, including spending capacity, specialized human capital, sustainability-oriented performance measurement systems, and political stability.

Key Takeaways:

  • Municipalities play a central role in delivering SDGs at the local level, and their strategies can significantly impact the success of SDG implementation.
  • The study identified four key conditions that support local governments in localizing the SDGs: spending capacity, specialized human capital, sustainability-oriented performance measurement systems, and political stability.
  • The research used a fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) to analyze data from 44 municipalities in Italy and identify the conditions that enable or hinder SDG integration.
  • The study reveals alternative pathways for integrating sustainability into local strategies and highlights the importance of internal technical and political arrangements within local governments for successful SDG localization.
  • The research contributes to implementation public policy studies by exploring the multifaceted nature of administrative capacity within local government operations.
  • The study was funded by Regione Toscana and ANCI, and it has been peer-reviewed.

Statistics:

  • 44 municipalities in Italy were analyzed in the study.
  • The study identified four key conditions that support local governments in localizing the SDGs: spending capacity, specialized human capital, sustainability-oriented performance measurement systems, and political stability.
  • The research used a fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) to analyze the data.
  • The study was conducted by a team of researchers from IULM University, led by Nora Annesi.

Sources:

  • Integrating Sustainability Into Local Government Strategy: a Configurational Analysis On the Role of Administrative Capacity. Public Money & Management, 2025.
  • NewsRx. Reports Outline Sustainable Development Study Results from IULM University (Integrating Sustainability Into Local Government Strategy: a Configurational Analysis On the Role of Administrative Capacity). Ecology, Environment & Conservation. August 15, 2025; p 483.

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