Mutual interactions between activation and conditionality. Differential implementation through discretion

In recent years, minimum income (MI) schemes have been transformed from residual measures into complex programs, which combine economic transfers with activation and social policies. From an administrative point of view, these interventions require the capacity to design and manage mixes of different interventions calibrated on often complex needs of beneficiaries, as well as the ability to coordinate the multilevel and multi-actor network that provides these services (Heidenreich et al., 2014). In sum, effettive implementation requires specific administrative capacities (Nesti et al. 2020). The Italian government introduced the Citizens Income (Reddito di cittadinanza, RdC) in 2019 to fight poverty with a mix of welfare and workfare provisions. RdC is granted to beneficiaries according to strict eligible criteria, it requires the creation of an integrated network of employment and social services at the local level, and the provision of specific inclusion projects designed by case managers to meet beneficiaries’ needs. In the present paper we will delve into the concept of discretion to investigate how case managers involved in the RdC apply it when implementing the RdC and whether the excercise of discretion improve the service offered to beneficiaries or - conversely - can lead to significant implementation differentiations. In a context characterized by strong passive and active conditionality, we argue that front-line workers play an important supporting role in securing adequate services for RdC recipients using their discretion (Brodkin, 2013; Breit 2020). To determine the impact of front-line workers’ discretion on modifying or mediating implementation drawbacks we analyze how the RdC has been implemented in the Italian Veneto Region. Drawing on the results of 61 mixed interviews and three focus groups with case managers from local social and employment services (coded with NVivo), we will present a specific form of discretion that plays an important role among administrative capacities supporting the implementation of the RdC.