Abstract
This article presents a part of the results of a research programme on "Evaluation as a resource for the future of the institutions" developed by the University Carlo Cattaneo Research Centre on Public Administration (CeP.A.- LIUC). The research has the purpose to read the starting phase of an evaluation routine in the Italian public administrations by the light of a concept emerging from a wider frame of reference founded on international studies and experiences. In particular, this work presents the analytical and interpretative model of the research and discuss its conceptual relevance and application bounds. The model has been used as a reference track for the analysis of the experiences of 32 Italian public administrations in different sectors.The application, in its diagnostic phase, has shown a strong capacity of bringing out any incoherence, recognizing specific manifestations such as between the structure of the organs and the utilization forms of between the announced idea and the applied methodologies. For these aspects the passage form the diagnosis to the formulation of operative guidelines appears simple enough and conceptually founded.