The testimony of Stefano Indovino, between civil commitment and professional consultancy
Among the new challenges of the theme Towards an enhanced PA, at the centre of the next Forum PA (19-21 May 2025), we find the focus on communication particularly interesting, well described by Michela Stentella in the latest Annual Report. Communication, in fact, is not only about the transmission of services, but also about the narration of values, projects, people and stories.
Who are the people who work in public administration? What do they do and what makes them choose this profession? How fulfilling and exciting is their work?
We too are convinced that there is an urgent need for a new narrative that gives space to innovation in services, through stories and values. Throughout the year, we want to tell the stories of the people we meet in our training activities, not only in the field, but also online, as part of an ecosystem increasingly oriented towards innovation in services.
Stefano Indovino, 37, lives in Milan and has built his professional career in both the public and private sectors. ‘I work part time for the municipality of Seregno, where I am in charge of institutional communication, a position of trust that lasts as long as the mayor's term of office,’ says Stefano. At the same time, he manages his consultancy business, focused on digital marketing campaigns for small and medium-sized enterprises, and is also actively involved in local politics. In fact, he has been a councillor for 14 years and currently holds the role of council president of Municipality 9 (Garibaldi Station, Niguarda) of the Municipality of Milan.
Despite his many professional and political commitments, Stefano always finds time for training. He discovered the IA4PA video course while reading a post by Andrea Boscaro, founder of The Vortex and trainer for the Fondazione Mondo Digitale, on LinkedIn. ‘I decided to follow it and found it extremely useful: it offers an excellent overview of how AI could help make public administration more efficient, highlighting both the opportunities and potential risks,’ explains Stefano.
Although he already had experience in the use of generative artificial intelligence tools, the video course allowed him to explore new aspects, in addition to the purely technical ones. ‘Thanks to the course, I also discovered Italian and European regulations. Knowing them could help me guide a supplier in the creation of an AI service, with criteria of privacy and transparency’, he adds.
Artificial intelligence in the public administration
For Stefano, one of the main obstacles to the adoption of artificial intelligence in public organisations is the resistance to change. ‘If I had to identify a major obstacle, I would see it in the resistance to change in public organisations,’ he observes, referring to the average age of civil servants in Italy, which is 49.8 years, with 39% in the 50-59 age group and only 5% under 30. This means that the workforce is largely senior and often struggles to embrace technological innovations. It is therefore not surprising that ‘generative AI tools are not adopted by individual employees and that many are unaware of their usefulness or how they can simplify their work’, explains Stefano.
At the same time, Stefano emphasises that the private sector, particularly freelancers, are in a more vulnerable position and, as a result, feel a strong sense of urgency to update their skills. ‘I don't have a job guarantee, so I'm more inclined to keep up to date so as not to fall behind and risk being excluded from the market,’ he says, recalling how, in the past, much of his work was based on copywriting, which is now being challenged by the advent of generative AI.
The impact of AI on civil servants
The numbers confirm the concerns and opportunities related to the integration of AI in public administration. According to the ‘FPA Annual Report 2024’, as many as 57% of the 3.24 million Italian public employees are highly exposed to the impact of new technologies. Of these, 80% could integrate artificial intelligence into their activities, operating in synergy with emerging technologies, provided they receive adequate training and work in a favourable organisational context. However, 12% are at risk of replacement due to the repetitive and predictable nature of the tasks they perform. The remaining 8% (about 154,000 workers) are in an ambiguous area, between potential synergies and risks of replacement.
A course to recommend
The IA4PA video course is a valuable and easily accessible first step for all public administration professionals interested in exploring the potential of artificial intelligence. ‘I will definitely recommend the course to my colleagues,’ concludes Stefano. “Training is the key to transforming AI from a possible threat into a tool for growth and improvement of institutional processes”.
By Alberta Testa, social media manager
