How to improve the financial conditions of local governments in a period of crisis: an explanatory case study

The context of austerity and crisis in the local governments has focused on looking for a solution to avoid the distress while also improving financial health. Therefore, a system to monitor the financial situation of local authorities is needed in order to understand what the governments’ proceeding to manage the crisis are. This paper aims to analyse the financial distress in the municipality of Rome to evaluate the processes that occur inside the “black box” of the organizational, institutional and strategic implementation of the reorganization practices and routines, also highlighting what are the indicators of the financial conditions that fall into either a positive or negative area so as to implement adequate planning. The analysis is conducted through an explanatory case study to understand and to explain the reasons for management practices in a condition of financial distress. The main finding shows that the case of Rome represents a good example of the financial resilience through a combination of capacities and reactions such as management of slack resources and income generation.