Bureaucratese, explained.

Accounting compliance stamp

Signature of the finance manager certifying that the expense is covered in the budget. Without it a spending determination has no effect.

Reference: D.Lgs. 267/2000 (TUEL), art. 151, comma 4

ANAC

National Anti-Corruption Authority: independent body that supervises public contracts to ensure transparency and legality. For each tender the Town pays a small fee.

Reference: D.L. 90/2014, art. 19

ATER

Regional public housing agency: the body that builds, allocates and maintains public housing (it used to be called IACP).

Reference: L.R. Abruzzo 25 ottobre 1996, n. 96

Building permit

Town authorisation needed for major building work, such as constructing, extending or changing the use of a building. The notice stays on the board and anyone can inspect the documents.

Reference: D.P.R. 380/2001, art. 10

CIG

Code that identifies a single public tender or award. It lets anyone follow the payments and check that public money goes where it should. "CIG esente" means the expense does not require one.

Reference: L. 136/2010, art. 3

Civic access

Right of anyone to ask the Town for documents, data and information that must be public or are not covered by secrecy, in order to check how the administration works.

Reference: D.Lgs. 33/2013, art. 5

Compliance check (accertamento di conformità)

Procedure in which the Town checks whether work done without a permit complied, and still complies, with planning rules. If so, a retrospective permit may follow.

Reference: D.P.R. 380/2001, art. 36

Contract modification (variation)

Change to the project or contract while work is under way, because of unforeseen events or new needs. It may change costs and timing, which is why it must always be justified.

Reference: D.Lgs. 36/2023, art. 120

CUP

Code that identifies a public investment project from start to finish. It allows transparent tracking of how the funds for that project are used.

Reference: L. 3/2003, art. 11

Decision to contract (determina a contrarre)

Act by which the Town decides to buy a good or service and explains why, how it will choose the supplier and with what money. It comes before the contract.

Reference: D.Lgs. 267/2000, art. 192; D.Lgs. 36/2023, art. 17

Determinazione dirigenziale ("determina")

Act signed by a Town manager to take operational decisions: authorising an expense, starting a tender, awarding a service.

Reference: D.Lgs. 267/2000 (TUEL), art. 107

DGUE

European Single Procurement Document: a standard form in which a firm declares it meets the requirements to take part in a tender or award.

Direct award

Awarding a contract to a firm chosen without a tender. Currently allowed below €150,000 for works and below €140,000 for services and supplies.

Reference: D.Lgs. 36/2023, art. 50

DURC

Single Social-Security Compliance Certificate: proof that a company is up to date with the pension and insurance contributions for its employees (INPS, INAIL, building funds).

Reference: D.L. 34/2014, art. 4; D.M. 30 gennaio 2015

Expense commitment

Act by which the Town earmarks an amount of its budget to pay in future for a work, good or service. First it commits, then it settles.

Reference: D.Lgs. 267/2000 (TUEL), art. 183

Extension (proroga)

Moving forward the deadline of a contract, a time limit or an authorisation, to allow more time.

Framework agreement

General contract, lasting at most 4 years, that fixes prices and conditions with one or more suppliers in advance, so that repeated purchases can then be made faster.

Reference: D.Lgs. 36/2023, art. 59

Giunta resolution

Collective decision by the Mayor and the councillors (Giunta) on policy, planning and organisation of the Town.

Reference: D.Lgs. 267/2000 (TUEL), art. 48

Mayoral order (ordinanza)

Measure by which the Mayor imposes rules or bans, usually temporary, to deal with a concrete problem: road closures, use of facilities, safety.

Reference: D.Lgs. 267/2000 (TUEL), art. 50

Notice to creditors

Notice published when public works end: anyone who suffered land occupation or damage from the site has 15 days to submit their claims with supporting documents.

Reference: D.Lgs. 36/2023, Allegato II.14, art. 16

PNRR

National Recovery and Resilience Plan: the programme of reforms and investments Italy agreed with the European Union, largely funded by EU money, to relaunch the economy after the pandemic.

Reference: Regolamento (UE) 2021/241

Public tender

Public procedure in which several firms submit a bid and the Town picks the best one, to ensure transparency, equal treatment and good use of public money.

Reference: D.Lgs. 36/2023, artt. 70 e 71

Ranking list (graduatoria)

Ordered list of people or firms, based on scores set in advance, used to allocate homes, jobs or grants impartially.

Reference: L. 241/1990, art. 12

Retrospective building permit

Permit that regularises work already done without authorisation. It is granted only if the work complies with the rules both of when it was done and of today, and on payment of an increased sum.

Reference: D.P.R. 380/2001, art. 36

RUP (single project manager)

Public employee who oversees a contract in all its phases, from design to final inspection, and answers for it. Their name is always stated in the acts.

Reference: D.Lgs. 36/2023, art. 15

Settlement (liquidazione)

Stage in which the offices check that the work or supply was delivered as agreed and authorise payment of the invoice.

Reference: D.Lgs. 267/2000 (TUEL), art. 184

Split payment

Tax rule under which the Town pays the VAT on an invoice directly to the State rather than to the supplier, to fight evasion.

Reference: D.P.R. 633/1972, art. 17-ter

Urbanisation charges

Sum that whoever builds or renovates pays the Town as a contribution to the services that will serve the building: roads, sewers, lighting.

Reference: D.P.R. 380/2001, art. 16

Urgent emergency order

Emergency measure the Mayor can issue in the face of sudden and exceptional dangers to public health or safety.

Reference: D.Lgs. 267/2000 (TUEL), artt. 50 e 54