How we are working to improve substitute teacher management. And why.

DOS Design

In 2025, several critical issues delay and block payments for short-term and occasional substitute teaching assignments in schools.

client

Ministry of Education and Merit (Ministero dell’Istruzione e del Merito – MIM)

sector

Public Sector

The Ministry of Education and Merit (Ministero dell’Istruzione e del Merito – MIM), with the support of the State General Accounting Department (Ragioneria Generale dello Stato – RGS), adopts the i-lab program to innovate the management of payments for short-term and occasional substitute teaching assignments and improve the overall management process.

Scenario

The starting scenario is characterized by complexity in managing the processes related to payments for short-term and occasional substitute teaching assignments.

This complexity is amplified by the autonomy of schools, the different organizational needs across education cycles and the necessary cooperation between the information systems of the MIM and the MEF.

Problem

The challenge lies in bringing order to the organizational complexity of substitute payments, within a system burdened by intricate administrative procedures.

The problem goes beyond payments themselves, involving the management of teaching and ATA staff absences and the processes for appointing and activating substitutes.

Opportunity

The opportunity builds on a long-standing collaborative relationship between the RGS and other public administrations.

In response to the MIM’s needs, the RGS provides the i-lab program, recognized as an effective methodological tool for driving process transformation and designing digital solutions.

Solution

The i-lab program helps identify and structure critical issues, integrating them into a shared process involving stakeholders from different areas of expertise and public administrations, with the goal of addressing them.

It brings together a single multidisciplinary team to define shared requirements validated by the MIM’s business community.

Change

and impact

The intention is not only to solve the problem of substitute payments, but to improve the entire process. Tomorrow, the school system will ensure timely salaries and efficiently covered classrooms, with tangible benefits for the organization, people, and teaching.