Founded in 1957 as an integral part of the Council of Ministers, the National School of Administration (SNA) selects, recruits and trains executive officers and managers for the Italian civil service. It is the focal point of the Single Recruitment and Public Training System, whose mission is to improve efficiency in Public Administration. 

SNA teachers are all experts in their field from the academic world, public administration and international organisations, while a network of SNA alumni provides a pool of knowledge and experience for training and research to draw on.

The main office of the SNA is in Rome, with branches in Caserta, Reggio Calabria, Bologna and Acireale.

The SNA is fully involved in the reciprocal exchange of good practice among international institutions for the development of good governance worldwide. It has a number of bilateral and multilateral agreements and partnerships in place with networks of international schools and international institutions operating in the public administration and public management sector.