‘Political Science and Public Policies’ (SP³) is the standing group (SG) of the Italian Political Science Association comprising the scholars who look at the political sphere as a problem-solving activity, and who are interested in the nexus that binds institutions and society. For this reason, although rooted within the community of Italian political scientists, the SG is open to all those who, from different disciplinary perspectives and countries, share an interest in these issues. Since 2007, the SG promotes research, knowledge exchange and the dissemination of good practices in relation to teaching methods and approaches, with regards to the design, analysis and evaluation of public policies and the functioning and operation of public administrations both domestically, within Italy, and in the wider European and international contexts. The foremost area of activity of the SG relates to fostering research excellence among its members. A key aim of the SG is to grow the reputation of the community of Italian scholars who work on public policy and administration, their ability to publish in top journals, and their competitiveness vis-à-vis national and international calls for research funding. To this aim, the SG: (i) organizes panels and round tables at the annual conference of the Italian Political Science Association; (ii) cooperates with homologue associations abroad (e.g. with the UK Political Studies Association, via the Italian Politics Specialist Group); (iii) facilitates informal networking among SG members to foster cooperation, cross-contamination and the development of early career researchers.