Systemic Management Practices—Enabling Local Governments to Adapt in Response to Complexity

Manuel Riemer (), Randy Sa’d, Tim Posselt, Pourya Salehi, David Corbett, Peter Jones, Antony Upward, Exmond DeCruz, Bill Baue, Asad Asadzadeh, Simone Sandholz and Theo Kötter
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Manuel Riemer: Department of Psychology, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, ON N2L 3C5, Canada
Randy Sa’d: Flourishing Enterprise Institute (FEI), Viessmann Centre for Engagement and Research in Sustainability (VERiS), Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, ON N2L 3C5, Canada
Tim Posselt: Flourishing Enterprise Institute (FEI), Viessmann Centre for Engagement and Research in Sustainability (VERiS), Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, ON N2L 3C5, Canada
Pourya Salehi: Urban Research, Innovation, and Development, World Secretariat of ICLEI—Local Governments for Sustainability, 53113 Bonn, Germany
David Corbett: Urban Research, Innovation, and Development, World Secretariat of ICLEI—Local Governments for Sustainability, 53113 Bonn, Germany
Peter Jones: Flourishing Enterprise Institute (FEI), Viessmann Centre for Engagement and Research in Sustainability (VERiS), Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, ON N2L 3C5, Canada
Antony Upward: Flourishing Enterprise Co-Lab, Toronto, ON M4E 2J8, Canada
Exmond DeCruz: ProSocial World, Lakeway, TX 78734, USA
Bill Baue: r3.0, 10437 Berlin, Germany
Asad Asadzadeh: Urban Planning and Land Management Group, Institute of Geodesy and Geo-Information (IGG), University of Bonn, 53113 Bonn, Germany
Simone Sandholz: Urban Futures and Sustainability Transformation, Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS), United Nations University, 53113 Bonn, Germany
Theo Kötter: Urban Planning and Land Management Group, Institute of Geodesy and Geo-Information (IGG), University of Bonn, 53113 Bonn, Germany

World, 2025, vol. 6, issue 2, 1-25

Abstract: Local governments and municipalities are finding themselves increasingly challenged in planning and managing external conditions of escalating complexity, ranging from climate and environmental changes to unplanned migration, and major economic changes exacerbating inequalities. Local governments are generally unprepared for the long-term planning and lack the requisite strategic guidance for confronting the complexities posed by these growing threats at multiple fronts. The inadequacy of contemporary public management to these emerging problems further increases the risks to citizen well-being and future economic vitality. The purpose of this conceptual paper is to identify and describe specific characteristics of transformative management practices drawn from system science that can more adequately address complexity. To this end, the authors review the literature on municipal public management practices and assess the lack of systemic approaches consistent with complexity science. The service ecosystems perspective is proposed as an approach with the potential for managing in high complexity in urban contexts. The limitations of contemporary public management are examined through an emerging systems lens. These limitations are then contrasted with insights from the service ecosystems perspective to delineate the characteristics of more systemic management practices. The findings of this analysis point to three such characteristics: integrative, collective, and adaptive practices. The authors illustrate these characteristics and discuss their implications for shifting municipal management practice. They conclude with specific recommendations for research, practice, and policy.

Keywords: managing complexity; local government; cities; service ecosystem perspective; systemic management practices; municipalities; sustainability; resilience; integrative; adaptive; collective (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: G15 G17 G18 L21 L22 L25 L26 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 R51 R52 R58 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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