Systems change in community organisations. Porta Futuro, the local experiment of the City of Bari

The overall aim of this paper is to provide knowledge on the importance of systems thinking as strategic in understanding organisational community systems. If "Systems" literature can be complex and inaccessible since there are many different approaches to and ways of understanding systems thinking, the article explores the theory and practice behind the use of systems approaches in tackling public challenges as they represents a different way of looking at the world. The latter is understood as an open, complex set of systems that are social ecosystems themselves but are interconnected to external environments. The starting point is the recognition that all individuals consist of and are part of multiple interconnecting systems biological, social, organisational. The systems thinking approach takes this recognition and makes use of it as the basis for understanding and changing the world. It also sees the relationships within and between systems as crucially important by recognising that there is huge complexity in these relationships. These open systems need to keep evolving and learning, as if they are micro organizations, in relation to changes and needs of multiple stakeholders. Systems become, then, learning organizations. In essence, systems thinking is a worldview; merely, an attitude of inquiry and reflection. Thinking and working, in ways that recognise the interconnectedness of the community, is the first step to being able to make the systemic changes that community residents expect to see. The proposed approach is firstly based on the review of the literature available on systems change following systems thinking as its precursor, and collaborative community governance. In order to testify the suggested research question, this paper is based on a case-study approach (Yin R.K. 2005, 2006, 2009, 2013) whose value resides in allowing an in-depth investigation of complex issues in their natural real-life settings. It provides not only phenomena's insights but practical challenges in understanding that case as an integrated whole. In particular, starting from the relevant scientific literature, this paper aims at creating a relationship between evidence from the scientific literature review and facts provided by the case-study so to highlight the levers and main featuring aspects that make a specific organisational model. This will help acknowledging the underlying elements for a first possible theoretical framework to explain how sustainable development of communities and territories can be achieved through the perspective of systems change. Starting from the consideration that the underlying values of PORTA FUTURO BARI are transparency, reliability, ethics, solidarity, cooperation, talent and creativity's enhancement, the originality of this paper is related to the value of the experiment itself, which has an impact on the community and the metropolitan territory as a whole. Originality is also given by the approach used to explain the unfolding dynamics of community organisation aimed at delivering development through the perspective of systems change that leverages on some variables present within that system such as power/authority, communication, relationships (social capital) and modelling capacity. The paper will tell if, first of all, such an experiment at the local level is successful in creating an urban hub that is a community platform where people are empowered to make change of the systems where they are embedded in. Hence, to understand if the local community is able to design and promote the building of sustainable actions, practices and organisations that offer new opportunities for participation and engagement of peoples, for sharing and integrating spaces, resources and values for knowledge creation, for co-creating value through co-producing people for a collaborative-driven urban development.