Resilience by Design: Adhocracy, Collaborative Governance, and Public-Private-Nonprofit Partnerships in Bergamo’s COVID-19 Economic Recovery

The COVID-19 pandemic revealed the vulnerabilities of traditional bureaucratic governance structures in responding effectively to rapid, large-scale crises. This paper presents a detailed case study of Rinascimento, an innovative urban recovery program launched in Bergamo, Italy—one of the epicenters of the early pandemic. It explores how an adhocratic governance model, characterized by :lexibility, decentralization, and cross-sector collaboration, was employed to mitigate the economic impact of the crisis. The program was implemented through a public-private-nonpro:it partnership involving the Municipality of Bergamo, Intesa Sanpaolo Bank, and CESVI, a local humanitarian NGO. Drawing on collaborative governance and network theories, the Rinascimento initiative combined emergency grants and impact investment loans to support nearly 4,500 small businesses and professionals. The paper analyzes the design and operational mechanisms of the adhocracy, its rapid decision-making capabilities, and its emphasis on real-time learning and adaptation. Empirical evaluation using key performance indicators demonstrates the program’s effectiveness in enhancing business resilience, reducing business mortality rates, and fostering economic regeneration. The :indings underscore the potential of adhocratic models in municipal crisis management and offer scalable insights for future governance frameworks addressing systemic shocks.