The article presents the main results of afollow-up research on the administration
and service provision system in the Porto Metropolitan Area. The research group conducted
an empirical study in Porto just before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. The
impact of the polycrisis, which started in 2020, is analysed in this paper. The regulatory
and organisational framework has not been significantly transformed as the result
of the multiple crises and shocks, but the practice, and espe-cially the planning
activities in the field of the services of general economic interest, have become
more concentrated. The cooperation in the field of the services of general interests
(human services) has remained relatively limited. Thus, the polycrisis is not just
atemporary “excited state”, but it has permanent impact on these systems.
