he phrase “Whole of Government” has been invoked by international organizations, governments, and others to describe how to combat the spread of COVID-19. Speaking on April 9, 2020, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), called on leaders around the world to embrace a “whole-of-government and whole-of-society response.” Meanwhile, the number of global cases has climbed to over 22 million infected people with more than 782,000 people deceased (as of publication). As virologists and other doctors race to develop a vaccine to turn this deadly tidal wave, local and international leaders are making creative adaptations to re-engineer societies to accept social distancing and face masks as we wait. Some are far more successful at this than others, bringing to mind the stark contrast between Iceland and the United States. Governance—how we exercise power to manage our economic and social resources in an attempt to keep moving forward—is a key component of Whole of Government responses to COVID-19.
Whole of Government strategies in the United States and abroad need to synchronize all the elements involved in a multi-faceted, long-term response to the novel coronavirus. Regardless of the emergency, a Whole of Government approach involves public, private, non-profit, and other organizations working on a shared mission toward a joint goal. Utilizing such an approach, a leader assembles and manages each piece of the complex puzzle from response to recovery to leverage the agencies’ specialized resources and authorities, assessing the current situation as it evolves and shifts. Ideally, preplanning is a vital part of this so that agencies are not interacting for the first time during a crisis. When done well, the value of a Whole of Government approach is in its ability to provide a trusted framework and legitimate playbook for complex interagency operations.
The articles in this bookazine, a strategic partnership with Diplomatic Courier, bring to light important and enduring problems that have arisen during this crisis and will have far ranging impacts. Dr. Cynthia Watson urges governments to make their decisions based on the scientific method to uphold the precious social contract that exists between the governed and those governing. Trust and faith in science, not political parties, will help guide us out of this.
During a crisis that is utterly overwhelming, Dr. Rebecca Farber emphasizes the need to protect marginalized groups, such as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, and queer (LGBTQ) people. Governance must apply to all our people, especially the vulnerable. One vulnerable group is the American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) population. Gabrielle Hibbert and Troy Wiipongwii confront the foundational laws and policies that create hostile inequalities, offer ways to improve the current health system, and recommend the inclusion of targeted digital strategies and blockchain strategies to improve life for AI/AN households.
While our travel has been restricted, shipping and maritime commerce must go on. Dr. Ian Ralby highlights serious threats that exist to the global economy and to our supply chains that require clear governance so that our lives on land—however altered—continue to receive much needed shipments.
When this is over, we want to be alive. But in pursuit of a way of life, some people prioritize their perceived rights over personal responsibilities. Professor Christie Warren calls for individual reflection in light of constitutions and national emergencies and urges us to do what we should do.
In a crisis, there is a race to improve things so that livelihood and lives are saved. But benefits come at a cost. Deborah Hewitt steps back and considers the nuances of flexible vs. absolute policies that allow us to tailor to the specific situation at hand.
Seeing no end in sight for the pandemic, Dr. Amy Xia and Gillian Doby look at the essential food supply chain and propose a strategy that is robust, agile, embraces technology, and moves toward electronic ordering. We need to focus on making the process of direct-to-consumer simpler.
This crisis has opened the door to a rural renaissance where technology is an obvious right as we work from home and stay connected via the internet. Karen Jackson is watching the perfect storm roll into the parts of our country outside the cities, hoping that life beyond the skyscrapers will be redefined by affordable broadband connectivity and more.
The human brain struggles to focus on risk. Andrea Bonime-Blanc rails against ineffective and irresponsible leaders, offering recommendations from the business world to help overcome the paralysis of a crisis.
Compared to other areas in the world, Africa is fairing fairly well. Dr. Iyabo Obasanjo examines what lessons can be learned from the population profile of the continent that has turned back Ebola and more.
The United States, and presumably others, know what needs to happen to arrest additional tragedy. Policies need to be federally supported, state managed, and locally executed. Science needs to lead us all, even when science must adapt to changing conditions and new information. A hallmark of any effective Whole of Government approach is clear, consistent communication and messaging by leaders, regardless of political party. The resources of a nation and how that gets into the hands of people—the supply chain—must be retooled to assist with the acquisition and distribution of COVID-19 medical supplies to the areas that need it most or areas where we can prevent an outbreak. All of that must happen before we consider reopening on any significant scale. When we emerge from this, we must undergo a period of significant soul-searching as nations struggling to govern and as human beings struggling to make sense of the world. What lessons did we learn, which groups did we fail to protect, and how did rights conflict with common sense?
a global affairs media network
Foreword: Whole of Government Approaches During COVID-19
August 25, 2020
Whole of Government strategies in the United States and abroad need to synchronize all the elements involved in a multi-faceted, long-term response to the novel coronavirus.
T
he phrase “Whole of Government” has been invoked by international organizations, governments, and others to describe how to combat the spread of COVID-19. Speaking on April 9, 2020, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), called on leaders around the world to embrace a “whole-of-government and whole-of-society response.” Meanwhile, the number of global cases has climbed to over 22 million infected people with more than 782,000 people deceased (as of publication). As virologists and other doctors race to develop a vaccine to turn this deadly tidal wave, local and international leaders are making creative adaptations to re-engineer societies to accept social distancing and face masks as we wait. Some are far more successful at this than others, bringing to mind the stark contrast between Iceland and the United States. Governance—how we exercise power to manage our economic and social resources in an attempt to keep moving forward—is a key component of Whole of Government responses to COVID-19.
Whole of Government strategies in the United States and abroad need to synchronize all the elements involved in a multi-faceted, long-term response to the novel coronavirus. Regardless of the emergency, a Whole of Government approach involves public, private, non-profit, and other organizations working on a shared mission toward a joint goal. Utilizing such an approach, a leader assembles and manages each piece of the complex puzzle from response to recovery to leverage the agencies’ specialized resources and authorities, assessing the current situation as it evolves and shifts. Ideally, preplanning is a vital part of this so that agencies are not interacting for the first time during a crisis. When done well, the value of a Whole of Government approach is in its ability to provide a trusted framework and legitimate playbook for complex interagency operations.
The articles in this bookazine, a strategic partnership with Diplomatic Courier, bring to light important and enduring problems that have arisen during this crisis and will have far ranging impacts. Dr. Cynthia Watson urges governments to make their decisions based on the scientific method to uphold the precious social contract that exists between the governed and those governing. Trust and faith in science, not political parties, will help guide us out of this.
During a crisis that is utterly overwhelming, Dr. Rebecca Farber emphasizes the need to protect marginalized groups, such as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, and queer (LGBTQ) people. Governance must apply to all our people, especially the vulnerable. One vulnerable group is the American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) population. Gabrielle Hibbert and Troy Wiipongwii confront the foundational laws and policies that create hostile inequalities, offer ways to improve the current health system, and recommend the inclusion of targeted digital strategies and blockchain strategies to improve life for AI/AN households.
While our travel has been restricted, shipping and maritime commerce must go on. Dr. Ian Ralby highlights serious threats that exist to the global economy and to our supply chains that require clear governance so that our lives on land—however altered—continue to receive much needed shipments.
When this is over, we want to be alive. But in pursuit of a way of life, some people prioritize their perceived rights over personal responsibilities. Professor Christie Warren calls for individual reflection in light of constitutions and national emergencies and urges us to do what we should do.
In a crisis, there is a race to improve things so that livelihood and lives are saved. But benefits come at a cost. Deborah Hewitt steps back and considers the nuances of flexible vs. absolute policies that allow us to tailor to the specific situation at hand.
Seeing no end in sight for the pandemic, Dr. Amy Xia and Gillian Doby look at the essential food supply chain and propose a strategy that is robust, agile, embraces technology, and moves toward electronic ordering. We need to focus on making the process of direct-to-consumer simpler.
This crisis has opened the door to a rural renaissance where technology is an obvious right as we work from home and stay connected via the internet. Karen Jackson is watching the perfect storm roll into the parts of our country outside the cities, hoping that life beyond the skyscrapers will be redefined by affordable broadband connectivity and more.
The human brain struggles to focus on risk. Andrea Bonime-Blanc rails against ineffective and irresponsible leaders, offering recommendations from the business world to help overcome the paralysis of a crisis.
Compared to other areas in the world, Africa is fairing fairly well. Dr. Iyabo Obasanjo examines what lessons can be learned from the population profile of the continent that has turned back Ebola and more.
The United States, and presumably others, know what needs to happen to arrest additional tragedy. Policies need to be federally supported, state managed, and locally executed. Science needs to lead us all, even when science must adapt to changing conditions and new information. A hallmark of any effective Whole of Government approach is clear, consistent communication and messaging by leaders, regardless of political party. The resources of a nation and how that gets into the hands of people—the supply chain—must be retooled to assist with the acquisition and distribution of COVID-19 medical supplies to the areas that need it most or areas where we can prevent an outbreak. All of that must happen before we consider reopening on any significant scale. When we emerge from this, we must undergo a period of significant soul-searching as nations struggling to govern and as human beings struggling to make sense of the world. What lessons did we learn, which groups did we fail to protect, and how did rights conflict with common sense?
