Agile and adaptive governance in crisis response: Lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic

Janssen, M.F.W.H.A.; van der Voort, H.G.

doi:10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2020.102180

Agile and adaptive governance in crisis response

Title

Agile and adaptive governance in crisis response: Lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic

Author

Janssen, M.F.W.H.A. (TU Delft Information and Communication Technology)
van der Voort, H.G. (TU Delft Organisation & Governance)

Date

2020

Abstract

Countries around the world have had to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak with limited information and confronting many uncertainties. Their ability to be agile and adaptive has been stressed, particularly in regard to the timing of policy measures, the level of decision centralization, the autonomy of decisions and the balance between change and stability. In this contribution we use our observations of responses to COVID-19 to reflect on agility and adaptive governance and provide tools to evaluate it after the dust has settled. Whereas agility relates mainly to the speed of response within given structures, adaptivity implies system-level changes throughout government. Existing institutional structures and tools can enable adaptivity and agility, which can be complimentary approaches. However, agility sometimes conflicts with adaptability. Our analysis points to the paradoxical nature of adaptive governance. Indeed, successful adaptive governance calls for both decision speed and sound analysis, for both centralized and decentralized decision-making, for both innovation and bureaucracy, and both science and politics.

Subject

Adaptive governance
Adaptivity
Agile governance
Agile organization
COVID-19
Pandemic
Response
SARS-CoV-2

To reference this document use:

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:f71593f9-7c76-450b-a75f-def151b21be8

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2020.102180

ISSN

0268-4012

Source

International Journal of Information Management, 55

Part of collection

Institutional Repository