Multilevel Governance and COVID-19 Emergency Coordination for Cities and Regions

The COVID-19 pandemic challenges governments around the world. In response to this health crisis, a range of power shifts and coordination requirements affected cooperation and integration across government units, administrative capacity and organisational resilience, as well as local response and strategic direction. 

This Analytics Note is the fourth part of a series by the Emergency Governance Initiative (EGI), a joint project by Metropolis, United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG), and LSE Cities. The publication combines the results of a case study analysis, desktop research, and workshops on multilevel governance and emergency coordination during the COVID-19 pandemic.  

The Analytics Note highlights that sub-national governments took different positions in the pandemic response structure. Trends were observed towards both centralisation and decentralisation across the public sector. Pre-existing patterns of decentralisation seem to determine the subnational governments' ability to influence emergency response strategies. There is evidence that some sectors, such as health and economic development, tend to become more centralised. Others, such as security and environment, tend to maintain a decentralised approach. 

To access EGI’s Analytics Note #04, please click here.