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4.4.2. New governance mechanisms
Notably, vertical coordination has also taken place through less institutionalized means such as ‘agreements’, as in Germany, where tougher measures were agreed between 11 cities and the national government
4.4.2. New governance mechanisms
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In addition to pre-existing governance mechanisms, the magnitude, urgency and complexity of the challenge forced countries to adjust their governance processes and practices. The most notable adjustments have been the formation of special task forces or equivalent bodies and the adoption of digital services to facilitate governance. At the same time, the extensive and multi-layered effects of the pandemic, coupled with the need to coordinate measures with multiple actors, have underlined the importance of non-governmental stakeholders in urban governance. Furthermore, the need to increase the effectiveness of government measures and ensure compliance with them has led to the adoption of measures aimed at enhancing trust in institutions, accountability, transparency and community engagement. Lastly, the recognition that cities need to continue (and in most cases, enhance) the provision of services has informed the introduction of flexibility in regulatory frameworks and administrative procedures in areas such as procurement. These special interventions will be, in some cases, temporary and limited to the duration of the crisis (for example, ad hoc task forces or the relaxation of regulatory frameworks and administrative procedures to allow a flexible emergency response). In other cases, however, they represent an opportunity for advancing technology and digitalization, building strong, trustworthy, transparent and accountable institutions that can support more participatory and inclusive models of governance. Therefore, it is desirable that countries capitalize on this opportunity and consider how many of the adaptations put in place for the pandemic could, with the appropriate amendments, continue to deliver benefits for countries after the recovery. Some of these governance measures are discussed in the sections below.
Special task forces or other support bodies: COVID-19 has led to the formation of special bodies and task forces to address the pandemic in cities and ensure multi-level coordination. These take various forms and were created to cover different areas of governance: Chile’s Social Committee for COVID-19, made up of representatives of municipal associations, government authorities, academics and health professionals;126 Australia’s National Cabinet, comprising the Prime Minister and
Residents queue by a mobile COVID-19 testing van parked in a slum area. Old Delhi/India © Shutterstock
