Box 4.7: SDG Cities — an innovative approach to digital governance

Maximizing trust in institutions and the health authorities is a key pillar in the management of the crisis, yet trust can vary enormously from country to country Act 2020 to enable virtual meetings and decision making for local authorities at various levels.155

The increased use of these technological innovations, however, has led to a number of side-effects that will need to be addressed, in particular increased surveillance, security and privacy challenges.156 As troves of data are generated by a wide array of devices and networked systems, there is a risk of improper use. Coupled with data security concerns and the vulnerability of computing systems to hacking, crashing and viruses, a large amount of personal information is at risk of misuse. Furthermore, the fact that these technological tools have been developed with the involvement of private entities may raise issues of data access, ownership and control. At the end, without an all-encompassing focus on the community’s needs, solutions may be misguided. It is thus important that such initiatives strike a reasonable balance between individual rights on the one hand and public interests on the other during the pandemic period, and their necessity reconsidered after the health crisis is contained.

Partnerships with non-state actors: NGOs, community-based groups, faith-based organizations, civil society and the private sector have been important stakeholders in urban governance in the context of COVID-19. These actors have strengthened city response strategies by bridging service provision gaps, providing targeted assistance through direct cash transfers, food and other commodities, as well as participating in the production and distribution of health kits. São Paulo’s Cidade Solidária, for instance, a partnership between the City Hall and civil society organization, coordinated donations and volunteers to tackle the pandemic’s social and economic effects. In Mauritania, members of the Network of Locally Elected Women established an awareness campaign in various local languages in different districts.158 In Québéc RÉMIRI, an established network of municipal workers, community activists and academics, began to stage regular meetings to share knowledge and discuss different aspects of the pandemic response in their city.159

Box 4.7: SDG Cities — an innovative approach to digital governance

SDG Cities is a global collaborative initiative supported by UNHabitat that aims to accelerate the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in cities by supporting an interconnected process of data collection, strategic planning and the development and financing of SDG and COVID-19 recovery impact projects — levering blends of public and private finance to maximize impact. In parallel, it diagnoses and builds core capacities of local government in planning, governance and finance. Through the deployment of digital tools throughout, the initiative aims to reach over 1,000 cities worldwide.157 The financial and technical resources of the private sector and research institutions have also been harnessed by some countries to provide essential goods and services as well as offer economic reprieve. In Mexico City, for instance, commercial entities such as SANTANDER México and BBVA México developed, in collaboration with local authorities, a mobile application to help residents stay informed, assess symptoms and provide authorities with reliable real-time information.160 In some cities, the involvement of non-state actors has looked beyond the immediate pandemic response to the post-pandemic future, like Montréal, where city authorities have engaged universities and businesses to research the opportunities for work, study and physical recreation in the years to come.161

Trust building, transparency and community engagement: Behaviour change, participation and compliance with social distancing measures are essential elements in a successful pandemic response. Since most citizens cannot possibly understand the complexities and trade-offs behind every policy measures, trust is essential — the belief that leaders are placing public interests first, on the basis of sound scientific advice and with no hidden agendas. Maximizing trust in institutions and the health authorities is a key pillar in the management of the crisis, yet trust can vary enormously from country to country: according to data from the Harvard