AFRICA CABINET GOVERNMENT NETWORK COVID-19 ON-LINE WORKSHOP 11 August 2020 REPORT
Posted: September 1, 2020, 12:28 pm
AFRICA
CABINET GOVERNMENT NETWORK
COVID-19
ON-LINE WORKSHOP
11
August 2020
REPORT
Introduction
On 11th August 2020 the Africa Cabinet Government Network (ACGN) convened a meeting of Cabinet Secretariats and other senior public servants from across Africa to share experiences in coordinating Covid-19 responses and recovery plans. The peer learning approach is central to how the ACGN operates, focusing on what works best, particularly in a resource constrained environment.
A
total of 27 people participated in the workshop, including participants from 10
African countries: Djibouti, Egypt, Ghana, Liberia, Malawi, Nigeria, Rwanda,
Sierra Leone, South Sudan and Tanzania (Zanzibar). Most of the participants
were Cabinet officials.
In order to encourage frank and open
discussion, the meeting was conducted under a modified
Chatham House Rule: The participants
are free to use the information received, but may not directly identify or
attribute specific participants or their offices.
This report is therefore limited to
some general conclusions. It does not include detailed information on
individual country responses and avoids attributing information or comments to
specific participants or countries.
Format of the
workshop
The workshop was chaired by Mr Jordan
Sulonteh, Director-General of the Cabinet in Liberia, who had experience
coordinating a national response during the Ebola outbreak of 2014-16. Short presentations
were delivered by internationally recognised experts on central government
coordination and public health and
education.
Unlike many of the webinars being
convened on Covid-19, which tend to be dominated by technical experts, most of
this workshop was taken up with oral reports from senior participants on the approaches
taken in their own jurisdictions, focusing on the evolution, strengths and
challenges of their national responses. The meeting was then opened to general
discussion on these reports.
Key findings
Since the implementation of
wide-spread national and international ‘lockdowns’ in March 2020, the
nature and scope of the crisis has
changed in Africa, as elsewhere. What began as a public health crisis has
quickly spread into something much bigger causing waves in national and
international politics, economies and across government service delivery.
Well-coordinated, evidence-informed responses will be critical to navigating
the crisis, and Cabinet Secretariats have a critical path to play in this.
Many Governments are basing their
responses on the expectation that a Covid-19 vaccine will be available in 2021.
However, vaccinating even 20% of the African population (300m people) will
require a tenfold increase in the total number of vaccinations compared with
2019. The scale of this challenge cannot be underestimated, and it will require
strong, effective and coordinated action from governments, private sector,
civil society and community leaders.
Over the course of the conversation a
number of key findings emerged on: 1) the nature and scope of the crisis; 2)
the need for a localised, contextualised approach; 3) the need for crisis
legislation; 4) the evolution of coordination arrangements; 5) affecting
behaviour change; and 6) opportunities to change how we work. Each of these
areas are summarised below.
1) Nature and scope of
the crisis
Although the official
number of African Covid-19 cases reached one million a few days before the workshop1,
participants noted that in recent weeks the number of new cases has been
declining across Africa, although some countries are still experiencing growing
numbers of cases and deaths. Large, indoor events have played a major role in
transmission, especially where people are not wearing masks. On the other hand,
transmission among children is rare, suggesting that schools should remain
open.
There was widespread agreement among
participants that the Covid-19 crisis was much more than a health crisis. The
repercussions and disruption caused by the pandemic has had a huge impact not just
on health care provision but also on national and local economies, cross-border
trade and government service delivery.
Cabinet Secretariats have helped to
mitigate these effects by bringing together key stakeholders and coordinating
policy development processes. For example, recognising the risks of virus
transmission from handling cash, some countries have loosened restrictions on
the use of mobile money transactions. Equally, some countries have extended
support to the finance sector and businesses through central banks; others have
utilised existing social network safety net infrastructure to provide support
to vulnerable groups. While aid in kind has been distributed in many instances,
there have been challenges in both execution and in meeting citizen
expectations.
The pandemic has, by its nature, made
coordination more challenging. Many participants noted that civil services had
to change their ways of working, with reduced numbers of staff coming to the
offices, taking regular temperature checks and civil services introducing
shift-based working in order to maintain social distancing in the workplace.
The use of online technology has allowed many to work from home, although
internet access/speed and power challenges remain in many settings.
2) The need for a
localised, contextualized approach
Locally contextualised
solutions were recognised as key. Countries have differing areas of strength to
utilise in their responses. For instance, some countries have utilised the
existing security services to aid in contact tracing and others have utilised
existing social safety net infrastructure.
Several participants noted
that approaches that have been successful in South Korea or Europe
would not necessarily work
in Africa. For example, ‘stay at home’ orders, which have been effective
in Europe, were not always
feasible for the citizenry in Africa, and could create as many challenges as
they solved (including access to food supplies where citizens do not have
refrigeration or electricity).
Many participants emphasised the
important role of testing and tracing, to help focus quarantine
restrictions and other containment
measures on local areas where the disease level or risk is greatest.
Participants also noted the importance
of cultural sensitivity in relation to Covid-19 restrictions. In some countries
gatherings such as funerals have been allowed but with restrictions on the
number of attendees. In some countries there is strong demand for the reopening
of religious centres.
One delegate concluded by emphasising
that a ‘one size fits all’ approach has never worked. Taking into consideration
the peculiarities of each country cannot be over-emphasised.
3) The evolution of
coordination arrangements
One of the key lessons from the West African
Ebola epidemic was that a public health crisis is not just a public
health crisis. It has significant implications on political and economic
stability.
Some participants reported that their
national responses have evolved through multiple phases. For example, in one
country there have been three phases:
Phase one was led by subject matter (Public
Health) experts, which at the start of the crisis was
considered an appropriate response. However,
as the crisis became more complex and the wider effects became clearer, more
sophisticated decision, consultation and implementation mechanisms became more
important.
During a second phase many countries
have established or utilised Special Cabinet Committees (sometimes called ‘clusters’)
or Special Presidential Task Forces to broaden the pool of key decision makers,
while ensuring a prominent role for voices from Public Health. Many
participants highlighted the need for a multi-sectoral, inter-governmental
approach to the national response, with most (if not all) ministries engaged as
well as subnational governments. This was seen as critical when the wider ramifications
of the crisis, for example on economic activity, employment and food security,
became more evident. Drawing on this broader pool of decision-makers, many
countries have developed economic and social recovery plans, including support
to businesses directly from Government and
through banks.
The government-wide coordination
expertise of Cabinet Secretaries, with deep understanding of the machinery of
government, has been called upon in a number of countries to provide
secretariat support and monitoring the national plan. In at least one of the
countries represented in the workshop, the Cabinet Secretary has been appointed
to coordinate the overall Covid-19 response.
During phase 3, as the scale and
implications of the crisis became clearer, an even broader network of actors
have been called upon to lead the response. Task Forces have drawn on the
expertise and leadership of civil society, community and faith leaders, as well
as private sector stakeholders. A broader coalition was generally recognised by
participants as an important step in a more inclusive response, and a key
mitigation for the unintended consequences of narrowly consulted policies.
4) The need for crisis
legislation
The Covid-19 pandemic was without precedent
in many countries, requiring the delegation of
emergency powers to the executive. In many
cases these additional powers have been accompanied by statutory time limits.
Several participants noted the importance of
early steps to ensure that decision makers had the
necessary statutory powers to restrict
movements and public gatherings, enforce curfews and close borders, as well as
to impose penalties on those failing to comply. In some cases, curfews have
also been imposed limiting the hours during which individuals can be outside
their homes.
Participants noted the importance of specific
ministries issuing crisis regulations and guidelines.
Drawing on each ministry’s knowledge of the
sector, these often served two purposes: firstly providing detailed guidance on
how to operate as safely as possible during the current crisis and secondly, helping
to protect consumers from predatory business practices such as price-gouging.
While participants noted the value of legislation to prohibit the sale of fake
covid-19 cures, there are varying levels of success in enforcement.
5) Affecting behaviour change.
There was clear agreement
on the importance of effective communication during the crisis. One of the key
lessons of the West Africa Ebola outbreak of 2014-16 was the importance of
changing specific behaviours around traditional burial practices and testing.
During the Ebola outbreak the support of traditional and spiritual leaders
played an important role in changing behaviours.
In relation to the current
crisis, workshop delegates highlighted the difficulty in ensuring compliance with
restrictions and regulations, as well as compliance with recommended practices
such as handwashing and wearing of masks. One delegate reported that a
significant number of people still believe that Covid-19 does not exist. To
address these issues, participants reported regular and prominent engagement of
public health, public education and community and faith leaders in messaging to
the public. Frequent public updates on planned interventions and their
effectiveness were cited
as important for building trust, however, some participants also noted that
citizens were not always wholly credulous of government data and messaging.
6) Opportunities to
change how we work
A number of participants
noted that, while the current crisis presents major challenges, it also
provides some opportunities for longer-term changes. In many places structures
and processes have been established for consultative decision-making, creating
an opportunity to embed these kinds of arrangements in working practices after
the crisis.
Equally, the crisis has
forced many to adopt technology and modern working practices, with the
potential to greatly
improve both decision-making and service delivery across the public
administration spectrum.
The current crisis has enhanced the transition towards digital transformation, which
is in line with the call for a digital transformation strategy in the Africa
Agenda 2063. Specific examples mentioned included greater use of e-learning in
education, greater awareness of the logistical challenges of immunization and
greater adoption of automated public service models.
Acknowledgements
ACGN gratefully acknowledges the support
provided for this workshop by Adam Smith International (ASI), Acasus, the African Association for Public Administration and Management (AAPAM) and Johnston International
Consulting.
Specific thanks go to Mark Gilkes and Sarah Johnston for their assistance in
preparing this report.
For information on the Africa Cabinet
Government Network (ACGN), please see our website:
www.cabinetgovernment.net or contact ACGN’s Executive Director, Dr Mark Johnston: markj@cabinetgovernment.net.