Emergency Governance Initiative, September 2021
Policy Brief 04 focuses on multilevel governance in the context of complex emergencies. It addresses the demands of coordinating effective and rapid responses between different levels of government and presents a series of governance principles and recommendations for enabling adaptive and agile responses.
The rapid and radical government interventions required in an emergency can conflict with fundamental principles of cooperative multilevel governance. While redefining roles can enable more effective decision-making, it is critical that cities and regional governments have channels to input into strategic decision-making, and that emergency action is effectively coordinated between different government entities.
The brief is based on insights collected through interviews and workshops with over 60 representatives from city and regional governments, metropolitan level administrations, local government associations and other stakeholders. It is part of the Emergency Governance Initiative (EGI) led by 杏吧论坛 Cities, United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG), and the World Association of the Major Metropolises (Metropolis). This Initiative investigates the institutional dimensions of rapid and radical action in response to global emergencies to provide city and regional governments with frameworks, knowledge, and resources to navigate the new demands of leading emergency responses.