Public governance mechanism in the prevention and control of the COVID-19: information, decision-making and execution

In China, sub-provincial governments are responsible for managing public health emergencies. In the context of coordinating multiple stakeholders, the role of the local government can be defined as ‘meta-governance’. It shall provide rules to facilitate collective action and co-produce quality public services. However, the case of Wuhan suggests that some local governments still rely on the traditional administrative system, which hampers them in terms of issuing a sufficient response to the COVID-19 outbreak. Three measures can be taken to facilitate a public governance mechanism in public health emergency management. First, local governments can use the ICTs to create a more transparent information mechanism. The free flow of information could alert all stakeholders to potential emergencies, while the open government data form the base for cross-border collaboration. Second, a more comprehensive Public Health Emergency Preparedness is constructive for local governments in making quality and immediate decisions. This preparedness shall clearly define the responsibility of the involved agencies based on a careful evaluation of their qualification and capability. Third, the local government shall note that good governance requires more than an executive capacity based on command-and-control. It is necessary to develop the ability to work with stakeholders outside the bureaucratic system.