An Old Puzzle and Unprecedented Challenges: Coordination in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic in the US

Abstract

Major emergencies and crises require action from all levels of government and the involvement of numerous organizations from the private and nonprofit sectors. Thus, interorganizational coordination is a crucial element of emergency and crisis management. This study first addresses how interagency coordination is structured in American policies and frameworks within the context of public health emergencies. Then, the significant coordination-related challenges that exist at the federal level are discussed, as well as how such challenges manifested in a severe shortage of critical medical resources at the outset of the pandemic. A series of government reports are then reviewed to further explore these coordination failures. Finally, recommendations are offered regarding ways to integrate network governance into the hierarchical governance structure for better crisis coordination. This research contributes to a broader understanding of interagency coordination in response to large-scale public health emergencies.