Understanding COVID-19’s impact on NGOs and IDOs

Government and public services organisations operate within a central mandate of protecting citizens and providing services to enhance daily life. As such, governments are a central responder, decision maker, and service provider within disease outbreaks and global public health emergencies.

Potential long-term impact for low - and middle - income countries

Organisations at all levels of government can expect a number of potential impacts including:

• Increased demand for health services, testing the capacity of existing economic and health systems as well as rising citizen demand for crisis response and delivery of health services; existing infrastructure and systems may not be ready for significant delivery; 
• Workforce planning and the need to test the resilience of working virtually (e.g., protection of citizen data, build out of digital infrastructure); longer-term potential as a forcing mechanism for digital infrastructure development; 
• Disrupted sectors looking to government to provide adaptive and dynamic regulatory models; longer-term potential for business and economic systems collapse without targeted and sustained interventions.

Key questions NGOs, IDOs and LMIC governments should be asking.

• What should finance ministries, central banks, NGOs and IDOs do to avoid economic collapse, support businesses and citizens, and ensure a rapid and sustainable recovery?
• How do public health agencies effectively plan and respond to crises while bolstering the capacity of healthcare systems to promote resiliency over time?
• How do we safeguard workers, including surge staffing (e.g., support across health and emergency response functions) and in virtual environments?
• How do we provide critical services to citizens—especially those in vulnerable groups—in the current crisis as well as sustainably prepare for a longer-term period of continued high demand?

Here are a couple of practical steps governments can take, including use of data for real-time decision-making and developing programs that provide rapid benefits

• Implementation of robust crisis management programs including scenario planning oversight of emergency funding, and health and social services program delivery;
• Use of data and analytics to improve situational awareness for real-time decision-making;
• Development of economic programs that provide benefits while preserving employment;
• Foster common data standards and rapid data exchange between district, regional and central agencies operating in the health, emergency and social areas;
• Build capacity for data analysis and interpretation at local level;
• For additional steps that organisations should consider taking visit www.deloitte.com/covid19-resilient-leadership.