Crisis Response Framework and Public Policy Response

DOI10.1177/00195561211032962
Date01 September 2021
Published date01 September 2021
Subject MatterArticles
Crisis Response
Framework and Public
Policy Response
Shyamli Singh1
Abstract
Covid-19 brought an unprecedented and challenging time all over the globe.
With the unpreparedness and lack of awareness regarding the global pandemic,
it soon became an international concern. From loss of lives to loss of livelihood,
the pandemic had a huge impact on global citizens and various nation-states.
Unlike any other crisis, Covid-19 too pushed the government and its people
to restructure and reform their framework, especially in the face of such an
unprecedentedly adverse situation. This article highlights the need of a crisis
response framework and formulation of agile public policy during such a global
catastrophe. Taking the novel coronavirus as the epicentre demanding a rapid
response formulation of Government of India, the article delineates upon stra-
tegic intervention of the government towards Covid-19 and the need of a crisis
response framework for the future.
Keywords
Covid-19, global pandemic, crisis response framework, public policy
Introduction
The universe has witnessed a wide ranging series of events, from its creation in an
instant with a minute point of energy—the Big Bang—to its expansion and emer-
gence of new galaxies. Similar events have led to the creation of living beings and
spaces that too are said to emerge from some form of unexpected event. These
disasters have reportedly been the turning points in mankind’s history. For
instance, the mass extinction of dinosaurs is said to be one among the mass extinc-
tions on the planet Earth. We are surrounded by emergence and extinction, which
Article
Indian Journal of Public
Administration
67(3) 396–412, 2021
© 2021 IIPA
Reprints and permissions:
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DOI: 10.1177/00195561211032962
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1 Centre for Environment and Climate Change, Indian Institute of Public Administration, New Delhi,
India.
Corresponding author:
Shyamli Singh, Assistant Professor, Centre for Environment and Climate Change, Indian Institute of
Public Administration, New Delhi 110002, India.
E-mail: shyamli.env@gmail.com
Singh 397
is a continuous phase witnessed on the planet Earth. The mass extinction event
that ended the lives of dinosaurs on Earth is linked with a comet, asteroid or
meteor impact. The impact, therefore, could be regarded as a form of crisis, and
their extinction can be seen as a turning point to the emergence of new life forms
on the Earth. Crisis is nothing but a situation or a phase that requires immediate
attention to the changing times in order for one to survive (Koselleck & Richter,
2006). These crises are borne out of certain disastrous events which lay a heavy
negative impact on life forms. In the current century, a crisis can take any form. It
could be related to health, finance, agriculture, education and nature, all of which
have a direct or an indirect impact on human life.
The world in the 21st century is hard-hit by a pandemic, resulting in millions
of cases and deaths subsequently. The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic has, therefore
presented itself as a form of a crisis of unprecedented proportions. It is defined
as an illness caused by a novel coronavirus, now called severe acute respiratory
syndrome coronavirus. The first case to be identified was in Wuhan City, Hubei
Province, China (WHO, 2020a). Wuhan, an emerging business hub experienced
an outbreak that resulted in more than 1,8000 deaths and infected over 70,000
individuals within the first 50 days of the epidemic. It was initially reported to
the WHO on 31 December 2019. On 30 January 2020, the WHO declared the
Covid-19 outbreak a global health emergency (Gallegos, 2020). On 11 March
2020, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared Covid-19 a global pan-
demic, its first such designation since declaring H1N1 influenza a pandemic in
2009 (WHO, 2020a).
As a health crisis, Covid-19 has not just impacted the society in terms of physi-
cal health but has also churned up the normal functioning of the human order.
Today, coronavirus has given rise to a new world order of being ‘masked and
virtual’. Where human touch and gatherings were a norm, it has now become
an area of concern and something from which one would deviate. Covid-19 has
also aggravated various other forms of crisis, such as financial, livelihood, trans-
portation, food, education and mental health. The Covid-19 virus spread like a
pandemic across nation states impacting and resulting in more than 60 million
cases and one million deaths as on 1 November 2020. It had a huge impact on
the well-being of the society, so much so that it brought the functioning of the
world to a halt. One of the sectors greatly affected by Covid-19 was the economic
sector. The pandemic has brought most countries into recession in 2020 and has
projected to shrink advanced economies by up to 7% at least. As a result, it has
widely impacted the social walks of life too—lack of employment opportunities,
job losses and shutting down of organisations. It has made people bereft of their
sources of income, pushing them towards poverty, further affecting their life and
mental health.
In order to survive the crisis, and minimize the bruising it caused, a responsive
structure or something to be called as the ‘Crisis Response Framework’ is found
to be quintessential. The idea of a ‘Crisis Response Framework’ arises from the
need to self-sustain during these emergent situations and to provide a way forward
in minimising the impact by taking along every opportunity that comes in the way
(Coombs, 1998). Implementation of a crisis framework or a structure during an
emergent situation ensures a unique functioning of the organisation. A healthy and

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