Governing uncertainty by anticipating risk: assessing crisis management during COVID-19

Abstract

This chapter takes stock of anticipatory practices in the context of governmental responses to unanticipated crisis situations, using the COVID-19 pandemic as a case study. It pays particular attention to the role of public decision-making within the context of anticipatory governance. Practices are connected to policy instruments and ultimately to an understanding of the role of the state as well as to fundamental assumptions about how state agencies (at multiple levels) ought to respond to emerging crises. Empirically, we base our analysis on 42 semi-structured interviews with key actors in the Finnish central administration working with government responses to COVID-19. The results show the centrality of bounded rationality in handling risks in data management, problem-solving, and decision-making. The findings offer key insights into the causes, processes, and consequences of crisis management within government in the context of complex and evolving governance systems during periods of turbulence.