This brief provides guidance on strengthening the ability of central government agencies – Presidents and Prime Ministers’ Offices, Cabinet Secretariats and special coordinating units – to manage and mitigate the impacts of the Covid-19 crisis sweeping the globe. It highlights the critical need for informed central government decision-making and outlines some areas of possible international support.

Effective coordination and leadership by the centre of government are critical to the success of national responses and eventual recovery for a number of reasons, which the paper goes into more detail in.