Are governments applying a risk assessment methodology to deal with the pandemic?

The way that different governments are facing the health and economic crisis caused by the impact of Covid-19 looks to respond to a fortuitous actions and immediate and urgent decisions based on a short term measures taken by other countries more than a meditated and detailed risk assessment.

The risk assessment methodology largely developed by different Leading Practices producers across the world (that has in COSO-Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission- its best sponsor) and that has been implemented in the main high level enterprises is a key point that public sector and governments have not approached or seems not be considered or well deployed at all nowdays. 

Although the pandemic has shown weaknesses in the risk assessment performed by companies, as the pandemic itself was not considered at all in risk maps (and in cases that existed, the probability and impact was considered low enough not to be addressed) and then need a deep review (analyzing thoroughly the impact consequences and putting in place cost effective measures and controls), the methodology allows to establish an ordered and systematic way of analysis which enables to identify every risk and the underlying activities that can lead to the materialization of such risk, helping in the definition of measures and controls to mitigate it. 

The actual situation is not easy to deal with, overall in occidental countries where pandemics are not common and now a virus is threatening our way of living, habits and feeling of impunity and security. Analyzing how the population is responding to different measures and the result of them in countries from APAC to Europe shows important differences based on cultural values, commitment and education. 

All this information should be considered by every country (at government level) as a key asset to fight against COVID 19, using them carefully to perform a comprehensive risk analysis identifying the gaps through which virus can be transmitted in the day to day activities.  

All countries are applying similar measures, but we have to realized that those put in place in Singapur, for example, maybe could not have the same result in an occidental country (as it is happening). Now in Singapur there are not problems at school, all citizens are following the rules and little cases are controlled. In Europe as there have been many breaches in the use of masks and in keeping social distancing specially in groups of young adults, we can expect to have many cases when schools begin with the important impact in our kids education and professionals evolution. Have any of the occidental countries considered the long term risk of this problem at educational level? Are they thinking in the medium to long term?  

Measures should be defined to reach a sustainable economy, education and social balanced in the medium to long term and it looks like aids promised by government are aimed at covering actual losses and not to boost and recover the activity or to promote the change in business models. 

The risk assessment methodology should be implemented or at least analyzed at all levels in the government decisions and is a tool that could help defining well supported strategy to look for solutions and measures to recover appropriately from pandemic.