Complex Quality Improvement Networks: Government Responses to Covid-19 Modelled as Complex Adaptive System Behaviour

EasyChair Preprint 4178

Abstract

Worldwide government policy response both to and during the COVID-19 crisis has been variable. Proposing a new model for observing complex adaptive system (CAS) behaviour that is populated with publicly available policy response data from the first five months of 2020, this paper examines the application and effectiveness of different approaches employed by some governments. This study finds evidence of CAS characteristics and a consistent system response function suggesting high sensitivity CAS activity amongst nations successfully responding to COVID-19. The CAS sensitivity is evident across diverse physical geographies, population densities and systems of government. Identification of consistent CAS behaviour patterns under extreme circumstances offers a potentially useful tool that can complement epidemiological management when calibrating policy settings.

Keyphrases: COVID-19 policy responses, CQIN, adaptive system, complex adaptive systems, complex quality improvement network, complex system sensitivity

@booklet{EasyChair:4178,
  author    = {William Wilson and Scott McLachlan and Kudakwashe Dube and Nihal Jayamaha},
  title     = {Complex Quality Improvement Networks: Government Responses to Covid-19 Modelled as Complex Adaptive System Behaviour},
  howpublished = {EasyChair Preprint 4178},
  year      = {EasyChair, 2020}}