COVID-19 and the Need for Dynamic State Capabilities: An International Comparison

Early lessons from countries’ responses to COVID-19 show the importance of investing in a combination of both long-term capacities and dynamic capabilities in the public sector, including the ability to meaningfully interact with other value creators in society such as the private sector and citizen innovators. Drawing on examples from across emerging markets, this paper identifies a number of such capabilities, and argues that they will be critical for governments in the aftermath of the crisis and in rebuilding economies and societies.