DECENTRALIZED GOVERNANCE AND LOCAL RESILIENCE: LESSONS FROM MULTI-LEVEL RESPONSE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Abstract

 

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the limitations of centralized crisis management and emphasized the importance of decentralized governance in enhancing community resilience. This paper explores how multi-level governance structures across Southeast Asia—particularly in Indonesia, the Philippines, and Malaysia—shaped local responses to the health, economic, and social dimensions of the pandemic. Using comparative case studies, the paper identifies key factors that enabled effective local responses, including fiscal autonomy, institutional coordination, and community engagement. While decentralization facilitated faster response times and contextualized interventions in some cases, challenges such as overlapping authority, resource inequalities, and weak accountability mechanisms limited performance elsewhere. The findings suggest that resilient governance requires not only devolved authority but also adaptive capacity, inclusive planning, and strong vertical coordination. The paper proposes a framework for strengthening decentralized systems to enhance local resilience during future crises.