Let’s get prepared and start designing the post-pandemic world

It’s time to ask questions that were unthinkable in the past, writes James Ayliffe

THERE is no doubt that the Tasmanian Government is doing a sterling job managing the response to C OVID -19 and Mr Gut we in should be congratulated on his resolve.

At the risk of teaching grandma to suck eggs, it is hoped that someone has recorded, and analysed lessons learn ta san essential component of the state’ s recovery plan. Admittedly, the emergency response is still a going concern but human nature is such that unless lessons are captured as they come to light, they will be overlooked or worse, filed away as part of a post-activity report that tick sat o-do box.

Any disaster recovery plan should make provision for a separate team that is looking to the future, unimpeded by what is going on around them.

This Lessons Learnt Team should be planning for transitioning to a new normal, as opposed to what industry generally refers to as business as usual. Otherwise, any recovery plan will simply be a good ideas fest.

Many federal and state government initiatives to reduce the social and financial impact on the community have been quite stunning in a positive way. The sheer size of the private and commercial rescue packages has shown the commitment all governments have made to keep our economy and social well being reasonably stable.

As a popular advertisement says, we a real lin this together. In a per verse sort of way, this crisis provides the opportunity to ask the sort of questions that might have been unthinkable in times past.

There should be no constraint on the Lessons Learnt Team in their identification of aspects of government, commerce, industry, arts and education that need improving, repairing or maintaining.

Likewise, there is no reason

private households, individuals and businesses should not be asking the same questions government will be asking as part of their development of the Disaster Recovery Plan.

For example: What can we do better? What should we rectify or stop doing? What should we keep doing?

These questions might apply to the way we work, the way were late to others less fortunate, the way we manage public or private resources, or indeed, the way we provide for the next major out age. The answers to these questions will help us understand national and state priorities in a globalising world.

COVID-19 may surpass the economic damage of any disaster in our history, but the challenge of an orderly recovery could be lessened by early academic analysis of the lessons that fall out of this current response phase.

It might make sense to establish a permanent bi partisan Pandemic Committee to continually monitor response readiness.

COVID-19 is taking its toll on people’ s mind sand bodies but it’ s also giving us time to think about how we have been doing what we have been doing.

To this extent therefore, the proposed State Recovery Committee must understand the lessons that have come to the surface over the past few months and build them into there covery plan.

This is the way to demonstrate to the public that all market segments have been catered for as we enter the new normal.

Tasmania n James Ay li ffe is a risk management consultant and a former merchant banker.