**This article is co-written by Zachary Spicer, director of research and outreach, Institute of Public Administration of Canada, and Joseph Lyons, Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science at Western University. **

The Covid-19 pandemic left public servants at all levels scrambling to keep their communities safe. As they assessed this unprecedented threat, it became clear that there were implications beyond slowing the spread of the virus.

Public servants needed to immediately address continuity of government — the procedures put in place to allow essential operations to continue in an emergency. But for municipal governments, doing this by gathering elected officials, staff and even the public together in their council chambers ran counter to public health guidance and emergency orders.

Many immediately grasped that technology could allow decision-makers to stay safe while reacting to the evolving public health emergency.

• Want to write for us? Take a look at Apolitical’s guide for contributors

Middlesex County in Ontario, Canada – a large, geographically expansive community of about 70,000 people that surrounds London, Ontario on three sides - was one of the first jurisdictions in the province to get virtual meetings of their elected officials up and running during the Covid-19 pandemic. How they accomplished this provides lessons for other public servants.

It highlights that digital government does not always involve large-scale projects, path-breaking innovations or outside-the-box creativity. Rather, it is often about the important foundational work of ensuring democratic institutions, like councils, can make use of technology to keep the essential work of government going when it is needed the most.

Overcoming legislative hurdles

The challenge of providing virtual council meetings in municipalities in Ontario went beyond finding the right platform and securing the right technology. At the time, municipalities in Ontario were not legally allowed to host virtual council meetings in the same way as in-person council meetings. Members could join virtually, but they could not be counted towards quorum and could not participate in closed-door sessions. This meant that a full meeting of council could not be held virtually.

When the pandemic struck, Middlesex County officials immediately began to lobby the province for a legislative change. Within the existing rules, continuity of government could not be assured. The province responded swiftly, amending necessary municipal acts to allow for virtual council meetings.

Building on digital progress

With legislative approval, Middlesex County had a path to hosting virtual meetings of their council. They still needed a technological solution. Like many workplaces, they chose Zoom. The clerk’s office worked to amend their procedural bylaws and collaborated with the information technology department to prepare procedures for public engagement.

Securing a popular video conferencing platform and determining how to get the public involved may not seem like major milestones during a pandemic. Many organisations needed to make similar decisions. The work that Middlesex County took to reach that point, however, occurred many years earlier.

A strong and consistent focus on digital improvement, however, positions organisations well when opportunities arise or emergencies occur.

Middlesex County has been on a slow, but steady, march towards digitisation for close to a decade. As a large, rural county, municipal decision-makers have long searched for tools to bridge geographical distances in the community. Attending public meetings can be quite hard for residents, some of whom may need to travel over an hour to reach the county municipal buildings. The county had also long searched for ways to improve operational sustainability.

Technology was seen as a solution to a number of these challenges. The county began to procure hardware: investing in tablets, smart phones and laptops, enabling more remote connections. Staff were told to find digital solutions in new and existing processes.

Thanks to this long-standing drive for digitisation, by the time that the pandemic hit, staff already had the tools they needed to work remotely. Council had enough digital literacy and training on their remote devices to carry on the business of government from their homes.

A pandemic policy window?

Decision-makers in Middlesex County also took advantage of the policy window that Covid-19 produced. The county, along with other municipal partners across the province, had long advocated for permission to host fully virtual council meetings. Up to that point, the province had made incremental changes but seemed reluctant to allow fully virtual meetings. There was some reluctance among county councillors as well.

This case highlights a unique tension in local government. These smaller institutions ought to be nimble, but they are often hamstrung by provincial authority and legal and resource constraints. Still municipalities remain an important place where digital products can be tested and implemented in ways in which other governments struggle.

Middlesex County demonstrates a key lesson for public sector leaders: digitisation is an ongoing process. In many cases the work put in today may not pay off immediately. A strong and consistent focus on digital improvement, however, positions organisations well when opportunities arise or emergencies occur.

Likewise, it may take a crisis before a solution to a nagging and persistent problem fully materialises. When opportunity and preparation aligned, Middlesex County found itself at the forefront of virtual council meetings in Ontario and more prepared to provide continuity of government than many of its peers. — Zachary Spicer and Joseph Lyons

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Policy Ready and the Institute of Public Administration of Canada launched a new Digital Government Case Study Series in 2020. This is the first case in the series investigating how digital products helped overcome the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic.

We want to hear what you think about this article. Pitch an article to us or send your comments to hello@apolitical.co

(Picture Credit: Pexels)