Crisis Management in Global Health: Heterarchy as Amplifier or Blocker of Effective Governance?

Abstract

This article is focusing on the development of heterarchical structures in the field of global health. It addresses the question to what extent heterarchical structures promote or inhibit crisis management of epidemic outbreaks. Essentially, heterarchy does both: in the health crises analyzed in this article, both fragmented and cooperative heterarchy are evident. While fragmented heterarchy is characterized by little cooperative interaction between relevant groups of actors and contestation, the second form of heterarchy - cooperative heterarchy - is characterized by collaborative problem-solving. This is based on the governance mode of orchestration, in which the WHO, as the leading actor (orchestrator), directs groups of actors (intermediaries), thereby achieving common goals in the form of crisis management in the interests of all. Orchestration is possible here on the basis of networks that can be activated and a fairly large problem-solving constraint (crisis management).