Recovery, Renewal, Resilience

During response, individuals and organisations have shown a huge outpouring of support through donations of their time and resources. Now, with people going back to work and assuming their pre-COVID activities, people and organisations may have less time to volunteer to the effort, or there may be less suitable volunteer opportunities available. Instead, people may want to show their solidarity in other ways, including by making financial donations. Consider establishing a relief fund, and publicizing its cause, to give an organised mechanism for people and businesses to show their solidarity. An organised mechanism should give people confidence that their donations will be governed appropriately.

In many countries the voluntary sector is struggling financially as a result of loss of income and increased demand for services. The sector is a critical part of society and provides important services, so funding is being made available. Competition for that funding is high and the process to secure funding is not always straightforward; with application forms and procedures to follow. To support the voluntary sector to secure funding, consider supporting the writing of funding applications. Consider how to:

• Find out from voluntary organisations what they need to be able to make successful bids for funding
• Produce regular newsletters that summarise funding opportunities so voluntary organisations know what funding is available
• Provide help to voluntary organisations to interpret the calls for funding and identify suitability
• Provide information on how to write a successful application (e.g. online resources, training courses)
• Find volunteers who have grant writing skills and embed them in voluntary organisations (e.g. volunteers from the organisation itself, university students, furloughed staff from other organisations)
• Provide samples of good proposals to show the benchmark, support project managers on how to successfully deliver funded projects (e.g. project governance, staffing, delivery, evaluation)

By implementing guidance for safe working practices, organisations can protect workers and others from risks related to COVID-19. This framework offers a systematic approach to enable effective and timely adaptation to the changing situation. Organisations can consider safety practices relating to:

• Working from home e.g. suitability of work space, living with the clinically vulnerable
• Managing suspected or confirmed cases of COVID-19 e.g. promote a culture of transparency and support to reporting and managing suspected and confirmed cases
• Multiple or mobile workplaces e.g. the number and types of workplaces such as offices, factories, warehouses, vehicles, workers' own/other people's homes
• Resource availability e.g. adequate provision of toilet and handwashing facilities
• Reporting to external parties e.g. consultation and participation of workers, worker representatives and trade unions in decisions that affect health, safety and well-being
• Inclusivity and accessibility e.g. ensure issues and anxieties are respected; adapt roles and activities to reduce risks to vulnerable workers
• Psychological health and well-being e.g. take account of unsupervised working hours, isolation, lack of clarity on roles/responsibilities/deadlines
• Use available COVID-19 communication templates, printable signage and reopening toolkits

This may include farming and fishing sectors, tourism, conferences or industries affected by weather conditions i.e. the slowing down of construction in harsh weather. Fluctuations that were traditionally short-term may now have long-term challenges. Preparation should be made to manage change in expenses and revenues beyond the season.

Reference: Emergency Planner, Canada

Canada has considered the following:

• Financial support offered to employees working from home
• Considerations related to parking/mileage reimbursements
• Reporting of taxable benefits and related tax withholding obligations
• Considerations related to temporary relocations

Consider whether to:

• Shift from central command to central orchestration. Consider the questions you should ask to anticipate and plan for the pivot from a response to a recovery-oriented position
• Monitor for signals of the economic rebound and the indicators to be tracked to provide the clearest picture of the rebound timing, and the most likely progression back to a normal economic environment
• Orchestrate and integrate cross-functional and cross enterprise. Recommended actions for companies to take during the turbulent recovery period that will be essential for long-term success
• Prepare for the "new normal". The COVID-19 crisis is likely to accelerate fundamental and structural changes that were inevitable - how can your organisation evolve to meet the challenge of the next unexpected global crisis