---
id: "coronavirus-smarter-crowdsourcing:recommendations/interjurisdictional-coordination"
type: "GovLab policy recommendation"
title: "Interjurisdictional Coordination"
url: "https://coronavirus.smartercrowdsourcing.org/recommendations/interjurisdictional-coordination"
summary: "Governments should increase vertical and horizontal interjurisdictional coordination by (1) incentivizing the use of interoperable or the same contact tracing platform and data collection process and (2) creating opportunities for knowledge sharing."
source: "The GovLab (coronavirus.smartercrowdsourcing.org)"
licence: "Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)"
---

# Interjurisdictional Coordination

Governments should increase vertical and horizontal interjurisdictional coordination by (1) incentivizing the use of interoperable or the same contact tracing platform and data collection process and (2) creating opportunities for knowledge sharing.

- Part of: [Smarter Crowdsourcing in the Age of Coronavirus](https://coronavirus.smartercrowdsourcing.org/), [all recommendations](https://coronavirus.smartercrowdsourcing.org/recommendations)

## Strategy 1

Collaborate with private and public-sector actors that have large membership across jurisdictions. Governments should actively seek partnerships with businesses and organizations (e.g. unions) that have large numbers of employees or members based in various regions/states within the country. These businesses and organizations may be able to support interjurisdictional coordination.

- Timeframe: 1-3 Months (immediate)
- Audience: Private Sector, Academia, Healthcare Providers, Government Workers, Organized Civil Society, Nonprofits
- Type: Partnerships
- Strategy page: https://coronavirus.smartercrowdsourcing.org/strategies/collaborate-with-private-and-public-sector-actors-

### Actions governments should take (strategy 1)

1. Develop criterion for inclusion in the group of large businesses and organizations (e.g. number of employees - over 100K - disaggregated by location and geographic spread)
2. Develop strict participation criteria, outlining privacy expectations and other security and ethics concerns.
3. Enlist and train representatives from these organizations and businesses as contact tracers who can report into the existing contact tracing platforms, but who will work specifically with their affiliate organization or business and its employees or members.

### Examples from around the world (strategy 1)

1. [Through a presidential COVID-19 task force, the states of Abuja, Kano and Lagos adopted a comprehensive multisectoral approach to coordinate actions to combat the spread of COVID-19.](https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/332039/WHO-2019-nCoV-Urban_preparedness-2020.1-spa.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y)

## Strategy 2

Use executive orders or other regulatory or legislative authorities to incentivize centralized platforms for contact tracing. Governments,ideally at the federal level,should mandate a single platform for contact tracing. If it is not possible at the federal level,governors of states/regions should mandate the use of a single platform within their jurisdiction.

- Timeframe: 1-3 Months (immediate)
- Audience: Private Sector, Healthcare Providers, Government Workers
- Type: Policy/Legislative/Regulatory, Data, Technology/Innovation, Partnerships
- Strategy page: https://coronavirus.smartercrowdsourcing.org/strategies/use-executive-orders-or-other-regulatory-or-legisl

### Actions governments should take (strategy 2)

1. Make the service free to all jurisdictions that adopt the centralized platform.
2. Ensure adequate training resources are available for onboarding all participating jurisdictions.
3. Where possible, ensure interoperability with existing communicable and reportable disease databases.

### Examples from around the world (strategy 2)

1. [ASTHO](https://www.astho.org/default.aspx) is the national nonprofit organization representing public health agencies in the United States, the U.S. Territories, and the District of Columbia, and over 100,000 public health professionals these agencies employ. ASTHO offers various [opportunities for formal engagement and coordination](https://www.astho.org/COVID-19/Contact-Tracing-and-Disease-Intervention/) between jurisdictions (specifically states and US territories). These include, but are not limited to: (1) bi-weekly phone calls where state health officials have the opportunity to share best practices and challenges as well as learn from other invited experts from universities or federal agencies; (2) [training opportunities](https://www.astho.org/COVID-19/Making-Contact-Tracer-Training/) where states can all use a coordinated curriculum, thus increasing standard operating procedures and processes; (3) [advocating for legislation](https://www.astho.org/COVID-19/State-and-Territorial-Contact-Tracing-Legislation/) and regulations that enable coordination; and (4) writing [white papers](https://www.astho.org/ASTHOReports/COVID-19-Case-Investigation-and-Contact-Tracing-Considerations-for-Using-Digital-Technologies/07-16-20/) and [issue briefs](https://www.astho.org/COVID-19/A-National-Approach-for-Contact-Tracing/) that are shared with [policy makers in federal](https://www.centerforhealthsecurity.org/our-work/pubs_archive/pubs-pdfs/2020/200410-national-plan-to-contact-tracing.pdf) and state governments.

## Strategy 3

Use legislative or regulatory mechanisms or executive orders to enable data sharing across jurisdictions. Governments should reduce the regulatory burdens that hinder or inhibit data sharing between jurisdictions.

- Timeframe: 1-3 Months (immediate)
- Audience: Government Workers
- Type: Policy/Legislative/Regulatory, Data, Partnerships
- Strategy page: https://coronavirus.smartercrowdsourcing.org/strategies/use-legislative-or-regulatory-mechanisms-or-execut

### Actions governments should take (strategy 3)

1. Conduct an analysis of existing regulatory and legislative mechanisms that may hinder or inhibit data sharing between jurisdictions.
2. Issue temporary waivers to enable data sharing agreements while working toward a more durable and long term regulatory and legislative solution.
3. Advocate for and develop new or replacement legislation and regulations that enable data sharing between jurisdictions.

### Examples from around the world (strategy 3)

1. [States of the European Union have agreed on common specifications and data sharing protocol to ensure that contact tracing apps from different countries can communicate. This ensures that as people travel within the Schengen area, the contact tracing app they use will communicate with others.](https://ec.europa.eu/health/sites/health/files/ehealth/docs/modelling_mobilitydata_en.pdf)

## Strategy 4

Use legislative or regulatory mechanisms or executive orders to enable agencies to share existing databases. Governments should capitalize on existing databases or registers maintained by specific government agencies (such as social security,post service,or census data) to bolster contact tracing efforts.

- Timeframe: 1-3 Months (immediate)
- Audience: Healthcare Providers, Government Workers
- Type: Policy/Legislative/Regulatory, Data, Technology/Innovation, Partnerships
- Strategy page: https://coronavirus.smartercrowdsourcing.org/strategies/use-legislative-or-regulatory-mechanisms-or-execut

### Actions governments should take (strategy 4)

1. Identify key databases that maintain demographic information, including address, phone numbers, and emails of individuals within a given jurisdiction.
2. Consider risks associated with using these data for contact tracing purposes.
3. Issue temporary waivers for specific legislation or regulations that inhibit the secure sharing of these data for contact tracing purposes.
4. Develop and adopt legislation and regulations that provide a durable legal and regulatory framework surrounding the secure sharing of data for contact tracing purposes.
5. Integrate these databases into the contact tracing platform to increase ability for contact tracers to reach individuals confirmed as COVID-19 positive or identified as contacts of COVID-19 positive cases.

## Strategy 5

Move towards a centralized communicable and reportable disease database and contact tracing capability. Governments should begin to invest in a federally centralized communicable and reportable disease database that will include contact tracing capabilities.

- Timeframe: 6-12 Months (long)
- Audience: Private Sector, Academia, Healthcare Providers, Government Workers
- Type: Research, Data, Technology/Innovation, Communications, Partnerships, Capacity Building
- Strategy page: https://coronavirus.smartercrowdsourcing.org/strategies/move-towards-a-centralized-communicable-and-report

### Actions governments should take (strategy 5)

1. Identify an organization that should be the administrator of this service, ideally a nationally established center for disease control and prevention (e.g. [US CDC](https://www.cdc.gov/), [Korean CDC](https://www.cdc.go.kr/cdc_eng/), National Institutes of Public Health etc.)
2. Survey existing state or regional databases for opportunities to integrate and merge records.
3. Conduct extensive research to identify and procure the optimal contact tracing platform that can be offered to all jurisdictions within the country.
4. [Develop training program for database and contact tracing platform with options to localize training modules. (see localization)](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZZEMqf6j1caIcjxHFZLkxxc5p_ECRB_Va6s2zOxWaG4/edit#heading=h.a3f6xk3b5o32)

### Examples from around the world (strategy 5)

1. [States of the European Union have agreed on common specifications and data sharing protocol to ensure that contact tracing apps from different countries can communicate. This ensures that as people travel within the Schengen area, the contact tracing app they use will communicate with others.](https://ec.europa.eu/health/sites/health/files/ehealth/docs/modelling_mobilitydata_en.pdf)

## Strategy 6

Offer informal peer learning opportunities. Governments or representative associations should coordinate informal forums or opportunities for individuals designing,implementing,and managing contact tracing programs to share ideas,challenges and best practices. These opportunities should be extended to include researchers,epidemiologists,or non-governmental actors with contact tracking experience.

- Timeframe: 1-3 Months (immediate)
- Audience: Private Sector, Academia, Government Workers
- Type: Partnerships, Capacity Building
- Strategy page: https://coronavirus.smartercrowdsourcing.org/strategies/offer-informal-peer-learning-opportunities.-govern

### Actions governments should take (strategy 6)

1. Develop a database with personal contact information of individuals designing, implementing, and managing contact tracing programs.
2. Create an email listserv where individuals designing, implementing, and managing contact tracing programs can crowdsource questions to the group.
3. Create an online community or social media platform like a reddit thread or facebook group where individuals designing, implementing, and managing contact tracing programs can crowdsource questions and ideas.

### Examples from around the world (strategy 6)

1. individuals appointed to lead contact tracing programs in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Pennsylvania have capitalized on informal networks and communications to improve interjurisdictional coordination. These informal communications and engagements were established through professional contacts and professional networking opportunities. One individual interviewed indicated that he was able to foster a connection between his jurisdiction and a neighboring jurisdiction because he had worked with his counterpart in a previous role. The benefits of informal networks, compared to formal networks, is that individuals were liberated to be more candid and open about experiences, successes and the challenges they faced. They were also able to strategize about the optimal ways to coordinate efforts without the restrictive environment of formal communications, meetings, or memorandums of understanding or agreements. The downside of the openness and informality of these communications is that they lacked the authority of official communications; on the other hand they influenced more formal agreements and arrangements that have made the region one of the most successful in terms of a coordinated approach to contact tracing.

## Strategy 7

Offer formal peer learning opportunities. governments or representative associations should coordinate formal and structured forums or opportunities for those designing,implementing,and managing contact tracing programs to share ideas,challenges and best practices.

- Timeframe: 1-3 Months (immediate)
- Audience: Private Sector, Academia, Government Workers
- Type: Research, Policy/Legislative/Regulatory, Data, Technology/Innovation, Partnerships, Capacity Building
- Strategy page: https://coronavirus.smartercrowdsourcing.org/strategies/offer-formal-peer-learning-opportunities.-governme

### Actions governments should take (strategy 7)

1. Hold regular weekly or biweekly with individuals designing, implementing, and managing contact tracing programs.
2. Ensure meetings have a set agenda where specific topics are addressed and individual members have the opportunity to share best practices or challenges.
3. Task this group with developing recommendations and guidelines.
4. Share external resources and guidance with this network.

## Strategy 8

Create regional partnerships and coordinating bodies. Governments or representative associations should establish formal and informal groups and coordinating bodies based on regional or geographic similarities,such as transportation corridors or shared geographic borders.

- Timeframe: 3-6 Months (medium)
- Audience: Government Workers
- Type: Policy/Legislative/Regulatory, Partnerships, Capacity Building
- Strategy page: https://coronavirus.smartercrowdsourcing.org/strategies/create-regional-partnerships-and-coordinating-bodi

### Actions governments should take (strategy 8)

1. Define regions based on geographic or regional factors.
2. Attempt to match regions with existing regional structures used in government functions such as administrative regions, public health regions, or disaster response regions.
3. Institute informal and formal opportunities for engagement as described in the recommendations above.

### Examples from around the world (strategy 8)

1. [States of the European Union have agreed on common specifications and data sharing protocol to ensure that contact tracing apps from different countries can communicate. This ensures that as people travel within the Schengen area, the contact tracing app they use will communicate with others.](https://ec.europa.eu/health/sites/health/files/ehealth/docs/modelling_mobilitydata_en.pdf)