Politicians, policy makers and public servants have never faced a situation like this. They immediately need policies that really work. Best practices can serve as an inspiration, a starting point and a proof of concept.
Helping governments to understand and compare policy responses
The government response tracker is designed to help researchers, policymakers and citizens understand whether increasingly strict measures affect the rate of infection, and identify what causes governments to implement stricter or less strict measures.

ID could function as a debit card to receive financial benefits
A government is exploring ways to transfer benefits to citizens without bank accounts.

Bientina Instagram contest
An Italian municipality engages its youth in an Instagram challenge on how to stay positive at home.

Creative solutions to kickstart local tourism
Lithuania’s capital Vilnius turns into a different country every summer weekend to provide residents and tourists with a variety of holiday experiences without leaving the city.

A government’s hackathon to tackle challenges in developing countries
With the #SmartDevelopmentHack, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development aims to support the development of digital solutions to overcome Covid-19-related challenges in developing countries. The best solutions receive funding to increase their impact in the long term.

Take-away library books
A Swedish library organises contactless pick-ups of books outside the library to provide reading material during the lockdowns.

A city’s job platform to create a pool of municipal workers
To be prepared for a shortage of employees in its services due to Covid-19 related sick leave, the City of Uppsala set up its own job platform.
A platform for businesses to collaborate against Covid-19
A platform connects businesses providing solutions for Covid-19 with those who need help.

Virtual town hall meetings
The Mayor of Oakland is holding virtual town hall meetings to answer questions and to inform residents about the Covid-19 situation.

Pop-up bike lanes help with physical distancing
To ensure that people follow social distancing rules, a district in Berlin temporarily widenes cycle lanes.

Press conference only for children
The Norwegian Prime Minister answered children’s question in a unique press conference.

Risk-mitigating measures for public transport
How to ensure that the local traffic infrastructure can continue its services, while at the same time protecting its staff and passengers from infection.