COVID-19 Crisis Management: Three Lessons County Officials Have Learned on the Front Lines
-
BlogWith over 3,000 counties throughout the U.S., county officials are at the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic.COVID-19 Crisis Management: Three Lessons County Officials Have Learned on the Front Lines
-
Blog
COVID-19 Crisis Management: Three Lessons County Officials Have Learned on the Front Lines
With over 3,000 counties throughout the U.S., county officials are at the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic. In an effort to help local county leaders navigate these uncharted territories, Zencity held an open discussion with county administrators from McHenry County, Ill., Nevada County, Calif., and Ottawa County, Mich., to discuss their personal experiences.
Below are three lessons they shared:
1. Cohesive Cross-Channel Communication is Key
Getting communication processes and plans in order at the onset of the virus proved difficult. With no benchmarks in place or previous messaging best practices mapped out, local government leaders had to jump through hurdles quickly and efficiently.
As new and constantly changing information was publicized by the CDC and the IDPH, Scott Hartman, Deputy County Administrator of McHenry County along with his team, solely focused on residents pressing needs while highlighting locally relevant data. As a result, they were able to form a Joint Information Centre (JIC), which used a multi-agency approach towards messaging. This allowed the county to ensure their residents were getting consistent and reliable information from a wide range of sources. Additionally, as new resident concerns came to light, the county adjusted messaging in real-time. Messaging shifted from public health concerns to highlighting the available tools the county has in place to assist with other needs, such as mental health, unemployment, and local businesses. Using Zencity’s dashboard and alerts, McHenry County was able to pivot quickly as new trends presented themselves.
McHenry County using Zencity data to create informative reports for stakeholders
2. Adaptability Above All Else
COVID-19 demands that county leaders think on their feet and respond as quickly as possible. One major adaptation has come in the form of Census 2020 outreach.
Nevada County’s assistant CEO, Mali Dyck, shared how the county’s initial plan to increase participation was to hold kiosk and pop-up events. With that option no longer available, the county had to adapt quickly. They enlisted the help of partner organizations that provide social services, like food banks, as well as family resource centers to reach out to the community. In a more updated approach, the county began reaching out through social media and other mediums, including, radio, local newspaper, outdoor banners and phone banking.
Meanwhile, Coronavirus hit local economies hard. In an effort to help their local businesses, Nevada County set up the “Nevada County Relief Fund” to support those who did not qualify for state funding. To date, over $400,000 in community grants have been awarded through NCRF. Additionally, the ‘Reopening Advisory Committee’ was created by the county to collect and disseminate best practices for reopening, including template plans and training for working under social distancing measures. The county used Zencity to analyze residents' opinions on various reopening issues. For example, after noticing a spike in conversations in favor of implementing a mask mandate, county leaders reached out to businesses in their jurisdiction requiring all employees to wear masks.
3. From Anecdotal to Ongoing Resident Surveying
Out with the old and in with the new. This new-normal is just that, and local government leaders are stepping up by innovating and laying the groundwork for new crisis management processes.
Alan Vanderberg, the County Administrator from Ottawa County, MI, expressed how his team’s openness to innovation has helped them face the crisis. This county has had its finger on the pulse for years, in fact they began conducting citizen surveys 17 years ago. Now, with Zencity, they are the ultimate innovators, referring to the product as a “24/7” survey, as it enables them to sync up with residents whenever they want; from monitoring residents’ reactions to the county’s COVID-19 efforts to gauging resident feedback on various projects and initiatives led by county leadership such as the Green Route Infrastructure project.
For the full webinar recording, watch here.
To learn how Zencity can help your county navigate any crisis, here.
With over 3,000 counties throughout the U.S., county officials are at the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic.2020-09-21Blog2020-10-14
With over 3,000 counties throughout the U.S., county officials are at the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic. In an effort to help local county leaders navigate these uncharted territories, Zencity held an open discussion with county administrators from McHenry County, Ill., Nevada County, Calif., and Ottawa County, Mich., to discuss their personal experiences.
Below are three lessons they shared:
1. Cohesive Cross-Channel Communication is Key
Getting communication processes and plans in order at the onset of the virus proved difficult. With no benchmarks in place or previous messaging best practices mapped out, local government leaders had to jump through hurdles quickly and efficiently.
As new and constantly changing information was publicized by the CDC and the IDPH, Scott Hartman, Deputy County Administrator of McHenry County along with his team, solely focused on residents pressing needs while highlighting locally relevant data. As a result, they were able to form a Joint Information Centre (JIC), which used a multi-agency approach towards messaging. This allowed the county to ensure their residents were getting consistent and reliable information from a wide range of sources. Additionally, as new resident concerns came to light, the county adjusted messaging in real-time. Messaging shifted from public health concerns to highlighting the available tools the county has in place to assist with other needs, such as mental health, unemployment, and local businesses. Using Zencity’s dashboard and alerts, McHenry County was able to pivot quickly as new trends presented themselves.
McHenry County using Zencity data to create informative reports for stakeholders
2. Adaptability Above All Else
COVID-19 demands that county leaders think on their feet and respond as quickly as possible. One major adaptation has come in the form of Census 2020 outreach.
Nevada County’s assistant CEO, Mali Dyck, shared how the county’s initial plan to increase participation was to hold kiosk and pop-up events. With that option no longer available, the county had to adapt quickly. They enlisted the help of partner organizations that provide social services, like food banks, as well as family resource centers to reach out to the community. In a more updated approach, the county began reaching out through social media and other mediums, including, radio, local newspaper, outdoor banners and phone banking.
Meanwhile, Coronavirus hit local economies hard. In an effort to help their local businesses, Nevada County set up the “Nevada County Relief Fund” to support those who did not qualify for state funding. To date, over $400,000 in community grants have been awarded through NCRF. Additionally, the ‘Reopening Advisory Committee’ was created by the county to collect and disseminate best practices for reopening, including template plans and training for working under social distancing measures. The county used Zencity to analyze residents' opinions on various reopening issues. For example, after noticing a spike in conversations in favor of implementing a mask mandate, county leaders reached out to businesses in their jurisdiction requiring all employees to wear masks.
3. From Anecdotal to Ongoing Resident Surveying
Out with the old and in with the new. This new-normal is just that, and local government leaders are stepping up by innovating and laying the groundwork for new crisis management processes.
Alan Vanderberg, the County Administrator from Ottawa County, MI, expressed how his team’s openness to innovation has helped them face the crisis. This county has had its finger on the pulse for years, in fact they began conducting citizen surveys 17 years ago. Now, with Zencity, they are the ultimate innovators, referring to the product as a “24/7” survey, as it enables them to sync up with residents whenever they want; from monitoring residents’ reactions to the county’s COVID-19 efforts to gauging resident feedback on various projects and initiatives led by county leadership such as the Green Route Infrastructure project.
For the full webinar recording, watch here.
To learn how Zencity can help your county navigate any crisis, here.

About Assaf Frances (Full Bio)
Director of Partnerships and Engagements for Zencity
Assaf is the Director of Partnerships and Engagements at Zencity, where he oversees special research projects and manages the company's relationship with industry, state, and national government organizations. As part of his role, he leads Zencity’s brand and presence at events and conferences.More from Assaf Frances
-
Webinar
US Counties & Emerging Cybersecurity Trends
Sep. 13, 2023 , 1:00 pm – 2:00 pmSeptember 13th, 2023 | 1 P.M. Eastern Time -
Webinar
NACo Cyberattack Simulation: Ransomware
Sep. 11, 2023 – Sep. 15, 2023Presented by the NACo County Tech Xchange and Professional Development Academy -
Series
TechKnow Series: NACo Tech Xchange Overview – Resources and Tools for your CIO Strategy
Sep. 7, 2023 , 1:00 pm – 2:00 pmSeptember 7th, 2023 | 1 P.M. Eastern Time -
Webinar
The Modern Edge for County Government
Sep. 6, 2023 , 1:00 pm – 2:00 pmModernization with Juniper AIOps (artificial intelligence for IT operations) is the industry’s best alternative to a network refresh if user experience, automation, and fiscal efficiency are important to county IT departments. Attend this session to discover how Juniper AIOps addresses these challenges and more: -
Webinar
Understanding Enterprise Service Management
Aug. 31, 2023 , 1:00 pm – 2:00 pmAugust 31st, 2023 | 1 PM Eastern -
Blog
DHS Announces New Funding Round for the State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program
On August 8, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced a new funding round for the State and Local Cyber Grant Program (SLCGP). The SLCGP was established by the State and Local Cybersecurity Improvement Act, which is part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL).
-
Webinar
Responding to Ransomware Attacks
September 26, 2023 , 1:00 pm – 2:00 pmSeptember 26, 2023 | 1 PM Eastern Time09261:00 pm<p><strong>September 26, 2023 | 1 PM Eastern Time </strong><br />
<br /> -
Webinar
How Overloaded County IT Organizations Can Address Traditional and New AI-Generated Cyber Threats
September 28, 2023 , 1:00 pm – 2:00 pmCounty IT organizations are already overloaded dealing with cyber threats that could result in data breaches, loss of system access resulting in the unavailability of critical services, and more. New cyber threats generated by AI or chat add additional complexity on top of everything else.09281:00 pm<p>County IT organizations are already overloaded dealing with cyber threats that could result in data breaches, loss of system access resulting in the unavailability of critical services, and more.
-
Webinar
Transforming Digital Government Experiences
October 5, 2023 , 1:00 pmOctober 5th, 2023 | 1 PM Eastern10051:00 pm<p><strong>October 5th, 2023 | 1 PM Eastern </strong><br />
<br /> -
Series
TechKnow Series: October, November, & December Sessions
October 18, 2023 – December 13, 2023October 18, 2023 | 1 PM Eastern - Charting Your AI Growth: A Practical Guide on the Use of Generative AI - What Are All Those Tools -
Series
TechKnow Series: Charting Your AI Growth: A Practical Guide on the Use of Generative AI - What Are All Those Tools
October 18, 2023 , 1:00 pmOctober 18th, 2023 | 1 PM Eastern10181:00 pm<p><strong>October 18th, 2023 | 1 PM Eastern </strong></p>
-
Webinar
Unlocking Opportunity by Increasing Digital Equity
October 23, 2023 , 1:00 pm – 2:00 pmOctober 23rd, 2023 | 1 PM Eastern10231:00 pm<p><strong>October 23rd, 2023 | 1 PM Eastern </strong></p>
-
Basic page
County Tech Xchange
The NACo County Tech Xchange is an online portal designed to connect county CIOs, IT Directors, CISOs, and other county IT leadership. This portal provides valuable resources in a central location that counties can use to improve their overall technology infrastructure.pagepagepage<table border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="width:100%" summary="call-out transparent">
<tbody>
<tr> -
Basic page
TestIT: How Fast is Your Broadband
NACo has partnered with the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) and the Rural Community Assistance Partnership (RCAP) to develop a mobile app designed to identify areas with low or no connectivity to help ensure adequate funding for broadband infrastructure is provided across the country.pagepagepage<table border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="width:100%" summary="call-out">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td> -
Basic page
Telecommunications & Technology Steering Committee
All matters pertaining to telecommunications and technology policy, including, but not limited to, the county role as a telecommunications regulator, service provider, and consumer, cable services technology and implementation, information technology development and implementation, information technology innovation, e-governance, and geo-spatial data collection and utilization.pagepagepage<p>All matters pertaining to telecommunications and technology policy, including, but not limited to, the county role as a telecommunications regulator, service provider, and consumer, cable services technology and implementation, info
-
Reports & Toolkits
Implementing Infrastructure Investments at the County Level: The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (P.L. 117-58)
As intergovernmental partners, counties play a key role in ensuring the successful interpretation and implementation of the BILReports & Toolkitsdocument100710:00 amReports & Toolkits<table border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="width:100%" summary="call-out transparent jump">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>
Contact
-
Director of Partnerships and Engagements for Zencity
-
Related Posts
-
BlogDHS Announces New Funding Round for the State and Local Cybersecurity Grant ProgramAug. 18, 2023
-
BlogDOJ proposes new rule for nondiscrimination on the basis of disability for state and local web-based servicesAug. 15, 2023
-
County NewsCounties build AI framework to harness its potential, bolster protectionAug. 7, 2023
Related Resources
-
Press ReleaseCounties Applaud Release of Broadband AllocationsJun. 26, 2023
-
Press ReleaseNational Association of Counties Launches Exploratory Committee on Artificial IntelligenceMay. 24, 2023
-
Reports & ToolkitsCybersecurity and Resilient CountiesMay. 22, 2023
Related Events
-
26Sep2023
-
28Sep2023Webinar
How Overloaded County IT Organizations Can Address Traditional and New AI-Generated Cyber Threats
Sep. 28, 2023 , 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm -
5Oct2023
-
18Oct2023
More From
-
Outreach Toolkit for Counties: the FCC’s Affordable Connectivity Program
Through the FCC's Affordable Connectivity Program, counties have a central role in providing all residents with an equal chance to connect to high-speed internet in their homes.
Learn More