Managing COVID-19 in Morocco: The adoption of novel technology tools in assisting expert policy advisors

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic showed that new digital tools played a major role in the design, implementation, and evaluation of policies aimed at containing and defeating the virus. However, relying on digital tools should not undermine the role of experts in the policy process. This paper answers the following question as means of examing the relationship between technology and expertise: To what extent has the introduction of technology-assisted tools complemented and empowered health experts to provide more effective policy advice? By answering this question, the paper investigates the opportunities and challenges of technology-backed sources of ‘policy knowledge’ as ‘advisory assistants’ of conventional expert communities in the policy processes. Drawing on a case study from a developing country, I demonstrate how the introduction of the ‘Wiqaytna’ mobile application in Morocco facilitated reporting of higher risk locations and provided operational feedback for ‘the scientific committee’ enabling them to deliver more efficient and effective actions against COVID-19, despite the underlying technical and ethical problems associated with the use of such tools.

Points for practitioners

• Increasing interest and deployment of technology tools, such as artificial intelligence in the public policy and administration, means that a proper understanding and use of technology assisted tools is crucial for the delivery of smooth and effective public policy.
• The role of human experts remains indispensable in the policy process, but technology assisted tools can be utilised to speed up implementation processes and help give policy feedback.