Govt to set up ‘after-action review’ on how it managed Covid-19 when situation stabilises: SM Teo

SINGAPORE — The Government will undertake an after-action review (AAR) on how it handled the Covid-19 pandemic.

Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean said in Parliament on Monday (July 5) that such a review is more appropriate than setting up a Commission of Inquiry (COI), which was suggested by Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh.

However, given that the authorities still “remain in the thick of battle” with resources being stretched, Mr Teo said that a full AAR will have to wait until the ”situation has stabilised, and we are out of the woods”.

He was responding to Mr Singh’s parliamentary question on whether the Government would set up a COI.

“The purpose of the after-action review is for us to learn valuable lessons, to improve our response for future pandemics,” Mr Teo said.

He added that the Government wants participants in the AAR to be reflective and candid on their experience and decisions, and also to acknowledge shortcomings of the Government’s response, and where it could and should have done better.

“The structure of the AAR must fit this purpose. A commission of inquiry, which is a quasi- judicial investigative tribunal, is not the most appropriate way to achieve this objective,” he said.

However, Mr Teo said that the Government has not decided on the shape and form of the AAR when Mr Singh pressed for more details of how the AAR will be carried out.

“But we certainly want to learn all the lessons that we have, including those which can be submitted by members of the public, who have views, and informed views particularly,” he said.

Mr Teo said a COI is best suited to investigate a singular event that occurred in a specific moment, such as the collapse of a building or a major accident, but not for a situation that is ongoing and evolving.

He added that authorities have already learned many lessons throughout the past 1.5 years managing the Covid-19 pandemic, and have adjusted their approach along the way.

“So we want to make sure that when we reach the new normal, this process is properly documented so that we are ready for the next round, just as we didn't have a COI for Sars (severe acute respiratory syndrome), but we learned many valuable lessons from it, which allowed us to be better prepared for Covid,” said Mr Teo.

Mr Singh said he will be waiting for the Government to release details on whether the AAR will be as broad-ranging as a COI could potentially be.

Given that a COI is usually designed to be very specific, Mr Teo said that an AAR would probably cover a broader range of issues.