Public Health Leadership in a VUCA World Environment: Lessons Learned during the Regional Emergency Rollout of SARS-CoV-2 Vaccinations in Heidelberg, Germany, during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Christoph Schulze,
Andreas Welker,
Anne Kühn,
Rainer Schwertz,
Benjamin Otto,
Laura Moraldo,
Udo Dentz,
Albertus Arends,
Eckhard Welk,
Jean-Jacques Wendorff,
Hans Koller,
Doreen Kuss,
Markus Ries
Affiliations
Christoph Schulze
Public Health Service Rhein-Neckar District and Heidelberg, 69115 Heidelberg, Germany
Andreas Welker
Public Health Service Rhein-Neckar District and Heidelberg, 69115 Heidelberg, Germany
Anne Kühn
Public Health Service Rhein-Neckar District and Heidelberg, 69115 Heidelberg, Germany
Rainer Schwertz
Public Health Service Rhein-Neckar District and Heidelberg, 69115 Heidelberg, Germany
Benjamin Otto
Public Health Service Rhein-Neckar District and Heidelberg, 69115 Heidelberg, Germany
Laura Moraldo
Public Health Service Rhein-Neckar District and Heidelberg, 69115 Heidelberg, Germany
Udo Dentz
Fire and Disaster Management Agency Rhein-Neckar District, 68526 Ladenburg, Germany
Albertus Arends
Medical Faculty, University of Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
Eckhard Welk
CIMIC District Liaison Commands Heidelberg and Rhein-Neckar, 3rd Medical Regiment, German Federal Armed Forces, 89160 Dornstadt, Germany
Jean-Jacques Wendorff
CIMIC District Liaison Command Heidelberg, German Federal Armed Forces, 70374 Stuttgart, Germany
Hans Koller
Institute of Technology and Innovation Management, Helmut-Schmidt-University, University of the German Federal Armed Forces Hamburg, 22043 Hamburg, Germany
Doreen Kuss
Public Health Service Rhein-Neckar District and Heidelberg, 69115 Heidelberg, Germany
Markus Ries
CIMIC District Liaison Commands Heidelberg and Rhein-Neckar, 3rd Medical Regiment, German Federal Armed Forces, 89160 Dornstadt, Germany
The purpose of this work is to share methods used and lessons learned during a comprehensive inter-institutional pandemic disaster response in Heidelberg, Germany, conveying experiences of the regional SARS-CoV-2 vaccination rollout campaign for up to 1,000,000 vaccines in the year 2020. In this volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) environment, the following five strategic elements were pertinent for institutional arrangements so that specific contributions of the various project partners would be available fast without the necessity of extensive negotiations or information exchange: (1) robust mandate, (2) use of established networks, (3) fast onboarding and securing of commitment of project partners, (4) informed planning of supply capacity, and (5) securing the availability of critical items. Planning tools included analyses through a VUCA lens, analyses of stakeholders and their management, possible failures, and management of main risks including mitigation strategies. The method of the present analysis (VUCA factors combined with analyses of possible failures, and management of stakeholders and risks) can theoretically be adjusted to any public health care emergency anywhere across the globe. Lessons learned include ten tactical leadership priorities and ten major pitfalls.