Late last month, Governor Chris Sununu released the State of New Hampshire COVID-19 After-Action Report. The Report, written by a third-party consulting team, analyzes the State of New Hampshire’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and “response outcomes, strengths, areas for improvement, and recommendations.” In addition to document analysis and surveys, interviews were conducted with state employees, members of state leadership, and external partners.

The report finds that “New Hampshire repeatedly demonstrated strong leadership and sound judgment when coordinating resources, implementing policies, and communicating with the public” (5).

“In ranking after ranking, New Hampshire’s approach was heralded for our groundbreaking vaccine and testing distribution, reopening guidelines that put stakeholders in the driver’s seat, supporting our small businesses, and getting kids back in the classroom,” said Governor Chris Sununu. “New Hampshire’s success is not because of government, it’s because of countless individuals across the community who came together in our response and recovery. To every Granite Stater, I say thank you.”

82% of those surveyed as part of the report agreed that “New Hampshire provided timely, accurate, and coordinated communications about COVID-19 to statewide partners” (27). From the Governor’s State of Emergency declaration on March 16, 2020, through June 17, 2021, 111 press conferences were held by the Governor and senior members of state leadership. 250+ press releases were issued along with 4,000+ social media posts related to COVID-19 from the Department of Health and Human Services alone. The state’s COVID-19 call center took 211,325,513 calls.

In addition to examining the State of New Hampshire’s response to the crisis at hand, the report also analyzes the state’s recovery and finds, “The Governor’s Office for Emergency Relief and Recovery (GOFERR)’s effectiveness in coordinating and efficiency in distributing federal funding contributed to New Hampshire’s COVID-19 economic recovery” (32).

Report Highlights:

• “From the outset, New Hampshire leadership recognized the potential impact of a pandemic and anticipated the possible repercussions…throughout the response, the State of New Hampshire dedicated substantial effort and resources to combat the pandemic” (2).
• “Throughout the pandemic, New Hampshire demonstrated leadership, forethought, and consistency to support the 1.4 million residents of the state. Its leaders swiftly adapted to the evolving situation, positioning the state well for stronger collaborative efforts moving forward” (6).
• “Strong crisis leadership contributed positively toward New Hampshire’s pandemic response” (22).
• “New Hampshire prioritized consistent, transparent, and timely communications” (27).
• “New Hampshire orchestrated state-led vaccination clinics on a scope and scale never seen before” (35).

Recommendations: 

In addition to highlighting New Hampshire’s successful response to and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, the report makes recommendations to further improve the state’s effectiveness and efficiency in handling emergency crises. State departments and agencies have begun reviewing those recommendations for potential future implementation.