Abstract
PURPOSE:
Using Dean’s (2010) analytics of government, this research explores how regimes of governing practices are linked to the underlying policy rationalities in dealing with the UK government’s COVID-19 testing policies as a strategy for governing at a distance, including how targets were set and operationalized.
DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH:
This paper draws on the UK government’s policy documents, other official publications (plans) and parliamentary discourse, together with publicly-available media information related to its COVID-19 policies.
FINDINGS:
This research reveals that, with respect to the governance of COVID-19 in the UK, testing has the dual role of inscription for the government’s performance and classification for the pandemic risks. The analysis illustrates that the central role of testing is as a technology for classification for identifying and monitoring the virus-related risks. Moreover, our discourse analysis suggests that initially COVID-19 testing was used by the UK government more for performance communication, with the classificatory role of testing and its performativity as a strategic device evolving and only being acknowledged by government gradually as the underlying infrastructure was developed.
RESEARCH LIMITATIONS/IMPLICATIONS:
This paper is based upon publicly-available reports and other information of a single country’s attempts to control COVID-19 over a relatively short period of time.
ORIGINALITY:
This paper provides a critical understanding of the role of (accounting) numbers in developing an effective government policy for governing COVID-19.
Using Dean’s (2010) analytics of government, this research explores how regimes of governing practices are linked to the underlying policy rationalities in dealing with the UK government’s COVID-19 testing policies as a strategy for governing at a distance, including how targets were set and operationalized.
DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH:
This paper draws on the UK government’s policy documents, other official publications (plans) and parliamentary discourse, together with publicly-available media information related to its COVID-19 policies.
FINDINGS:
This research reveals that, with respect to the governance of COVID-19 in the UK, testing has the dual role of inscription for the government’s performance and classification for the pandemic risks. The analysis illustrates that the central role of testing is as a technology for classification for identifying and monitoring the virus-related risks. Moreover, our discourse analysis suggests that initially COVID-19 testing was used by the UK government more for performance communication, with the classificatory role of testing and its performativity as a strategic device evolving and only being acknowledged by government gradually as the underlying infrastructure was developed.
RESEARCH LIMITATIONS/IMPLICATIONS:
This paper is based upon publicly-available reports and other information of a single country’s attempts to control COVID-19 over a relatively short period of time.
ORIGINALITY:
This paper provides a critical understanding of the role of (accounting) numbers in developing an effective government policy for governing COVID-19.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Number of pages | 17 |
| Journal | Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Accepted - 02 Feb 2021 |