Developing community resilience in the face of COVID-19: case study from the Estrie region, Canada

The COVID-19 pandemic undeniably impacted population health and several aspects of community organization, including service delivery and social cohesion. Intersectoral collaboration and equity, two key dimensions of community resilience, proved central to an effective and equitable response to the pandemic. Yet the factors that enabled or constrained communities' capacity to enact intersectoral collaboration and equity-focused action in such times of urgency and uncertainty remain poorly understood. This descriptive qualitative study aimed to (1) describe the processes through which intersectoral collaboration and equity-focused action were deployed during the first wave of COVID-19 and (2) identify factors enabling and constraining these processes. We conducted semi-directed interviews with 35 representatives of the governmental, institutional, and public and third sectors from four municipal regional counties of the Estrie region (Québec, Canada). We coded detailed interview notes following a codebook thematic analysis approach. We identified three processes through which intersectoral collaboration and equity-focused action were deployed: (1) networking; (2) adaptation, creation and innovation; and (3) human-centred action. Examples of levers which supported the deployment of these processes included capitalizing on pre-existing networks, adapting practices and services, and investing in solidarity and mutual aid. The influencing factors we describe represent concrete targets for resilience-building action. Although focused on the COVID-19 pandemic, our findings are relevant to other types of health, social, environmental or economic crises, and may guide health promotion and community development practitioners towards more effective community resilience-building responses.