Good Government

The National Budget Monitoring Project

What is the process of decision-making in social-economic and budgetary issues in Israel? Do civil society organizations, researchers, and even elected officials, have sufficient tools in order to examine the effectiveness and quality of government decisions and actions? Can the affect of policies on various social groups be ascertained? Regrettably, the answer is no. Existing mechanisms are limited and provide only partial information, making it difficult to both devise a thought-out policy and to examine its impact. This situation is problematic in democratic societies, for democratic societies are based on the public's trust and support.

Acknowledging the need and importance of civil society's involvement in public policy-making processes and recognizing the importance of internalizing the principles of openness and transparency in decisions making, the Hartog School of Government and Policy at Tel Aviv University and Shatil, the New Israel Fund's Empowerment and Training Center for Social Change Organizations, are developing new knowledge and skills to serve these ends, so to develop tools and mechanisms that would allow civil society to monitor policies and budgets.

The project represents a unique collaboration between three sectors: civil society organizations, academia and government representatives. The dialogue has brought to the foreground the lack of a tool that will allow for monitoring national budgets and budget-related policies, as well as the will and expertise needed to design such a tool.

The Project's aims are:

• To develop monitoring tools that will serve civil society organizations, researchers and decision makers to better understand and to become involved in the complex policy-oriented and budgetary reality
• To establish a collaboration and a professional dialogue on monitoring issues between civil society organizations, researchers and government
• To introduce a labeling and tagging system into the national budget in order to allow for more accurate analysis according to parameters such as: religious affiliation, geographic areas, gender, age-groups, etc.
• To expend the use of monitoring tools to new fields, areas and audiences.

The above will hasten the internalization of the principles of transparency, accountability and responsibility into the Israeli national budget. These tools will promote civil, social and economic rights and their exhaustive fulfillment.

The Project Outline

The monitoring project comprises of three stages:
1. The examination of existing knowledge and monitoring tools;
2. The development of new knowledge and tools;
3. Making the monitoring tools accessible to all and "user-friendly"

The process will enable deepening the involvement and increase the contribution of NGOs and researchers to the design, framing and implementation of public policies.

To date, the working group had four working-sessions, in which the following issues were discussed:

• Models of budgetary monitoring (both in Israel and on the international level).
• The Decision making process in Israel- how to increase transparency and participation
• A study of existing monitoring and budget control mechanisms, mainly within the ministry of finance
• Developing a prototype model for budget monitoring tool

In addition, Shatil and The Hartog School have established a data and information library for the use of academics, organizations and the wide public on issues pertaining to monitoring. Click here to enter.

The Corruption Index

The Index, launched in June 2009, attempts to measure corruption in local government in Israel. It is a unique index worldwide, as it expounds the traditional positions survey, to include other sources, such as printed media, court rulings and state comptroller complaints. Moreover, in the survey, anonymous participants were asked not only about their opinion/position regarding corruption, but also about their personal experiences regarding corruption. The project was supported by the Kahan Foundation.

The Indexed was built by multi-disciplinary, academic research team. Its purpose was to propose a measuring tool for corruption in Israel. The Index Committee was led by Prof. Epi Yaar, and included leading academics: Prof. Giora Rahav, Department of Sociology and Anthropology; Prof. Yossef Katan, School of Social Work; Prof. Dafna Barak-Erez, Law Faculty; and Dr. Amos Zahavi, Department of Public Policy. The committee also invited experts of various fields to speak to its members.

Highlights of the research include an indicated rise in press reports regarding corruption in local authorities between 2002 and 2007; a dramatic rise in court rulings in which local authorities are part of and in these a rise in corruption related rulings; According to respondents’ reports, the number of incidents of corruption per 1,000 respondents annually could be broken down by type of corruption, as follows: 340 incidents of bribery; 560 incidents of “deal-making” (“macher-ism”); and 912 incidents of favoritism or cronyism (“protektzia”). More findings can be found in the attached research summary.

The importance of this research lies not only in the snapshot it offers to the current climate in Israel regarding corruption in local authorities, but also as a baseline for future research and fluctuations in the prevalence of and attitudes towards corruption in Israel. This research can be expanded to analyze other governmental agencies, a task that the School of Government will undertake in the next coming years.

• Ministry of Interior Audit and Control Mechanisms for fostering Good Governance and Integrity in Local Authorities – Att. Barak Calev
  This research explores existing policy apparatuses that Israeli Ministry of Interior can implement to facilitate good governance and integrity in local authorities in Israel. Currently audit mechanisms are utilized by the Ministry to evaluate the financial and economic viability of municipalities with no regard to governance practices. The author demonstrates that existing information can be easily used (and is NOT used) to encourage good governance practice.
• Education privatization: determinants and transparency – Dr. Amos Zehavi
  The overarching concern of this research project is the reasons for, and implications of, state support for private schools. The project is comprised of two related studies. The first study evaluates, on the basis of a cross-country comparison, the applicability of different political and economic theories for the explanation of education privatization. The second study explores the policy implications associated with the inherent tension between privatization, on the one hand, and growing state demand for accountability and transparency in state supported schools, on the other hand.
  For the full version of the research please click here
• The relationship between social capital, transparency and the environmental behavior and performance of local authorities in Israel - Dr. Dorit Kerret, Dr. Gila Menahem, Dr. Avi Gottlieb
  The research examines the role of local authorities in Israel in creating and using environmental information as a policy tool for coping with environmental hazards. The research addresses the linkage between social capital and environmental management practices & environmental performance in local authorities.
• The Freedom of Information Law as an Anti-Corruption Tool - The Israeli Experience – Att. Rachel Blumenthal
  An exploration of the application of the Freedom of Information Law in local authorities, the difficulties and hindrances in implementation and the possibilities for improving implementation of the law as an anti-corruption device.
• Corruption and decentralization in local-central government relationship: Potential effects of the new municipalities law proposal - Dr. Ravit Hanan'el
  The implications of the new municipalities law proposal in three core areas in local authorities in Israel- the political arena, the budgetary arena and the administrative arena- via the relationships between the local government and the central government in Israel.
• E-Government in Israeli Local Authorities: Comparative Analysis – Ms. Ayelet Rotem
  This research provides a first mapping of the breadth and spread of municipal websites across Israel.
• Improper Political Appointments in Israel - Mr. Doron Navot
  A new theoretical framework for analyzing political appointments is suggested via an examination of political appointments in Israel between the years 1984-2007.
• Political Appointments in Israeli Local Government - Dr. Roten Bresslauer
  In an analysis of the mechanism of political appointment, this paper investigates why elected representatives, in relying on political appointment to create responsive agencies, not only ultimately select agents who are more likely to shirk their duties, but create conditions under which they facilitate shirking by their appointees.

STATE REVENUES FROM NATURAL GAS AND PETROL IN ISRAEL- CONFERENCE - 13 SEPTEMBER

During the Summer of 2010 vast fields of natural gas were discovered off the shores of Israel. This much-sought-after energy resource was proclaimed earn it's owners hundreds of billions of dollars. The Israeli revenue law dates back to 1950, setting royalties at 12.5% of the revenues. As this is a relative low percentage (worldwide) the Israeli finance minister opted to raise State royalties and formed a committee to formulate recommendations. A lively debate ensued in the Israeli public arena and The Hartog School initiated this conference together with Shatil, the New Israel Fund and the Association for Distributive Justice. For a full recording of the Conference See here. The conference held two parts: A professional conference and a public hearing.

The professional part of the conference was opened with a speech by Dr. Yossi Langotsky, a prominent geologist and the father of all energy-resources drilling in the Mediterranean. This was the first public address Langotzky gave, in which he viciously attacked "Gas Barons" (as he called them) who claimed to have invested heavily in gas drillings. The following speakers where MK Shelly Yecimovich and Rabbi Michael Malchior both stressing the government's right to change the royalties law and suggesting alternative models for collecting the monies and utilizing them. After that two panels ensued-the first "Utilizing energy resource and social policy" and the second "taxing policy for natural gas and oil in Israel".

The public hearing enabled persons from the audience to speak and submit materials to the committee. The committee was chaired by Oscar Abu Razek and included Dr. Orna Bari, former MK Zehava Galon, former MK and minister Avraham Poraz, and adv. Eliad Shraga. 15 men and women stood before the committee expressing disparate views from supporting the gas entrepreneurs to criticizing the State for not being aggressive enough.

The conference had wide press coverage see here and caught the attention of policy makers and the advisory committee to the finance minister.

The ministry of Interior and Good Government in Local Authorities- Conference - 3 May

Following the work of Adv. Barak Calev see here, a Goldman fellow at the Hartog School of Government and Policy, analyzing the tools that exist at the ministerial level that propagate good government and eradicate corruption and "bad governance" –and the utilization of said tools, this conference brought together academics and practitioners to discuss this issue. Speakers from the Ministry of Interior (MOI), Local Authorities, the Union of Local Authorities in Israel and the Academia explored Calev's thesis that there are various apparatuses that the Ministry can use to stop and prevent corruption and "bad governance" at the initial, pre-crisis stage. Unfortunately, Says Calev, the MOI tends to procrastinate and intervene only when matters reach crisis level. Several recommendations were presented some advocating stricter measures by the Ministry and some encouraging greater autonomy to Municipalities that meet not only financial, but also good government standards.

Civic Participation in Decision Making – February 2010
Under the auspices of the Prime Minister's Office, and the Minister Michael Eitan (see photos), the Hartog School, together with the Association of Senior Civil Servants, held a symposium in the Israeli Knesset on the Issue of "Public participation in decision making". The speakers included the Minister himself, and a group of 6 specialists in citizen's participation in decision making processes. The opening lecture was given by Dr. Bensimhon-Peleg who argued that public participation ought to be perceived as a core agenda to bring back citizens' trust in democratic institutions. Other Speakers included Mr. Roy Peled - Director of the Association for Freedom of Information, Prof. Itzhak Galnor, formally The Civil Service Commissionaire, Dr. Shlomit Wagman - specialist in the use of technology for citizen's participation, Mr. Ronen Gofer and Mr. Jonathan Rockem- both specialists in citizen's participation methods in Israel and abroad. Please click here for videos and presentation. The Symposium was attended by around 150 persons including senior civil servants, local government professionals (including Mayors), civil society activists and researchers. For Hebrew Invitation Click here. One of the main outcomes of the symposium was a request by the Minister from the Hartog School to assist him in preparing a draft for a Government decision on the issue.

Improper Political Appointments - May 2007
Following the publication of two research papers on the topic of "Political Appointments" (Eng|Heb) , the school organized a seminar open to the wider public. At the conference researchers, Mr. Doron Navot and Dr. Rotem Bresler-Gonen presented their findings. In response to their conclusions addresses were given by the following speakers, Prof. Yitzhak Zamir, former Judge in the Supreme Court, Mr. Shmuel Hollander, Israel's Civil Service Commissioner, Dr. Meir Gilboa, former senior police investigator, and Mr. Yair Bar-Kol, chairman of the association of senior personnel in the Israeli civil service. The discussion centered on the legitimacy of political appointments, defining what is meant by improper political appointments and examining their consequences on public service delivery and on the political system itself.

Round Table Discussion: E-Government in Israel's local government – May 2007
The Harold Hartog School was glad to host a round table discussion on the topic of "E-Government in Israel's local government" . presented by Ayelet Rotem. Some of the important issues discussed in this fascinating forum include the fact that half of the local governments do not even have a website, the value offered by a web-site for Local Government Agencies along with the required level of interaction on such a site, and the necessary condition for successful e-government. Participants in the discussion included;

• Asher Ben-Shushan - The Tel Aviv Municipality
• Ofer Daliot - Microsoft
• MK Micky Eitan
• Mr. Bezalel Kahn
• Ayelet Rotem
• Prof. Yossi Shain - Head of the Harold Hartog School
• Dr. Sarit Bensimhon-Peleg - Director of Research at the Harold Hartog School
• Advocate Nadav Shraivman - Advisor on the Internet for the Ministry of Finance