Public Administration in Palestine

1. Public Administration in Palestine Euro-Mediterranean Conference Redesigning Public Administration Training Rome/Italy 13-14 October 2008 Dr. Ashraf Almimi The National Institute for Administration Palestine

2. AGENDA • Introduction • Status of the Palestinian Public Administration • Human Resources in the Palestinian Public Sector • Capacity Building in the Palestinian Public Sector • Main Providers of Public Administration Training in Palestine • The National Institute for Administration • Public Administration Curricula • Competence-based Approach for Redesigning Public Administration Curricula • Public Administration Obstacles in Palestine • Lessons Drawn from the Palestinian Experience • A look at the Future • Conclusion

3. Introduction • Public service in Palestine represents a unique case • In some cases, the problem is not with the quality or the speed of service but with the availability of it • Major Challenge is to Provide Public Service during: • Politically unstable and hostile environment, • High levels of unemployment, • Increasing poverty

4. Status of the Palestinian Public Administration • Two Primary Stages (Nader Said & Walid Badawi (2004)): • Stage One: 1964 – 1993 (From the establishment of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) up until the signing of the Oslo Accord) – Israeli military was in charge of the public administration sector. • Stage Two: 1994 to Current – Following the establishment of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) – The PNA became in charge of the public administration duties in the West Bank and Gaza.

5. Status of the Palestinian Public Administration – Cont. • Let’s focus on stage two – PNA in charge of Public Administration: • In May 1994, the PNA was established. • In 1996, general election for the president of the PNA and the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) took place. • In 1998, the administrative authority of the PNA was extended to about 70% of the Gaza Strip and 29% of the West Bank. • Main Components of the Public Administration System are the following: 1- The President’s Office, 2- The Palestinian Legislative Council, 3- The ministerial cabinet with its ministries and other agencies, 4- The Judicial Authority.

6. Status of the Palestinian Public Administration - Human Resources • The human resources available in the public sector are diverse. • The work experience and style are different. • The ability to serve is limited. • Most appointments were based on political favoritism. Hence, greater need for capacity-building, training, and unification of work practices.

7. Status of the Palestinian Public Administration - Capacity Building • All relevant parties are interested in capacity building and training programs. • Currently, the main provider of training for the public sector employees is the National Institute for Administration (NIA). • International funding has been located to Capacity Building (no connection to a national development plan and high expense of international consultants and trainers).

8. Main Providers of Public Administration Training - Universities Universities: • Birzeit University – Bachelor Degree in Public Administration - Not targeting civil servants • Bethlehem University - High diploma in public administration • Started in September 2006 and concluded in July 2007 • Participants: thirty employees from Palestinian local governments, village councils, joint councils, and ministries. • The program consisted of 8 modules:

9. Main Providers of Public Administration Training –Public Institute The National Institute for Administration (NIA) • Since establishment in 2004, NIA has conducted more than one hundred training courses. • Since March 2008, NIA trained more than 200 public sector employees on strategic planning, human resource management, public relations, project management, proposal writing, train of trainers, financial auditing, and report writing. • NIA Conducts semi-yearly needs assessment study. • Regarding public administration, NIA provides training in 12 general framework and 20 subject-matter courses.

10. The National Institute for Administration (NIA) –Public Administration Training • General Framework Training Courses: Time Mgt, Customer Relations Mgt, Accounting Principles, Strategic Planning, Business Planning, Administration Skills, Public Relations, Report Writing, Communication Skills, Negotiation Skills, Work Ethics, and Leadership Skills. • Subject-Matter Training Courses: Government Budgeting, Project Mgt, Proposal Writing, Inventory Mgt, Procurement Mgt, Office Mgt, ISO 9001, Six Sigma, Cost Accounting, Financial Auditing, Financial Analysis, Human Resources Mgt, Statistics and Data Analysis, Income Tax, Governance, Municipal Administration, Democracy, Rule of Law, Media, and Human Rights.

11. Public Administration Curricula • Have to be compatible with the current and future needs of public sector employees and the agencies that they serve • Taking a competence-based approach is highly appropriate for designing responsive Public Administration Curricula

12. Competence-based Approach for Redesigning Responsive Public Administration Curricula • Competence is composed of combination of attributes which includes knowledge, skills, and abilities. • These attributes underlie aspects of successful professional performance. • Once these attributes are identified for the public sector employees through needs assessment studies, focus groups, etc., the Public Administration curricula can be set. • For each group of employees that share common competencies, a customized public administration curricula can be developed.

13. Public Administration Obstacles in Palestine • Lack of human, financial and technical resources. • The political nature of state-building. • Weak incentive system. • The dominant employment patterns. • Negative behaviors in employment practices. • Weak coordination and evaluation systems. • Highly centralized and non-competitive employment process. • The expansion of public sector employment.

14. Lessons Drawn from the Palestinian Experience • There can be no effective reform in public administration without political reform. • Strategic planning at all levels of government is essential. • The “third sector” has proved to be invaluable in meeting people’s demands. • Innovation should be encouraged. • The judiciary is the cornerstone of a democratic system. • Masses should be galvanized.

15. A look at the Future • The development of a competent and efficient public administration. • Public administration needs to be developed in relation to meeting social needs. • Highly specialized and compartmentalized public administrators. • Exercise leniency and coping with circumstances. • Curriculum development will have to consider a number of dimensions and dichotomies, and should address: • Ethics and raising of moral standards (honesty, diligence). • Rationalization of public management (rarity of resources, fight against wastage). • Communication and intensification of dialogue (transparency and opening on civil society).

16. Conclusion The case of state-building in Palestine strongly suggests that the development of good governance and a democratic state requires the strengthening of public administrative capacities.

17. Questions