Prime Minister kicks off the Centers of Excellence Program in the Palestinian Territories
As subcontractor to Chemonics International on the USAID Palestinian Authority Capacity Enhancement Project, The Kaizen Company recently launched the Centers of Excellence (COE) program in the West Bank. At the opening ceremonies in Jericho, Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad and USAID Chief of Mission Howard Sumka voiced their support for the COE program. Speaking to Palestinian public servants Mr. Fayyad said, "After I read the COE guidebook, I firmly believe that this approach will certainly enhance your organizational efficiency and improve your ability to deliver quality services if implemented properly."
The workshop introduced participants to the objectives and tools of COE. Sixty-five participants from partner Palestinian ministries and agencies attended the two-day workshop. Jordanians with experience implementing COE also participated via teleconference.
"This workshop has made us an integral part of it and we felt that we are the owners of the excellence idea, its targets, it’s mechanism of change and excellence; it is important to talk about change from within, because any change that comes from the outside would not be feasible at all."
-Salah Haniyyah, Ministry of Public Works and Housing
(Quoted in al-Allayam Newspaper)
Five Palestinian Authority ministries (Public Works and Housing, Interior, Transportation, Finance, and
Telecommunications and Information Technology) are piloting the COE Program, which requires dedicated teams of internal change agents. While the Kaizen Company will provide guidance in management best practices and reform, based on its experience implementing similar programs in Iraq and Jordan, it is the Ministry COE teams that will determine priorities and implement reforms that they consider most critical and relevant in the West Bank. Ultimately, responsibility rests with ministry COE team members to build a sustainable culture of excellence and deliver effective reforms that improve the services their organizations provide to Palestinians.
The COE program supports Palestinian officials by empowering them to take control of their own business processes, eliminate red tape, and deliver superior service to their customers. By working to build a more proactive Palestinian bureaucracy, Kaizen is ensuring that Palestinian Authority Capacity Enhancement Project’s efforts will continue to improve government services to Palestinians many years after the program has concluded.
To see a short video describing the project and highlighting the Prime Minister’s keynote address at the COE workshop, click the following link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bU8RsAVhR4. Another video features interviews about the COE program: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-ifeiT8qFQ.
Note: The COE Program is a variation of the Sector Transformation Program (STP) described on The Kaizen Company's website.
