National Steering Committee institutionalizes Kaizen’s Centers of Excellence program in Palestine

On June 20^th 2011, the Palestinian Authority Cabinet officially approved and endorsed the formation of a National Steering Committee (NSC) to support the implementation of the Centers of Excellence program (COE).

The Kaizen Company launched the Centers of Excellence program in Palestine as part of the USAID Palestinian Authority Capacity Enhancement Project under a subcontract to Chemonics International. Kaizen provides direct technical advice and guidance to support the implementation of the COE methodology as a framework, through which facilitated self-assessments lead to a reform vision and a capacity development plan for each Palestinian Authority (PA) partner.

The NSC will be composed of representatives from COE-participating ministries – Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Public Works and Housing, Ministry of Telecommunications and IT, and Ministry of Transportation. It will advocate for the development and expansion of the COE program as the primary means to empower and motivate government employees to pursue and achieve meaningful reforms in support of citizen services.

This action marks the shift of the COE program from a project-based, donor-funded initiative to a sustainable, PA-led approach to government reform. This approval was based upon the outcomes achieved by internal ministry teams that worked in conjunction and with guidance from the Palestinian Authority Capacity Enhancement project, to establish and strengthen their own internal capabilities to identify, prioritize and lead reform within their own organizations. Based upon the perceived value of this program, ministry team members have worked to make it a permanent fixture within their ministries. All five ministry teams have drafted and submitted time-bound plans to institutionalize COE and begin a transparent, open process for formation of COE teams for the next COE cycle. Four ministry teams have received approval, with one ministry team anticipating approval. These ministry teams will work closely with the NSC to ensure the continued development and expansion of the COE program as the primary means to empower and motivate ministry employees to pursue meaningful reform within their government institutions.

The Centers of Excellence program is designed to be part of a broader development process, and to provide practical tools to assess the institutional management systems. 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.