The State of Israel endeavors to improve the provision of service to the Ethiopian-Israeli population and to base program development on fixed goals and on the follow-up of implementation and outcomes. The Ministry of Immigrant Absorption is responsible for numerous programs and projects that address the needs of Ethiopian Israelis. Some have been specifically designated for this population and others serve all immigrants. The Myers-JDC-Brookdale Institute was asked to survey the Ministry programs for Ethiopian-Israelis that were implemented in 2007.
The study is unique in that it comprehensively examines an entire area of Ministry activity, including all the programs in that area. It has two foci: (1) the programmatic directions in light of the trends within the Ethiopian-Israeli community (2) the available information – from a perspective integrating administrative information systems and the research on program implementation. The study findings are presented in three reports:
A Summary Report (No. 1): A summary of the findings from the two other reports, examining the existing knowledge on program effectiveness and outlining the further development of knowledge, including outputs and outcomes. The report lists 12 guidelines for the continued development of knowledge and its optimal use.
Follow-Up on Key Indicators of the Nationwide Situation of the Ethiopian-Israeli Population (No. 2): A comprehensive analysis of the emerging trends among Ethiopian-Israelis in recent years with respect to employment, income, housing, education, social services and quality of life. The report relied on a variety of sources, such as CBS national surveys and national administrative databases. Wherever possible, the indicators for the Ethiopian-Israeli population were compared with those for Israel’s general Jewish population.
Absorption Ministry Programs and Existing Knowledge on Program Effectiveness (No. 3): A detailed description of the programs and existing knowledge from the administrative information systems and from special studies of the programs. As part of the survey, 26 Ministry programs were examined, covering eight areas: a) General programs b) health, c) culture, d) social affairs e) education, f) higher education, g) employment and venture, h) housing.
Ministry programs were found to focus on the major problems of the Ethiopian-Israeli community and take on growing importance in light of the trends in major indicators of integration into the community. In the 1990s, significant progress was made in areas such as education and employment. Since 2000, however, there was little further progress and even a decline in some areas.
Based on the survey, it may be said that the Ministry has at its disposal considerable information about the outcomes of programs for the Ethiopian-Israeli population and broader information on the extent of activities and processes of implementation. The information on outcomes relies mainly on external evaluation studies and only to a small extent on administrative information systems. Reports from the field to the Ministry do not adequately utilize the knowledge collected in the administrative systems. Nor is there sufficient effort to coordinate the information from the different divisions for the benefit of the Ministry’s planning and policymaking efforts.
The reports constitute a basis for Ministry policymakers to plan the further development of the information available for improved programming and budgeting.
Citing suggestion: Habib, J., & Halaban-Eilat , H. (2010). The Activities of the Ministry of Immigrant Absorption on behalf of the Ethiopian-Israeli Population 2010. RR-558-10. Myers-JDC-Brookdale Institute. (Hebrew)