Workplans: A Tool for Implementing Government Resolutions – An International Review

Background

In February 2017, Resolution 2397 regarding the Plan for Socioeconomic Development of the Bedouin Population in the Negev for 2017–2021 was approved by the government. The resolution relates to the narrowing of gaps between the Bedouin population in the Negev and the rest of Israel’s population with focus on education, social services, employment, infrastructure and development of local government. Twelve government ministries are partners in the resolution and its implementation. According to what is stated in the resolution, the Department for the Socioeconomic Development of Bedouin Society in the Negev, which is responsible for the resolution’s implementation, requested that the relevant government ministries submit workplans that would include targets and indices. In January 2018, the department issued a collection that brought together these workplans. The collection constitutes a tool that can be used by the department to oversee the implementation of the resolution.

In January 2020, the Myers-JDC-Brookdale Institute was asked by the Department for the Socioeconomic Development of Bedouin Society in the Negev to examine ways of improving the implementation of the next five-year plan for the Bedouin population for the period 2022–2026. This document describes the first part of the study, which consists of a review of international best practices and guidelines for the formulation of workplans in the public sector. At the request of the department, the Institute will in the second stage of the study present a report analyzing the content of the workplans collection, with the goal of determining to what extent it meets the accepted standards for the structure and content of workplans and to what extent it achieves its goals as the tool for planning the implementation of the government resolution and for monitoring its implementation. The third stage will present insights gained from interviews with representatives of the government ministries responsible for the implementation of the Resolution 2397 workplans.

Goal

This review will examine the best practices for formulating a workplan in the public sector, with the goal of improving the formulation of workplans in preparation for the next Five-Year Plan for Socioeconomic Development among the Bedouin Population in the Negev for the period 2022–2026.

Methodology

The review is based on diverse sources of information from both Israel and abroad, including the latest academic literature on strategic management, policy papers, strategic planning guides, workplans from Israel and other countries and interviews with experts in the field of workplans.

Findings and Conclusions

The review indicates that the collection of workplans for Resolution 2397 is unique relative to plans with similar characteristics, since it has a practical emphasis rather than simply being declarative. It is important in the case of an interministerial multi-year program to prepare a collection of workplans, with the goal of increasing the likelihood of achieving an optimal implementation of the government resolution. Nonetheless, it should be considered whether to use an alternative format for the workplans collection, one that will provide greater flexibility and ability to modify the implementation of the government workplans, according to circumstances.

There are several types of workplans and each is meant to accomplish different goals. Accordingly, there are also different methodologies for formulating workplans. In the case of specific workplans that are attached to government resolutions, it is important not only to consider the components included in them but also the process of assembling them:

Workplan components:

  • Description of the current situation
  • Goals and objectives
  • Tasks and the preparations needed to carry them out
  • Indicators: outputs and outcomes
  • Budget
  • Mechanisms for oversight and monitoring

Process of formulation:

  • Involvement of stakeholders in formulating the plan.
  • Providing clear instructions for writing the workplan.
  • Preparation of the plan within a brief and defined time period.
  • Definition of oversight mechanisms and timetables for execution.