Policy Units - An Instrument for Navigation

Executive Summary
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In response to the Prime Minister's Office (hereinafter PMO) initiative to establish policy units in government ministries, the Reut Institute proposes this document as a conceptual framework for their implementation.The proposal integrates the unique Israeli context with the findings of a comparative study of different policy units in a number of leading countries.
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Policy units world-wide vary in their structure and functions depending on the challenges faced by each country and the unique policy challenges of the individual ministries.
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The Reut Institute proposes that policy units serve as a navigation tool for decisions makers. The units' structures and function will need to adjust to serve the ministries' goals and the key decision makers.
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To satisfy these requirements, policy units should plan and synchronize.
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Planning – The policy unit is responsible for formulating a strategy to deal with the short, medium, and long-term threats and opportunities facing the ministry.
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Synchronizing – The policy unit is responsible for synchronizing the work of the public sector actors involved in implementing the ministry's strategy according to their shared mission.