Palestinian Authority

Public administration reforms can lead to a more accountable and effective civil service, better organisation of the administration, and higher quality public services for citizens and businesses. This report analyses the institutional and strategic framework for public administration reform in the Palestinian Authority. It includes recommendations for improving this framework as well as the co-ordination mechanisms, systems, and processes for public administration reform.

Sound policy making and regulatory policy are critical for responsive, efficient government and public service delivery. This report analyses the institutional and policy framework for policy making and regulatory policy in the Palestinian Authority. It includes recommendations for improving the planning and co-ordination of policy making and legislative commitments and for enhancing regulatory and operational guidance for harmonised policy and law development. The first part provides a general analysis of the different stages of policy design, while the second part focusses more specifically on regulatory policy and related impact assessment tools.

Young people have demonstrated resilience to shocks and led positive change in their communities across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Young people (aged under 30) constitute more than half (55%) of the population across MENA, compared with 36% of the population across OECD countries. While challenges vary significantly across the region, youth unemployment rates are among the highest in the world, young people tend to express low trust in public institutions, and nearly four in ten live in fragile and conflicted-affected areas. The COVID-19 crisis has underscored the need to place the needs of young people at the centre of an inclusive and resilient recovery. To support this process, this report analyses current governance arrangements and practices across 10  MENA governments in three areas: 1) uniting all government stakeholders to implement a shared, integrated youth policy and deliver services to young people; 2) building administrative and institutional capacities to mainstream the perspectives of young people in policy making; and 3) encouraging the participation and representation of young people and youth stakeholders in public and political life.

يسلّط تقرير " تطلعات سياسات الاستثمار في الشرق الأوسط وشمال أفريقيا" الضوء على التقدّم الملحوظ الذي حقّقته حكومات المنطقة في إصلاح سياسات الاستثمار خلال العقد الماضي. ولكن يحتاج زخم الإصلاحات هذه إلى الاستدامة والتعميق للتمكّن من مشاركة فوائد الاستثمارات مع المجتمع ككلّ، لا سيّما في سياق جائحة كوفيد-19 والاضطرابات الاقتصادية العالمية الناجمة عنها. من هنا، يقيّم هذا التقريرالتوجّهات السياساتية للاستثمار والإصلاحات في الجزائر، ومصر، والأردن، ولبنان، وليبيا، والمغرب، والسلطة الفلسطينيّة، وتونس، فيحدّد التحدّيات المشتركة ويقدّم اقتراحاتٍ حول أولويّات الإصلاح. كما يأخذ التقرير بالاعتبار مختلف الأبعاد السياساتية التي تؤثّر على مناخ الاستثمار، ويركّز بشكلٍ كبير على كيفيّة استخدام الاستثمار الأجنبي لمساعدة الحكومات على تحسين حياة مواطنيها. ويمكن أن يُعتبر التقرير مرجعًا لصانعي السياسات ليساعدهم في عملهم المستمرّ في جذب الاستثمارات التي تعزّز التنمية الشاملة والمستدامة.

Middle East and North Africa Investment Policy Perspectives highlights the considerable progress in investment policies made by the region’s governments over the past decade. Yet, the reform momentum needs to be sustained and deepened for the benefits of investment to be shared with society at large and for growth to be sustainable, particularly in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting global economic upheaval. The publication takes stock of investment policy trends and reforms in Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, the Palestinian Authority, and Tunisia, and draws out common challenges, offering suggestions of reform priorities. It considers several dimensions of the policy framework that affect the investment climate and places strong emphasis on how foreign investment can help economies of the region improve their citizens’ lives. The publication serves as reference point, informing policymakers on specific areas as they continue work on leveraging investment to advance inclusive and sustainable growth.

La publication Perspectives des politiques d’investissement au Moyen-Orient et en Afrique du Nord met en exergue les progrès considérables accomplis en matière de politiques d’investissement par les gouvernements de la région tout au long de la dernière décennie. Toutefois, la dynamique de réforme devra se maintenir et se confirmer pour que les bénéfices liés à l'investissement soient partagés au sein de la société dans son ensemble et pour que la croissance soit durable, en particulier dans le contexte de la pandémie COVID-19 et des bouleversements économiques mondiaux qui en résultent. La publication fait le point sur les tendances et les réformes des politiques d'investissement en Algérie, Égypte, Jordanie, Liban, Libye, Maroc, dans l’Autorité palestinienne et en Tunisie. Elle identifie des défis communs, et propose des suggestions de priorités de réforme. Elle examine diverses dimensions du cadre politique affectant le climat de l’investissement et met fortement l’accent sur la manière dont les investissements étrangers peuvent aider les économies de la région à améliorer la vie de leurs citoyens. La publication sert de point de référence pour informer sur des points spécifiques les décideurs politiques qui s’attellent à mobiliser l’investissement pour une croissance inclusive et durable.

A set of clear standards of conduct for public officials can provide a critical tool for governments to promote openness, transparency and accountability in the public sector and eventually restore citizens’ trust in government. With a view to strengthening the ethics framework, the Palestinian Authority has undertaken significant progress to implement a Code of Conduct and Ethics for its civil service. This report analyses the underlining factors of an effective Code of Conduct in the overall framework of public governance reform to build open and transparent institutions. The report traces the evolution of the code from the first draft to the adopted document and discusses the final version against OECD recommendations and international good practices. The report provides actionable policy recommendations to operationalise the code towards a stronger governance framework for public sector integrity in the Palestinian Authority. The report points to the code’s strategic role alongside other measures to upgrade the ethics framework and sets an agenda to drive effective implementation in line with international principles of ethics and open government in the Palestinian Authority.

La réforme de l'administration publique est une priorité politique claire pour l'Autorité palestinienne (AP). Une administration publique qui fonctionne bien est une condition préalable à une gouvernance responsable et efficace. Elle détermine la capacité d'un gouvernement à fournir des services publics et à favoriser la compétitivité et la croissance. La confiance du public est donc également le résultat d'une bonne gouvernance et d'une administration publique efficace.

The success of public administration reforms is contingent on contextual factors including the state of public governance, public finance, organisational culture, and geo-political developments. This section analyses the context for public administration reform in the Palestinian Authority.

As highlighted in the OECD Policy Framework on Sound Public Governance and the SIGMA Principles of Public Administration, properly designed and implemented public administration reforms can lead to a more accountable and effective civil service, better organisation of the administration, and higher quality service delivery for citizens and businesses.

The institutional framework for PAR matters. For the reforms to succeed, the strategic framework needs to find its place in a country’s institutional architecture and have support from all the relevant institutions. This section analyses the existing institutional framework for PAR in the Palestinian Authority.

Based on the challenges and opportunities identified in previous chapters, this section provides an overview of identified areas of improvement to support and effective development and implementation of PAR in the Palestinian Authority.

Strategic planning in the public sector necessitates evidence-based problem analysis and prioritisation of public policies. Prioritisation based on objective analysis ensures that resources are directed towards the most critical issues, enhancing the credibility and effectiveness of public policies. As highlighted in the OECD’s Policy Framework on Sound Public Governance (OECD, 2020[1]), a sound prioritisation process can lead to more realistic commitments and better designed interventions which in turn can help governments develop more credible plans. Failure to prioritise can lead to resource wastage, inefficiency, and diminished public trust. By following a systematic prioritisation process and engaging both internal and external stakeholders, governments can more effectively address societal challenges and work towards building a better future for their citizens.

This Scan examines the challenges and opportunities regarding the simplification of administrative procedures in the Palestinian Authority (PA). It observes that the PA is developing an extensive programme of digital government projects, which could help to reduce administrative burdens for the public and businesses. It finds that these digital plans have been well integrated into the broader national policies of the PA and enjoy strong political support. Yet, the Scan also observes that businesses and the public face high burdens while interacting with public entities and that the PA is missing specific policies and guidelines for administrative simplification, which should form an integral part of digital government plans. It also provides key guidelines to inform the future delivery of public services in the PA, drawing upon international OECD good practice.

Based on the challenges and opportunities identified in previous chapters, this section provides an overview of the recommendations to improve the development and implementation of PAR in the Palestinian Authority.

An overall vision and prioritised objectives, which guide and co-ordinate public administration reform implementation, are required in order to achieve results. It is therefore important to develop a coherent strategic framework for PAR. This section analyses the existing strategic framework for Public Administration Reform in the Palestinian Authority.

Reforming the public administration is a clear political priority for the Palestinian Authority (PA). A well-functioning public administration is a prerequisite for accountable and effective governance. It determines a government’s ability to provide public services and foster competitiveness and growth. Public trust is thus also an outcome of good governance and effective public administration.