This presentation by Dr. Iris Nehemia, Head of the Department of Doctrine, Research And Knowledge Management of the Israeli Civil Service Commission, was made at the Public Employment and Management Expert meeting on "Senior Civil Service: Performance, Accountability and Organisational Success" on 26 November 2015. For further information, please see http://www.oecd.org/gov/pem/.

1. Civil Service Commission
HR Reform Implementation Project
Change
for our Future
‫נובמבר‬2012 I ‫סמנכ‬ ‫כנס‬"‫אדמיניסטרטיביים‬ ‫ומנהלים‬ ‫בכירים‬ ‫לים‬1
‫המדינה‬ ‫בשירות‬ ‫רפורמה‬ ‫יישום‬Government of Israel | Prime Minister’s Office | Civil Service Commission
Performance Evaluation Initiative
Implementing human capital management reform in Israel’s Civil Service
OECD Expert Meeting
November, 26-27, 2015
Dr. Iris Nehemia
Head of the Department of Doctrine, Research
And Knowledge Management
The Israeli Civil Service Commission

2. Civil Service Commission
HR Reform Implementation Project
Change
for our Future
2
• The Civil Service Commission (CSC) is in charge of HR management,
policy, and organizational structure in governmental offices and
agencies.
• The Reform Implementation Unit of the Civil Service Commission
(CSC) is the focal point for HR innovation in the Israeli government
and public sector levels.

3. Civil Service Commission
HR Reform Implementation Project
Change
for our Future
We are all here because we dare to dream, and we dare to
take our dreams into the real world.
To so many people in Israel, this Reform is a dream, because
the outcome will give to the civil service the capability to
meet the public’s changing needs."

4. Civil Service Commission
HR Reform Implementation Project
Change
for our Future
“I discovered that an employee’s ability to see the connection between
his or her work and the office or the unit objectives was a great
driver of positive behavior in the unit of which I am director …”
“We began to see how a change in training, leadership development
and measurement affected government performance...”
( Selected quotes from a focus group of managers, July, 2015)

5. 5
The beginning of the story:
What connection do you see between these pictures?
The point at which the public loses its trust in the government and its administration
is the point where there is a real threat to the state’s stability and future
Summer 2011
We do not meet the public’s needs
October 2014
April 2013
March 2010

6. 2%
10%
21%
30%
37%
Irritating
Slow
Poor quality
Fast
Quality and courtesy
88% negative attributes Public survey – May 2013
Prime Minister’s Office

7. 7
Employee's effectiveness evaluation (Average)
As of 2012
between 3-11
*
*
• Management abilities
• Ethical aspect
• Norms and values
• Trust on “the system”
• Disconnect between performance and rewards

8. Goal:
The worker evaluation model represents a professional perspective
which:
• Sees the worker evaluation process as an initiating event for
personal development processes.
• Promotes excellence, and ensures the office goals are fulfilled.
• Improves manager-employee communication, leading to improved
morale, trust, openness and integrity

9. 216Q4
Evaluation
Metrics & Tools
validation
Wave I:
Six pilot
agencies,
4,200 civil
servants
Wave II:
Expansion based on
Wave I insights,
22,000 employees
Implementation
Completion
Reform Implementation: Timeline
No’ of agencies / ministries in the project
insightsInfrastructure
• Performance evaluation
• Strategic workforce
planning
• establish HR Policy and
doctrinaire
infrastructure
• Ethics and Ethos for the
civil servant
• Reducing bureaucracy
• Building leadership
• Leverage the human
capital potential
• Improve HR
management
• Salary issues
8042
Wave III:
Approximat
ely 40,000
civil
servants

10. 1010
15%
Excellent
70%
majority
15%
Relatively low
StarsUnder-achievers
Clarifying the relative position of the employee in the
unit/agency

11. From theory to practice – implementing change
The first challenge: Turning doctrine into instruction
• Creating a supportive training system and training aids
• Creating cooperation between headquarters and the field, while accompanying HR
workers
Challenge two: Training 11
Courseware and simulator Illustrative video Communication for
employees

12. Civil Service Commission
HR Reform Implementation Project
Change
for our Future
12

13. HighLow
Government of Israel | Prime Minister Office | Civil Service Commission
50%
60%
88%

14. Functionality
Managerial Potential
Establishing a differential evaluation of performance as a baseline for planning and executing
professional and managerial development in the civil service
The 9 box matrix

15. Linking People, Performance and Rewards
Fixed bonus for outstanding work (only for the top 15%)
Shortening the time between the degree levels
Getting retirement ranking
A letter of appreciation from the Civil Service Commissioner
Gift vouchers
 Publication of the outstanding employees in the internal media
Cadets for senior positions
Career path development

16. Managers believe a change is possible…
84% of managers believe the
governmental system can be
changed and improved.
“Nachshon” offices worker’s survey, Wave I & II – July 2015
84%
‫מסכים‬ ‫לא‬ ‫כלל‬
‫לחלוטין‬ ‫מסכים‬
16

17. We made them improve their performance
61% of “managers believe
their unit’s performance has
improved.
“Nachshon” offices worker’s survey, Wave I & II – July 2015
61%
‫מסכים‬ ‫לא‬ ‫כלל‬
‫לחלוטין‬ ‫מסכים‬
17

18. Civil Service Commission
HR Reform Implementation Project
Change
for our Future
18
Looking forward…
• Besides the performance evaluation initiative, the reform
implementation unit has been working hard to push many other
projects forward, such as:
• The “Tree of Knowledge” program, an interdisciplinary think-tank,
bringing leaders of different sectors together to create tomorrows
public policies.
• A leadership college where theory and research meet practice.

19. 19
Values, culture and HR
perception
Ethical code, organization
culture supportive of change
Planning human
capital in the Civil
Service
Yearly and
multiyear planning
circle
Utilization of human
capital potential
Entering the CSC
Personal and
professional
development
of civil
servants
Employee capabilities
and performance
appraisals and
encouragement of
excellence in the civil
service
Senior management in the
Civil Service
Training and
development
of human
capital
Knowledge management
Delegation of
authority from the
CSC
Wage structure
and
standardization
Human capital
management structure
in the Civil Service
Organizational structure
Organizational culture
Mission, vision and goals
Research
Management doctrine
Structural compatibility,
managerial flexibility,
wages and delegation of
power
The new CSC

20.  Since its creation in 2013, the Performance Evaluation Initiative has made
a real change in the way employee evaluation is perceived, and the fruits
of the initiative are already beginning to appear.
We believe that in time, the reform will prove to be a
cornerstone in a new and improved civil service.
Summery

21. Doctrine and policy for human capital
How do you manage organizations? People?
Processes?
Private work
Control
Senior staff
management
Trial periods
Management
employee
relations
Maintaining wage
rights
Advertising wage range
Performance
measurement
Feeding excellence
channels
Tenure and dismissal
Incentive
models
Management
as a profession
Orientation in the civil
service
Material incentives
model
Risk
management
Gender
equality
Temporary
employment
Welfare
Building
independent units
Mentoring
Work conflict
management
Merging and
amalgamating units
Absences
Selection
and
recruitment
Inner and inter office
tenders
21

22. Doctrine and policy for human capital
How do you manage organizations? People? Processes?
• Formulating over 40 doctrine
and policy documents
• creating a doctrinal foundation,
enabling a human capital
• working optimally for the Israeli
public’s benefit
State
Public
sector
Business
sector
Public
representatives
Academy
22
Government of Israel | Prime Minister Office | Civil Service Commission

23. Knowledge management in the Civil Service:
We began a governmental knowledge management program –
“Connected Vessels”. Why???
23
Government of Israel | Prime Minister Office | Civil Service Commission

24. Principles of building coalitions when leading change
• Understanding the fundamental, immediate interests (D.N.A)
• Understanding the job perception of the actors
• Understanding the added value of each player at any given
moment
• Connection to a joint vision and sense of commitment
• Ad Hoc coalition for a subject at a particular point in time, while
preserving an overall framework of commitment to the mission
• Understanding the price of failure when building a specific coalition
• Understanding the fruits of success when building a specific
coalition
• Spine and determination. “Reality does not follow opinion, but the
right opinions follow reality” Maimonides

25. A few insights on the tool-box
• Always be calibrated to the “Result Compass” and to the root (D.N.A) of
the problem which the process you are leading is required to solve
• Creating a strong leading coalition, adapted Ad-Hoc to the timing and to
the mission
• Completion! not perfection!
• Be moral, professional and set an example; understanding in depth.
Planning. Proficiency. Continuous learning.
• Crystallization, nurturing and empowerment of a winning team
• Optimism, fortitude, Ability to be alone, determination