Minister of Public Works and Housing Dr. Maher Ghuneim opened an improved training room as part of a joint effort with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) on October 16, 2012. Through the Palestinian Authority Capacity Enhancement (PACE) project, USAID purchased new computer workstations, presentation equipment, and furniture. The ministry contributed electrical wiring, paint, and other physical improvements.

These improvements are part of an overall program to improve the training capacity of the ministry and reduce reliance on external donors for training in basic skills. Previous efforts included a training-of-trainers program; improved procedures for training design, delivery, and evaluation; and other capacity building assistance implemented through PACE.

The Ministry of Interior, in collaboration with the USAID-funded PA Capacity Enhancement project, launched an awareness campaign to promote a new unit that will allow citizens from across the West Bank to provide feedback on ministry services. Management and staff in civil affairs offices are also being oriented on how to receive and act upon citizen complaints and suggestions. These efforts come with the renewed commitment made by the ministry during the COE graduation ceremony to create a culture of excellence and improve transparency and accountability.

The ministries of Interior, Transportation, Telecommunications and Information Technology, Finance, and Public Works and Housing graduated more than 140 dedicated civil servants to mark the successful completion of the first cycle of the Centers of Excellence (COE) program, a civil-service-led, government-reform initiative launched with support from the USAID-funded PA Capacity Enhancement project. At one graduation, Prime Minister Salam Fayyad commended COE team members, saying "The improvement in service delivery and the expansion of the culture of excellence within PA institutions demonstrates the very commitment of our own government to providing the best possible services we can." COE teams assessed their ministries' capacities, identified areas for improvement, and implemented more than 50 different reform initiatives, with many more underway or planned for the future. The COE program is being institutionalized in the five pilot ministries, and the Council of Ministers recently issued a decree mandating the creation of a national steering committee to champion excellence at the level of the PA as a whole. At the graduation ceremonies, PA ministers and deputy ministers committed themselves to sustaining the COE program as a permanent part of ministry operations with only minimal external support.

The Ministry of Interior (MOI) graduated 42 members of its Centers of Excellence (COE) team in a ceremony led by Deputy Minister of Interior for Civil Affairs Hassam Alawi. MOI is the fourth partner of the USAID-funded Palestinian Authority Capacity Enhancement project to complete the first COE cycle and graduate team members this month. Graduation for the final partner, the Ministry of Finance, will be scheduled next week, and all five partner ministries will start the second COE cycle in the coming month. In his remarks, the deputy minister stressed the magnitude of improvements in service delivery since the launch of USAID interventions three years ago. He also emphasized the importance of continuing ministry leadership of the COE program, saying the entire ministry should strive for excellence, not just a select team. USAID West Bank/Gaza was represented by democracy and governance team members Brad Bessire, Maher Al Frijat, and Reem Jafari. COE is a participant-led, change-management and government reform program created with USAID support and currently implemented in five PA ministries.

Minister of Telecommunication and Information Technology Dr. Mashour Abu Dakka and CEO of Wataniya Mobile Mr. Bassam Hanoun signed an agreement to sell Wataniya products and provide other services at post offices throughout the West Bank. Negotiating public-private partnerships was one of many recommendations in the commercial strategy developed for the postal system by the USAID-funded Palestinian Authority Capacity Enhancement project. The deal with Wataniya is one of several negotiated by the ministry in the past year. In his remarks, Minister Abu Dakka credited USAID with helping to re-launch and re-brand the Palestinian postal service. He added that the partnership with Wataniya represents a win-win solution, extending Wataniya's ability to reach potential customers while providing extra revenue for the postal system. In addition, giving the postal service a share of revenues from the sales of Wataniya products, Wataniya will also provide customer service and product sales training to post office employees.

Graduation ceremonies for the Centers of Excellence (COE) teams continued this week. Both the Ministry of Transportation (MOT) and the Ministry of Public Works and Housing (MOPWH) graduated their teams. Minister of Transportation Saadi al-Krunz graduated 40 COE team members, and Prime Minister Dr. Salam Fayyad presented the 35 members of the MOPWH team with graduation certificates. Both the Prime Minister and Minister of Transportation gave speeches emphasizing the importance of creating a culture of excellence in the Palestinian Authority and thanked USAID for its assistance. COE team leaders presented findings of the final COE report, with recommendations for the next cycle, during the ceremonies. Both ministries plan to sustain the program in the long term and are currently in the process of selecting new COE teams. COE is a participant-led, change-management and government reform program created with USAID support through the PA Capacity Enhancement project and currently implemented in five PA ministries.

Minister of Telecommunications and Information Technology Dr. Mashhour Abu Dakka presented the first Ministry COE team with graduation certificates on October 3, 2011. The Minister gave a speech emphasizing the importance of creating a culture of excellence inside the ministry, thanking USAID for its assistance. In addition, COE team leaders presented the findings of the final COE report. The ministry plans to sustain the program in the long term and currently in the process of selecting the next team to lead change from within the ministry. Centers of Excellence is a participant-led, change-management and government reform program created with USAID support by the PA Capacity Enhancement project.

 

The Ministry COE solution team conducted a survey to measure consumers and employees satisfaction at the ministry based on techniques learned through the USAID-funded PA Capacity Enhancement project. A total number of 385 citizens, who received services from civil affairs and passports departments, as well as 71 ministry employees, were surveyed. The survey results showed improved service delivery, as well as improved employee motivation and productivity. An average of 59.4% of the surveyed citizens stated that the service delivery of Civil Affairs and Passport Control Department has improved. In addition, 97.4% of the surveyed citizens stated that ministry staff performance and responsiveness has improved.

The USAID-funded PA Capacity Enhancement project invested heavily in the restructuring, renovation and refurbishment of the Civil Affairs office in Jericho. The project renovated the office, refurbished the facility, upgraded IT equipment, and provided a new queuing and camera system. "These services greatly improved the ability of the facility to deliver services by providing citizens with a comfortable sitting area; they can take a number and wait for their number to be called rather than stand in line." said Jamal Salameh, Manager of the Civil Affairs Jericho Office. Salameh added, "The employees' satisfaction and work productivity improved immensely with the newly improved facility." Now, the facility provides efficient and transparent service to the citizens and a comfortable working environment to the employees.

The Ministry of Interior received a new queuing and camera system at the Civil Affairs office in Jericho. The project had previously renovated the Jericho office, refurbishing the facility and upgrading IT equipment. The queuing system will assist in customer management and greatly improve the ability of the facility to deliver services by allowing citizens to take a number, sit in a comfortable waiting area, and wait for their number to be called rather than stand in line. The system will also improve the ability of the office manager to provide information on the most requested services, determine wait times for specific services, and identify rush hours. The camera monitoring system will also improve security. The previously provided IT equipment, along with the completed renovation, new queuing system, and cameras, will all work together to improve service delivery at this facility.