New Structure for the Government

New Study by Tomer Lotan and Vered Constantini at the Israel Democracy Institute

Background

In a new study published by the Israel Democracy Institute, the authors, Tomer Lotan and Vered Constantini, propose an updated, detailed, and full organizational structure for the government's professional echelon, including updates to the number and composition of government ministries. The study will be presented at the Eli Hurvitz Conference scheduled for May 21-22 in Jerusalem.

The study's point of departure is the flawed and distorted organizational structure of government ministries, shaped over the years by political constraints and frequent changes manifested in the creation of redundant ministries, as well as the splitting and merging of professional units – a process disconnected from the needs and challenges faced by the public system. The ongoing distortion in the governmental organizational structure has, in effect, led to a structure referred to by researchers as the "geology of governments," reflecting a significant impairment to the effectiveness of government performance and the ongoing and stable functioning of the professional units within the public service.

The most prominent expression of the distortion in the government's organizational structure is the number of government ministries, standing at over 30, positioning Israel as particularly unique vis-a-vis all comparison countries, where the number of ministries is typically half this number or even less. The proliferation of government ministries has a negative impact on the functioning of the public system and its ability to execute policy effectively. This negative impact is not only due to the excessive budgetary costs associated with the proliferation of ministries but also stems from a long list of functional implications that affect professional work processes. These include policy design and implementation mechanisms, the quality and availability of service delivery to citizens, information management and mediation, interference with the Knesset's legislative work, inter-agency relationships, and a decline in public trust due to governmental instability, public visibility, and diminishing accountability.

Number of Government Ministries, an International Comparison

The study reviews the failures in changing the number of ministers and ministries over the years, particularly in the last three decades, closely analyzing the dictates and constraints deriving from the political and coalition dimensions, especially regarding the ability to form governments and allocate ministerial positions to coalition members. Based on these insights, the research introduces an updated model aimed at identifying the balance point between structural rigidity / stability and political flexibility. The model proposed in the study combines the need to enhance and strengthen the functional and professional capabilities of the public service with the necessity of maintaining an effective margin of maneuver for the political system to form and sustain the coalition structure.

To this end, the study includes two main steps: firstly, formulation of an updated recommendation for the structure of the government in Israel, including a detailed breakdown of the various government ministries and their composition. Secondly, a recommendation regarding a political model for ministerial roles, as part of which the ability to realize the aspects required in forming the coalition is maintained. These two steps are bound together to form a comprehensive proposal for the structure of the government in Israel.

The work of Lotan and Constantini is the most advanced, detailed, and thorough study conducted to date on the issue of government structure. It includes numerous innovations and updates, regarding the way the structure and composition of ministries and the model of ministers have been addressed thus far.

The following is a summary of the main recommendations in the study, with reference to the main innovations presented in it.

 

Summary of study recommendations:

1. Desired number and composition of government ministries – recommendation for 20 ministries (19 ministries + Prime Minister's Office)

As part of the study, a model of analysis was developed for the first time based on examining the need for government ministries in a "bottom-up" approach. This means that the study does not conduct a "simplistic" reduction and consolidation of government ministries but rather formulates a list of criteria to determine a government ministry's "right to exist." Within this method, six criteria were formulated to justify the existence of an independent ministry, and based on these criteria, all government ministries in Israel were analyzed. Through this methodology, the core government ministries were identified, as opposed to redundant ministries. In addition, a unique analysis was conducted on "fluctuating" ministries whose justification is partial, requiring a unique diagnosis while addressing Israel's specific needs and challenges. In addition, the study performs another analysis aimed at examining the desired situation of ministries for Israel with a forward-looking perspective. In other words, alongside the analysis of downsizing and consolidation of existing ministries, the study examines the need for new ministries or areas requiring expression as part of the government's organizational structure. On the basis of all the above, a desirable picture was formulated for the number and composition of ministries:

2. Allocation of all units within the second-tier hierarchy in government ministries into a comprehensive and detailed organizational chart

Another innovative step incorporated into the study is the analysis of all professional units found in the second-tier hierarchy in government ministries, i.e., ministerial units, auxiliary units, corporations, or governmental companies directly subordinate to a minister or director-general and their placement within the ministry structure. The goal of this part of the study is to propose a comprehensive and detailed organizational model for the government, attempting to professionally resolve the optimal placement of diverse units within the governmental structure, particularly those that often operate across ministries or those whose preferred location is disputed. The study contains the final product of a complete organizational chart for all government ministries, in a way that has never been formulated before.

3. An updated model for ministerial roles – defining "Minister in charge" and "Secondary Minister" hierarchically within ministries

The study extensively surveys various models existing in Western democracies, where within a single government ministry, more than one official holds a ministerial position. These models, common in many comparison countries examined in the study, are expressed in a diverse collection of models. All of these models are reviewed in the study, evaluating their advantages, disadvantages, and suitability for the governmental structure and political culture in Israel. 

Based on this review and analysis, Lotan and Constantini propose in their study a new structure for government ministries, in which there is one "Minister in charge" alongside the option to appoint a "Secondary Minister" in the same ministry. This model serves as a key to reducing and consolidating existing government ministries and preventing further division and splitting of ministries, while enabling accommodation of the needs and political aspirations of the coalition parties that comprise the government. The study provides an in-depth analysis of the implementation of the "Secondary Minister" within the ministry model, as well as a detailed breakdown of the authority structure of each minister, outlining the hierarchical structure operating within the ministry, and defining areas of responsibility and operation within this framework. In addition, the study explores concrete options for implementing the updated ministerial model within existing ministries while formulating recommendations for the following division:

4. Anchoring the structure of the government with updated constitutional tools

The study includes, at its conclusion, a formulated proposal for an amendment to the Basic Law: The Government, in a way that encapsulates the entire proposed model and anchors it within the Israeli constitutional framework. This initiative is carried out in a way that details the government ministries within the legislation, unlike past attempts to reduce the size of the government which focused on defining a maximum number of ministers. The proposal attached to the study articulates, for the first time, the focus on the organizational structure of government ministries as a constitutional core that must be preserved, with changes made only through a special majority.

In addition to the legislative part, the study proposes implementation framework for a reform of consolidation and downsizing of ministries based on the proposed model. This implementation framework is presented as a proposal for a government decision, detailing all the changes required to implement the model, and an implementation mechanism with authority and tools for implementing the government program has been established.

The authors conclude their study with an unequivocal statement asserting that a change in the structure and composition of government ministries is imperative for the optimal functioning of the State of Israel. They note that the war in Gaza has demonstrated beyond any doubt that the existing structure of government ministries—the product of a flawed, destructive and continuous pattern of disassembly, assembly, and replacement of government ministries—is unsustainable and requires deep structural reform. This insight also clearly corresponds with the positions of the Israeli public, expressing a broad consensus on the need to downsize and close redundant government ministries. Therefore, a change in the structure and composition of government ministries, and its establishment as part of the institutional norms shaping the governance system, is vital now more than ever in order to ensure the security and future of the Israeli state and society.

The Segmentation of responses to the Public Opinion Survey on Closing Government Ministries, against the backdrop of the war in Gaza (%)

Annex: table for comparing selected OECD countries

	No. of coalition parties	No. of ministries	Total No. of ministers	Other ministerial officials
Sweden	3	11	24
Finland	4	12	19
The Netherlands	4	12	20	7
Austria	2	12	14	4
France*	-	12	31	6
Norway	2	17	20	35
Ireland	3	18	15	20
Denmark	3	21	23
Israel	6	34	34	5

 

* The table is updated as of February 2024. Most of the comparison countries are OECD member states, unitary in nature, with a parliamentary and multi-party system. 

- Among the ministerial roles: ministers heading ministries and secondary ministers such as Minister without Portfolio, Minister Delegate

- Other ministerial officials, deputy ministers, Junior Minister, Minister of State, State Secretary

- Data on Israel are updated as of the eve of the Iron Swords War