Defining Roles and Responsibilities in Local Government
In recent years, the Ministry of Interior has been leading a multi-faceted strategic process for regulating work processes and developing human resources in local government. As part of this process, the need arose for clear definitions of the various work positions in local government. ADALYA was tasked with organizing these definitions into one compilation that would include a modular analysis of each position, while taking into account the vast differences between municipalities in Israel. For example, Israel’s largest municipality, Jerusalem, has over 770 times the number of residents than does the smallest one, Alona.
The compilation contains over one hundred positions, including core ones, such as city manager, treasurer, and support positions, such as bus drivers and librarians. These positions and the roles and responsibilities they involve hadn't been updated since the early 1990s.
The Project's Objectives:
The compilation contains over one hundred positions, including core ones, such as city manager, treasurer, and support positions, such as bus drivers and librarians. These positions and the roles and responsibilities they involve hadn't been updated since the early 1990s.
The Project's Objectives:
- Better management of the municipal workforce;
- More efficient recruitment processes;
- Planning of promotion tracks for municipal employees.
Who was our Client?
The Ministry of Interior
The Ministry is the natural target for such a project and was also the official client. By defining mandatory aspects for each position, including minimal requirements and a clear job description, the Ministry, as the regulator, will enjoy improved supervision of the workforce recruited to work in local authorities. These definitions, which include requirements for relevant academic degrees, special skills and the minimum experience required, should result in the local authorities' personnel matching the intended work profile of the Ministry of Interior. This applies especially to senior municipal positions, such as legal advisor or treasurer.
Local Authorities
Municipalities are also a major client of this project. The lack of clear definitions and job descriptions for positions hurts weaker municipalities first and foremost, since they do not have the internal resources for developing, planning and analyzing their workforce. Once they apply the guidelines we have formatted, they will be able to carry out internal organizational processes more easily and will also be able to economize in the process.
Local Authorities' Employees
Employees of local authorities will also benefit from this project, since their roles will be clearer, as will their paths for advancement. For example, entry level position employees can easily access the requirements for higher level positions, which can help them determine how to acquire the necessary tools for promotion, such as academic degrees, professional training or years of experience. This transparency will allow them to better plan their professional futures.
Our Work Process in Preparing the Compilation
The main element in defining each position was clarifying its roles and responsibilities. We chose to assemble a limited compilation, presenting only the main tasks each position holder must fulfill, even if that meant not presenting some secondary or minor tasks. It also included the position's place within the municipal organizational structure, even though it might be different in various municipalities.
Second, we listed the minimal requirements for the position, including the necessary academic background and professional experience. We defined these requirements as a compromise between the ideal situation and the realities of local government, taking into account the salary offered for each position, the availability of skilled workers, etc. Setting the bar too high could have led to a lack of qualified candidates in some areas, while setting it too low might have led to an abundance of unsuitable ones. This balance of requirements is one of the innovations of the compilation and possibly the most sensitive one.
Our methodology for defining each position's roles and responsibilities included reviewing relevant legislation and Ministry of Interior internal guidelines and practices. Thus, for the first time, employees can view all the provisions relevant to them in one place. We subsequently held in-depth interviews with people in local authorities and in the regulatory bodies of government ministries.
The next stage included interviewing focus groups of relevant officials in local authorities. The compilation was then published and opened up for public comments for several months, and over 100 suggestions for amendments were received. At the end of this year-and-a-half long process of intense work, we assembled a compilation of 50 positions that already appear on the Interior Ministry’s site, and 50 more are in the final stages of definition prior to being posted.
Our most surprising conclusion from this work is that regulated bodies, municipalities in this case, are sometimes just as interested as is their regulator in knowing the rules by which they must operate, the minimal requirements for a position, its roles and responsibilities, and the necessary experience for advancement.
Employees of local authorities will also benefit from this project, since their roles will be clearer, as will their paths for advancement. For example, entry level position employees can easily access the requirements for higher level positions, which can help them determine how to acquire the necessary tools for promotion, such as academic degrees, professional training or years of experience. This transparency will allow them to better plan their professional futures.
Our Work Process in Preparing the Compilation
The main element in defining each position was clarifying its roles and responsibilities. We chose to assemble a limited compilation, presenting only the main tasks each position holder must fulfill, even if that meant not presenting some secondary or minor tasks. It also included the position's place within the municipal organizational structure, even though it might be different in various municipalities.
Second, we listed the minimal requirements for the position, including the necessary academic background and professional experience. We defined these requirements as a compromise between the ideal situation and the realities of local government, taking into account the salary offered for each position, the availability of skilled workers, etc. Setting the bar too high could have led to a lack of qualified candidates in some areas, while setting it too low might have led to an abundance of unsuitable ones. This balance of requirements is one of the innovations of the compilation and possibly the most sensitive one.
Our methodology for defining each position's roles and responsibilities included reviewing relevant legislation and Ministry of Interior internal guidelines and practices. Thus, for the first time, employees can view all the provisions relevant to them in one place. We subsequently held in-depth interviews with people in local authorities and in the regulatory bodies of government ministries.
The next stage included interviewing focus groups of relevant officials in local authorities. The compilation was then published and opened up for public comments for several months, and over 100 suggestions for amendments were received. At the end of this year-and-a-half long process of intense work, we assembled a compilation of 50 positions that already appear on the Interior Ministry’s site, and 50 more are in the final stages of definition prior to being posted.
Our most surprising conclusion from this work is that regulated bodies, municipalities in this case, are sometimes just as interested as is their regulator in knowing the rules by which they must operate, the minimal requirements for a position, its roles and responsibilities, and the necessary experience for advancement.
