Israeli Center for Empowerment of Citizens

The Israeli Center for Empowerment of Citizens (CECI; Hebrew: המרכז הישראלי להעצמת האזרח) is an independent, non-partisan, non-profit association founded in 2003 on the initiative of Yitzhak Nazrian. It is located near Tel Aviv University and operates as a civic institution dedicated to improving governance in Israel. Over the years, CECI has led extensive public activity on reforming the system of government and promoting governmental stability. Today, its focus is on improving policy implementation processes, the functioning of the executive branch, promoting public-sector effectiveness, and leading change in these areas for the benefit of the public. CECI's work centers on developing research and academic knowledge bases, monitoring and tracking the implementation of public decisions, and leading public, media, and political discourse to place these issues on the public agenda. Its projects aim to improve government work in Israel, identify organizational barriers and failures that delay policy execution, and increase public knowledge about government work. The Center operates the "Monitor" project for civic monitoring of the implementation of government decisions and Knesset laws, and develops advanced technological tools to increase accountability among decision-makers and public servants. Key initiatives include the Civic Monitor for Government Performance ("HaMonitor"), which tracks the implementation of public decisions using open information, academic research, and freedom-of-information requests; the EzGov app launched in 2015, which provides real-time personalized alerts on government decisions and Knesset laws in plain language; monitoring of coalition agreements; the "Budget Utilization" website developed in 2016, which graphically presents state budget utilization data from the past twenty years; the Local Monitor, a joint project with the Ministry of Education in which high-school students track local authority decisions as part of their civics matriculation; and the Government Index, a tool assessing the functioning of Israeli governments based on governance level, implementation of decisions, professional capacity, barriers, and macroeconomic implications. CECI also holds conferences and seminars on democracy, governance, and policy implementation, and runs the "Ma'aseh Yadeinu" (Our Handiwork) initiative for a new roadmap for public service. The Center trains dozens of students annually as researchers in exchange for tuition scholarships, and its monitoring reports are distributed to the public and government officials and are available on its website. CECI's work is characterized by a commitment to transparency, accountability, and citizen involvement in the public sector.

The Israeli Center for Empowerment of Citizens (CECI) was founded in 2003 on the initiative of Yitzhak Nazrian. It was established as an independent, non-partisan, non-profit association (registered in Israel as a non-profit organization, "ע"ר"). From its early years, the Center led extensive public activity on reforming the system of government and promoting governmental stability. Over time, its focus evolved toward improving policy implementation processes, the functioning of the executive branch, and public-sector effectiveness. A central pillar of CECI's work has been the development of research and academic knowledge bases and the monitoring of public decision implementation. The Center operates the "Monitor" project for civic monitoring of government decisions and Knesset laws. In 2015, CECI launched the EzGov app, which allows users to follow government decisions and Knesset laws in real time with personalized alerts. In 2016, the Center developed the "Budget Utilization" website, an online budget analysis tool based on Ministry of Finance data, presenting state budget utilization over the past twenty years graphically. That same year, CECI held the "Ma BaTochnit?" (What's in the Plan?) workshop on July 7, 2016, at Tel Aviv University's School of Environmental Studies, bringing together deputy directors-general for planning from several ministries with representatives of about 50 civil society organizations. The Center also conducts the Local Monitor project in cooperation with the Ministry of Education, in which high-school students track the implementation of local authority decisions as part of their civics matriculation. It publishes the Government Index, an integrative tool assessing the functioning of Israeli governments, and conducts an annual survey among senior public servants. In its April 2016 survey, former senior officials identified labor unions, the Civil Service Commission, and heavy bureaucracy as the main barriers to implementing government policy. CECI continues to hold conferences and seminars on democracy, governance, and policy implementation, and to develop technological tools to increase accountability and citizen engagement.

• 2016

  "Budget Utilization" website developed, presenting state budget utilization data from the past twenty years graphically.

• 2016

  "Ma BaTochnit?" workshop held on July 7 at Tel Aviv University's School of Environmental Studies.

• 2016

  Annual survey of senior public servants published in April; former officials cited labor unions, Civil Service Commission, and bureaucracy as main barriers.

• 2015

  EzGov app launched, enabling real-time tracking of government decisions and Knesset laws with personalized alerts.

• 2003

  CECI founded on the initiative of Yitzhak Nazrian as an independent, non-partisan, non-profit association.

Non-partisan, non-profit civic monitoring and research organization focused on government accountability, policy implementation, and public service improvement in Israel.

• HaMonitor (Civic Monitor for Government Performance)

  A civic-public project that monitors and tracks the implementation of public decisions, creating an empirical knowledge base on policy implementation in the public sector.

• EzGov app

  A mobile app launched in 2015 that allows real-time tracking of government decisions and Knesset laws with personalized alerts, summarized in plain language.

• Budget Utilization website

  An online budget analysis tool developed in 2016, based on Ministry of Finance data, presenting state budget utilization over twenty years graphically.

• Government Index

  An integrative tool assessing the functioning of Israeli governments based on governance level, decision implementation, professional capacity, barriers, and macroeconomic implications.

• Local Monitor

  A joint project with the Ministry of Education in which high-school students track local authority decisions as part of their civics matriculation.

• Coalition agreements monitoring

  Ongoing monitoring of the implementation of coalition agreements, accessible via a dedicated website with various cuts by topic, party, and implementation status.

1. 1דף הבית - CECIceci.org.il
2. 2Merkaz ha-Yiśreʼeli le-haʻatsamat ha-ezraḥ - Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3המרכז הישראלי להעצמת האזרח - Wikipediahe.wikipedia.org