Introduction

This chapter has a threefold role in the context of the ILPA volume entitled Policy Analysis in Israel. It proposes to examine the contribution of the Programmes of Public Policy and/or Administration (a) to the public service in Israel at large; (b) to the instruction of public policy; (c) to the instruction of policy analysis. These foci provide a basis for discussion on the state of the art of policy analysis instruction and its challenges in Israel.

These foci, respectively, stem from the hypothesis that the educational programmes: (a) should create education and training courses of study that are ‘fit for purpose’, that is, serve the field of public policy in general; and (b) public policy being the operational output of any public governance framework, these programmes should advance acceptable practices in the policy analysis domain. Policy analysis is seen as an integral part of the public policy making process, which renders policy planning and decision making systematic and rational – thus more efficient, effective, reliable and transparent. As graduate programmes at MA level mainly train present or future public servants the ability of the latter to instill practical skills is paramount.

International normative concepts and practices in public policy and policy analysis Education

In analysing the state of the art of policy analysis graduate instruction in Israel, we note two types of public policy programmes: the first stems from the orientation that deems necessary the provision of knowledge about the policy processes and their intricacies – political, administrative, or disciplinary in the social sciences liberal arts tradition; the second, emphasises policy analysis as a crucial junction in the actual ‘doing of public policy’, within the public policy process. These two aspects of public policy instruction have been identified as long ago as 1989 by David Weimer and Aidan Vining (1989; 2010) who differentiated between policy analysis on the one hand and research in public policy, administration, political sciences and social sciences – each with their respective purposes, constraints and methods.

The distinct normative principles of policy analysis as a stand-alone domain are at the heart of the public policy and policy analysis movement started in the 1960s in the US at a time of major public expenditure on welfare and cold war strategic public investments.