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The Iterative Process of a Strategic Perspective Can Help Israel Shape Policy

• Israel will profit from bringing a systemic strategic perspective into its policy process. Formal strategic planning places emphasis on an output, while a strategic perspective is a process for bringing an analytical element into policy decisionmaking.
• Decision and action should be informed by observation and orientation. The circularity of this process suggests the value of having these functions be integral to the institutions involved in decisionmaking.
• Despite the difficulties, it is possible to make explicit the objectives for socioeconomic policy and use this as a framework for a strategic perspective.
• A strategic perspective can be obtained by going through a series of steps outlined in the report that not only build on each other but also allow later steps to shed greater light on those that have preceded them.
• Population aging presents a good example of an "inevitable surprise" for which Israel should now begin to plan and frame government policy.

RAND Corporation researchers provided support to an Israeli government team of high-level officials charged with improving the processes for long-term socioeconomic strategy within the government. This report highlights selected inputs the researchers made to the government team to summarize the essential mechanics and roles for bringing a strategic perspective to the consideration of policy. In doing so, it provides the example of problems associated with an aging population as an illustration of how one can use a strategic perspective in an analysis of policy choices.

Israel will benefit from bringing a systemic strategic perspective into its policy process. The concept is integral to formal strategic planning but distinct; although the latter places emphasis on an output (a strategic plan), a strategic perspective is a process for bringing an analytical element into policy decisionmaking. A strategic perspective helps to bridge not only the gap between a short-term focus and longer-term outcomes but also that across ministerial portfolios and responsibilities.

A strategic perspective typically begins with a vision of what a desirable future state of the world might be. Translating a vision into policy requires an understanding of the challenges to achieving the vision and employing processes for setting specific goals to meet those challenges, identifying indicators to measure both status and progress toward goals, and designing and implementing policy measures that will contribute to achievement of goals.

• Chapter One

  Introduction

• Chapter Two

  The Strategic Perspective and Socioeconomic Policy

• Chapter Three

  Visions, Goals, and Strategic Frameworks

• Chapter Four

  Measurement and Indicators of Socioeconomic Outcomes in Israel

• Chapter Five

  Applying a Strategic Perspective

• Chapter Six

  Scan and List Initial Questions

• Chapter Seven

  Information-Gathering and Mapping the System: Israeli and International Experience with Population Aging

• Chapter Eight

  Dynamic Analysis: Focus on Health Care Cost and Dependency

• Chapter Nine

  Scenario Building: First Simple Steps

• Chapter Ten

  Moving Toward Strategic Planning and Implementation

• Appendix A

  Candidate Indicators Within the Balanced Scorecard

• Appendix B

  Selected Output from the November 2011 Backcasting Workshop

• Appendix C

  Candidate Policy Actions for Population Aging