Interior Ministry and Statistics Bureau Sign Municipal Data-Sharing Agreement

The Interior Ministry and Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics have signed a memorandum of understanding to formalize cooperation and the exchange of information about local authorities. Ministry director-general Israel Uzan and National Statistician Prof. Yaron Felus signed the agreement, which was disclosed on November 10. The arrangement is intended to establish regular transfers of reliable professional information, including data entering the government data lake. It combines the bureau’s statistical and methodological expertise with the ministry’s knowledge of local authorities and its oversight responsibilities. Uzan said, in translation, “Data-based decision-making allows us to better understand the needs of local authorities…” He said the cooperation would help the ministry adapt its tools to individual authorities and improve service to residents. The agreement supports the ministry’s “Authority 360” program, which is intended to build a comprehensive picture and a smart profile of each local authority. Planned national municipal measures include fiscal-capacity indicators and an indicator of municipal administrative compliance. Felus said that making municipal information more accessible would support informed policy and help turn data into insights for decision-making. Implementation within the ministry will be led by the research, data and policy-evaluation department in its senior strategy division, together with its senior digital technologies and information division, other ministry units and the National Digital Agency. Anna Lerner-Zachut, who heads the strategy division, said the joint professional foundation would help the ministry understand authorities’ circumstances and carry that understanding into policy planning and implementation.