Collective Impact Partnership for Arab Employment

Background, foundation, and structure of the Initiative: 
The Initiative was founded in September 2013 and focuses on achieving a breakthrough in the rate and quality of employment of the Arab population in the business sector, realizing that the existing large gaps between Jews and Arabs in the unemployment rate, fields of employment, and level of income are detrimental to the economy and democracy in Israel, and erode social solidarity. 

The activity of the Initiative is based on proven benefits for the business sector in hiring Arab employees, and focuses on providing services to help companies go through the process of internal change, learning, and expertise that will enable them to change processes of recruiting, hiring and retaining employees from the Arab society.

A yearlong study, carried out by the consulting firm Shaldor, preceded the Initiative’s activities. The study examined the business viability, barriers, opportunities, and generators of change among 50 of the 200 largest leading companies in the business sector. One of the products of the study is the creation of four operative models for intervention. Validation of these models began with six of the largest companies in various industries, which had been chosen as pilot companies. 

The Initiative implements the Collective Impact model, which assumes that the solution to complex economic and social problems requires cross sectorial processes of influence to create a synchronized effort. Various partners work together with full trust and transparency using various tools, with a common purpose and agreed upon measuring tools, in a mutual learning process, to develop creative solutions and integration. The Initiative is a broad partnership that is operated by a team led by a steering committee with representatives of all stakeholders (a forum of the leading companies which participated in the study and in the pilot which followed, NGO forum, Jewish-Arab business leadership, public and government round table, philanthropy representatives, and round table of young Arabs in management positions). 

Success with the six pilot companies, business leadership, and expansion of activities to additional companies in 2016:
At the beginning of 2016, the six pilot companies completed a pilot stage of testing the intervention models for change. The result of the pilot was the approval of three-year work plans by each company’s management. These work plans were based on cooperation between the companies and the Initiative with an emphasis on the business case for each company, measurable goals with a timeframe for recruitment of employees from Arab society, and a detailed plan for the use of specific supporting tools. The companies are now in the implementation stage in which NGOs and other bodies provide the companies with the necessary services and tools.

The Initiative continues its support to the companies after the pilot stage, accompanying the process of embedding and implementing the change together with designated organizational consultants, NGOs and partners. The initiative has since begun activities with other companies and during 2016, other major companies, including Teva and Strauss, will start in-depth work in a second pilot round.

The Change:
The Initiative and its partners are working to achieve a deep, long-term, sustainable, system-wide breakthrough in the integration of Arab employees in the economy. The change will come through in-depth work on internalization of the business benefits with the companies taking responsibility for the process of internal change. This means setting concrete effective goals and work plans while handling technical barriers and barriers of perceptions throughout the company, focusing on organizational change where necessary. In parallel, the change will come by a deep and broad partnership of all relevant stakeholders that are going through a learning process on the needs of the employers and the market, and are involved in creating tools and solutions to barriers and assisting employers in achieving the challenge of a breakthrough.