Local authorities shape the daily lives of Israel’s citizens more directly than any other public system. They oversee education, welfare, planning, infrastructure, and emergency response in an increasingly complex and politically dynamic environment.
As municipalities confront widening social gaps, rapid urban change, and rising public expectations, the demands on senior executives have intensified. Yet structured national investment in developing municipal leadership has not kept pace with these expanding responsibilities.
Places (Mekomot) is a partnership between Sheatufim, Yad Hanadiv and the Ministry of Interior, established to strengthen the managerial backbone of Israel’s municipalities. Its vision is to create a national framework for developing senior municipal leadership – integrating professional expertise with advanced management capabilities, shared standards, and cross-authority collaboration. By professionalizing leadership at the top levels of local government, Places enhances institutional resilience, improves public service delivery, and reinforces local democracy.
At the core of Places is a six-month mandatory Executive Entry Program for newly appointed senior municipal officials. The program equips participants with advanced management tools, partnership-building methodologies, innovation frameworks, and a deep understanding of municipal governance. It brings together 15 key municipal roles – including municipal CEOs, engineers, treasurers, legal advisors, education and welfare directors, HR and operations directors, IT leaders, and others – creating a shared professional language across authorities.
Beyond entry training, Places provides ongoing professional development throughout executives’ tenure and serves as a national municipal knowledge center, collecting field-based insights and research to strengthen policy, practice, and long-term excellence in local government.
