Support systems for high level policy making: What makes them special

Two information systems for Governmental policy making institutions, one in Egypt and the other in Israel, are compared and contrasted to understand and describe the unique character of the decision-making activities in such institutions. It is argued, that the underlying model of decision processes that is assumed in the design of conventional DSS is inadequate for very high level policy making environments. A broader view of the decision-making activities is presented and is shown to fit into a theoretical framework that combines the structured and anarchic perspectives of decision making. It is further argued, that support systems for high level policy making require an unconventional approach for their development.