Towards effective information processing in high office. An analysis of Decision Support Systems in the national governments of Israel and Egypt

The analysis of support systems for high office is evaluated from the perspective of an information-systems analyst. Two cases of information systems for governmental policy making institutions, one in Egypt and the other in Israel, are compared and integrated to 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 decision support systems is inadequate for very high-level policy making environments. A broader view of the decision-making activities is presented, which suggests that support systems for high level policy making require an unconventional approach for their development.