ABSTRACT
Alexander George cites a number of general rules, applicable across issues and states, for effective decisionmaking, and points out many possible and common malfunctions which frequently occur in the decisionmaking process. George has identified five critical procedural tasks for effective decisionmaking: ensure, facilitate, assure, provide and maintain. These five procedures may seem self-evident, and few national leaders or groups of decisionmakers would likely quarrel over their desirability. In reality, many decisionmakers have not created the necessary facilities and agencies, and may, as in Israel’s case, have even prevented their creation. The need to present a wide range of options for consideration before a decision is arrived at is universally accepted. Most decisionmakers would swear that they considered a number of options prior to making a decision. A major goal, therefore, in improving the decisionmaking process is to create a structure whose function is to find, to define and to evaluate genuine alternative options.
