(Dé)formations pour élus en transition

(Dé)Formations is a 24-month experimental programme run by the Institut Paris Région and La 27e région, with support from Partie Prenante and the design agency Pratico-Pratique.

It aims to re-examine the objectives, formats and content of training programmes for elected representatives, in order to help them renew their practices. It is aimed in particular at elected representatives and public decision-makers from local authorities located far from major urban centres or who rarely take part in traditional training programmes.

Most existing training programmes meet elected representatives’ expectations in terms of legal, tax and technical analysis. However, very few address the current need to reinvent the role of local elected representatives, against a backdrop of public mistrust and accelerating ecological, economic, social and democratic transitions.

Should elected representatives be trained, and if so, in what and how? What training methods and content should be developed, for example, to change leadership styles, promote more systemic approaches, foster more open and cooperative ways of working, or better link theory and practice? But also, how can we reach those who are least likely to seek training of their own accord? All these questions lie at the heart of the (Dé)formations programme, designed for elected representatives in transition.

This programme is implemented with the financial support from the Grand Plan d’Investissement.

Reinventing training for elected representatives: Re-examining the objectives, formats and content of training programmes for elected representatives, with a view to helping them renew their practices in line with ecological, social and democratic transitions, whilst prioritising elected representatives and public decision-makers from local authorities situated far from major urban centres.

Building capacity amongst staff at the Institut Paris Région: For the Institut Paris Région, the aim is to benefit from the transfer of innovative practices from La 27e Région and its partners, particularly in the areas of user-centred design and field trials. It is with this aim in mind that a group of staff from the Institut Paris Région is taking part in the programme.

At the end of the programme, new training scenarios were proposed, tested and refined. Strategic recommendations were made to develop and sustain these scenarios at regional and national level. (Dé)Formations is designed as a framework for creating open knowledge. The recommendations, scenarios and all programme documentation have been disseminated, utilised and freely implemented, not only by the Institut Paris Région for its own training catalogue, but also by other organisations, under a ‘Creative Commons’ open licence.