Consultation for local authorities: capacities, prioritisation and programme monitoring

Situations calling for the consultation for local authorities

• A local authority adopts a multi-year programme before having measured its financial and institutional capacities.
• A regional agency carries several competing projects and must establish an order of priority.
• A public institution launches a programme without a defined monitoring framework.
• A cooperation partner wishes to check the phasing and action instruments of a project it supports.
• A university is preparing a project with a territorial dimension and seeks to structure its steering.

Process

1. Collection of the programme or project and the institutional context. The firm first receives the programme document or the project note, with the budget data. This phase takes place asynchronously, through the transmission of documents.
2. Review of the financial and institutional capacities that can be mobilised. The analysis then compares the programme’s ambitions with the resources actually available. It thus identifies the gaps between programming and capacities.
3. Examination of the prioritisation, phasing and action instruments chosen. This step checks the consistency of the order of projects and their timetable. It also assesses whether the action instruments suit the stated objectives.
4. Review of the monitoring framework using template P-18. The review relies on template P-18 to assess the monitoring framework in place. Upstream, the IA-04 interactive assistant supports its completion, without issuing any opinion.
5. Written or videoconference presentation of findings. The guidance note constitutes an asynchronous presentation of findings. The 60-minute videoconference, by contrast, offers a synchronous exchange, documented in a session record.

Deliverable

The consultation for local authorities results in a guidance note or, in a videoconference, a session record. The document first presents the findings drawn from the review of the programme and capacities. It then proposes a prioritisation of projects and adjustments to the monitoring framework. Finally, it sets out, in order, the steps to be undertaken. The note reaches the client seven working days after receipt of complete information. The session record, for its part, traces the points examined during the videoconference.

Prerequisites

The consultation requires the programme document or, failing that, a project note. The available budget data and the organisation chart of the steering structure supplement these documents. The timeframe runs from receipt of all this information.

Frequently asked questions

How to choose between the guidance note and the videoconference?

The guidance note is suitable when the programme calls for a detailed reading and a written record to be shared between departments. The 60-minute videoconference, by contrast, favours direct exchange with those responsible for steering. In both cases, the content covers the findings, the prioritisation, the monitoring framework and the steps. The common consultation form records the chosen format.

What is the timeframe for the consultation for local authorities?

The guidance note is delivered within seven working days. The videoconference takes place in a slot set at least 7 days after booking (priority slot possible within five working days), Tuesday to Thursday. These timeframes run from receipt of a complete file. They nevertheless remain indicative, in accordance with the common rules of the catalogue. A missing document therefore postpones the starting point of the timeframe.

What form does an order from a public body take?

For local authorities, public institutions and bodies subject to public expenditure rules, the order follows their regulations. It thus takes the form of a purchase order, a contract or an agreement. The content of the consultation nevertheless remains identical, whatever the form of the order.

Why examine capacities before programming?

A territorial programme becomes fragile when programming precedes the diagnosis of capacities. It is also weakened when projects lack prioritisation or when the monitoring framework is missing. The consultation therefore addresses these three points in a logical order. It nevertheless remains an obligation of means: the local authority remains the sole decision-maker on its choices.

Do the documents provided remain confidential?

ASKonsult treats the information and documents provided by the client as confidential. They are exchanged through the secure area, and their use is limited to the purposes of the consultation. This obligation survives the end of the relationship. The client is likewise bound with regard to the non-public tools and deliverables it receives.

What role does the IA-04 interactive assistant play?

The IA-04 interactive assistant supports the completion of template P-18. It explains the sections, clarifies what is expected and checks the consistency and completeness of the answers. However, the assistant issues no opinion and does not qualify any particular situation. Its outputs do not constitute a deliverable: the firm then analyses and validates the work prepared.

What follow-up can extend the consultation?

When the programme calls for structured work, the Developing a territorial action programme package (K-14) takes over. The Facilitating a stakeholder workshop or panel package (K-20) is another possible follow-up. A recurring need points instead to the Institutions and Territories subscription (A-04). In addition, the investment consultation (C-10) and the institutional communication consultation (C-14) address related issues.

Out of scope

The consultation for local authorities does not include drawing up the programme itself. It also excludes any delegated project ownership. Facilitating consultation with territorial stakeholders also remains outside the service. Finally, ASKonsult provides no representation of the local authority before third parties in the context of this consultation.