Limousin Initiatives Factory
About this good practice
The Initiative Factory provides project engineering to find solutions to the problems of rural Limousin. In this region, there are many transversal social issues that public actors can't tackle on their own - either due to a lack of resources or a lack of expertise in managing cooperative projects. The Initiative Factory works with a wide range of stakeholders to develop common responses to the issues identified.
The Initiative Factory is a neutral, non-political actor that enables dialogue between players who usually work on separate tracks. To respond to the issues raised, it follows a 4-stage methodology:
1. Diagnosis of the problem, with a large number of qualitative interviews with a wide range of players.
2. Working groups with various stakeholders to prototype solutions
3. Implementation of the solutions: search for funding and a project leader.
4. Support for the project leader until he or she is completely autonomous.
This type of mechanism exists in several regions in France. Their methodology is certified by Avise, a national agency for project engineering and social innovation.
Resources needed
At least 1 full-time employee.
Currently the Limousin Initiative Factory employs 4 persons at full time.
Evidence of success
Various projects emerged from this process and are still ongoing few years after their creation: a jobs and activities cooperative, an employers' group in the medical-social sector, platforms for re-using construction materials, the emergence of several "third places" in small rural towns to revitalise city-centers...
Potential for learning or transfer
The Fabriques à Initiatives method enables solutions to emerge by providing a non-political and secure framework for cooperative work. This is particularly relevant in contexts where public actors lack resources, for example in the case of small municipalities. The diversity of funders makes it possible to benefit from collaborative working at a much lower cost than that of a consultancy. In addition, the non-profit, nature of the mechanism ensures that the collective work aims to serve the common good.
The methodology and approach could be duplicated in other European regions to address the same issues.