Background

The IGPDE was founded in July 2001, after taking over the activities of the CFPP (centre for vocational and continuous training), set up in 1945 within the French Ministry of Economy and Finance.

Its creation corresponds with two important reforms:

• the merging of the Ministry of Economy and Finance with the Ministry of Industry ;
• a constitutional bylaw on the budgetary reform passed through Parliament in 2001 and implemented in 2006 : the « LOLF » (Loi Organique relative aux Lois de Finances).

Competent in its field nation-wide, the institute has been attached to the Ministry's Secretary-General since 2006

It fulfills a twofold mission:

• to provide continuing training mainly for the personnel of the Ministry ;
• to expand research and knowledge dissemination activities on public management and economy towards all French civil servants and civil society.

Training activities

The Institute:

• provides nearly all the continuing training efforts for the central administration of the Ministry ;
• is the inter-directorate training actor for staff belonging to network directorates (taxes, accounting...) ;
• is widening training within its areas of expertise to other administrations.

Continuing training

1. Training in tools and methods of public management and economic development:

• budget and accounting of the state (budgetary reform and LOLF School -see below -) ;
• management and assessment of performance ;
• quality in services to users ;
• control, audit and advice functions ;
• management ;
• human resources management and LOLF ;
• knowledge training ;
• public procurement ;
• macro-economy ;
• sustainable development and eco-responsability.

The LOLF School

Created in 2006 and devoted to all "LOLF" training programs

Twofold vocation:

• to provide appropriate and regularly updated answers to the needs of the various administrations ;
• to assure the long-term coordination of the "LOLF"'s training action plans.

In preparation, a Public Procurement School

2. Training for personal development and professional potential:

• improvement of individual performance and professional skills ;
• various forms of communication (written and oral expression) ;
• specific professionnal training programs (documentary and secretarial work…) ;
• general awareness on public law, private law, european and international affairs.

3. Executive Officers Management University (UNICA)

• management cycle proposed to new executive officers (ministerial cycle of initial training)

cycle proposed to all the new executive officers (1,300 a year) to develop professionnal methodologies and, beyond that, a ministerial culture

• management cycle proposed to senior executive officers and executive directors (around 200 a year)
• contractualised training programs for career and change management

4. Training in information and communication technologies:

• vocational training for Ministry's computer staff (6,000 staff) ;
• office automation training ;
• new accounting software implemented with the LOLF.

5. Foreign languages and intercultural training:

• instruction in 10 languages (including sign language) ;
• extensive annual cycles but also specific training courses.

Preparation for competitive and professionnal examinations

This category includes:

• the internal promotion within the Ministry (staff of the central administration and the network directorates of the Ministry) ;
• the staff of other administrations for the interministerial examinations -National School of Administration (ENA), Regional Institutes of Administration... (18,000 registered each year)
• the staff preparing office automation

Research and knowledge dissemination activities

The Institute:

• develops research projects, surveys and initiates thinking studies in the field of public management ;
• pursues research and publication activities in economic history ;
• develops international cooperation activities.

Activities open to large public

Seminar / conferences / round tables / workshops, for instance:

• economic developement studies (CHEDE)
• economic meetings
• differing perspectives on business

Committee for Economic and Financial History of France (CHEFF)

Actions taken on an international level:

• ongoing monitoring of public management in France and abroad ;
• annual organization of the "International Meeting for Public Management" in cooperation with the OECD ;
• franco-german seminars every six months ;
• cooperation with foreign countries (assistance to new members of the European Union in their process of modernization, responding to training needs...).

Targeted audiences

A range of training courses which varies according to the audience:

• the central administration of the MINEFI (12,000 staff) ;
• the local services (in the regions) (161,000 staff) ;
• the other ministries and administrations (20% of the trainees) ;
• civil society (conferences / seminars) (academics, MPs, trade-unionists, NGO corporate managers, business leaders, professions, journalists…).

Types of intervention

1. Direct mode :

• catalogue or specific training courses ;
• external training periods ;
• conferences, seminars, round tables, workshop, thematic days, for instance:

- National meetings for  executive directors

- Seminars on economic change

- Management control and purchasing policy workshops

2. Indirect mode :

• trainer training and educational tools ;
• on-line course materials and CD-ROM ;
• studies and publications (for instance : Perspective Gestions Publiques, Gestions Publiques en revues)
• e-learning:

- automation training

- languages

- modules on management control, the LOLF

Organization and management

Run by a general manager assisted by an associate director, the Institute’s activities are grounded on three axes:

• a « studies » axis focussing on « classical » training (preparation for competitive examinations, personal development…) ;
• a « modernization activities» axis focussing on research, public management and the LOLF School ;
• an axis devoted to the Institute’s support activities (secretary-general).

An annual programme of activities approved by a strategic committee

A project of service and a quality approach

• the Marianne charter
• eco-responsability
• systematic evaluation process

The Institute: facts & figures (2006)

• 216 full-time staff
• > 1,300 teachers or consultants
• budget: € 22m (including self generated income)
• 25,000 trainees in continuous training
• 19,400 trainees preparing competitive examination
• 89,800 instruction days
• 19 million printed pages
• 39,000 CD-ROMs produced
• 1,250,000 pages seen on the web
• 2,500 sq. m. teaching facilities
• 47 lecture rooms, 2 lecture halls
• 1 adjustable space of 600 sq. m. (+ translation booth)
• 1 documentation center
• 1 staff restaurant, 1 snack bar

CONTACT

Address :

• IGPDE 20 ALLEE GEORGES POMPIDOU – 94306 VINCENNES CEDEX - FR

Customer service department (Relations avec les clients de l’Institut) :

• Tel : + 33 1 4163 5656
• Fax : + 33 1 4163 5650
• e-mail : info.igpde@finances.gouv.fr  
• IGPDE website : http://www.institut.minefi.gouv.fr/
• The monthly newsletter IGPDE Actualités (subscription on the IGPDE website)