Patricia Loncle tackles the issue of social innovation in local policies, particularly in the areas of social affairs and health. Having first noted that local policies are said to be a response to a local specificity — a health or social problem particular to the territory in question — she then shows that over and beyond this appearance, they are in reality the result of highly developed networks between various social actors, to which are added certain political and administrative factors, such as a tradition of partnership intervention, the stability of political and administrative staff, and the absence of tensions between the various actors.