In recent years, the French government has deployed a “Method of Action for the Integration of Care and Support Services for older people” (MAIA). It is a flexible organizational model informed by management knowledge, based on various managerial tools. Its territorial implementation is entrusted to “pilots” specifically recruited to steer the integration process. They work to formalize the missions of professional services, to simplify organizations and to optimize public regulation. By analyzing the singular positioning of these pilots and the different facets of their integration work, this article uncovers the emergence of new local professionals of policy integration. By exercising “soft power” rather than coercion, they work to rationalize the organization of the services.
Keywords
- public policy
- rationalization process
- integration policies
- healthcare
- services for older people