Ways of managing the health insurance fund in the Yvelines département

Patrick Negaret suggests that the state-owned health insurance fund could be at the cutting edge of managerial innovation. He wants to dispel age-old prejudices levelled against this administration, often judged to be meticulous and old-fashioned. He was keen for his staff to become more efficient and also to enjoy their jobs. Consequently, he undertook a major operation of ‘liberating energy’, stressing the importance of empowerment, trust and recognition. Far from applying managerial dogma such as the ‘freedom-form company’, he calls for a common-sense and pragmatic approach which is reliable and allows room for error. The results are there to prove it: a spectacular fall in absenteeism and employee turnover, and a significant improvement in the service provided to those insured. Could this signal a breath of fresh air in the French administration?