Creating synergies in Court-Saint-Étienne

Streamlining operations between municipality and Public Social Welfare Centre

Local authorities today face mounting pressure to maximise service efficiency while controlling costs. The challenge of eliminating administrative duplications between municipalities and Public Social Welfare Centres has become critical. Teams need careful preparation for organisational change, and any approach must respect each institution's unique characteristics while delivering measurable results.

The Public Social Welfare Centre of Court-Saint-Étienne took up this challenge with BDO's expertise. This collaboration, conducted within the framework of a public tender, offers valuable insight into current issues of institutional mergers and partnerships in Wallonia.

Watch the video below to discover how Court-Saint-Étienne experienced the collaboration with BDO.

A necessary diagnosis for complementary institutions

With around twenty staff members, the Public Social Welfare Centre of Court-Saint-Étienne provides essential services to the population, but faces a common reality: the duplication of administrative functions with the municipality. Two general directors, two HR departments, two accounting services, two administrative services... This organisation generated extra costs and complexities that could be optimised.

Steve De Wevere, Mayor of Court-Saint-Étienne and former president of the Public Social Welfare Centre, explains: ‘BDO successfully supported us in a complex project: optimising synergies between our municipality and our Public Social Welfare Centre. We had duplications everywhere. Their methodology was very professional: first a precise scoping of our expectations, then a complete diagnosis, and finally discussions with all our staff to propose concrete solutions.’

The objective was clear: refocus the activities of the Public Social Welfare Centre on its social mission while creating sustainable administrative synergies with the municipality.

A methodological approach in five phases

The collaboration with BDO was structured around a progressive and participatory approach structured around five distinct phases. The first phase allowed precise scoping of expectations and methodology, a crucial step to avoid scope creep - a frequent issue in this type of project.

The diagnostic phase then analysed the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of each service. This SWOT approach identified optimisation levers while respecting the specificities of each institution.

Consultation with staff and management committee members constituted a key stage in the process. These in-depth interviews helped identify operational challenges and anticipate organisational issues.

Armed with diagnostic insights and staff feedback, the team then concentrated on targeting actionable solutions and developing concrete recommendations tailored to Court-Saint-Étienne's specific context.

The process concluded with a detailed implementation roadmap featuring phased timelines, providing clear next steps for sustainable change management.

What I appreciated was that BDO didn't just do theoretical auditing. The team took time to listen to our colleagues, anticipate resistance to change and prepare actionable solutions for us.

Steve De WevereMayor of Court-Saint-Étienne

Tailored support

Beyond methodology, it was the quality of human support that marked this collaboration. The BDO team in charge of the project successfully created fostered collaborative partnerships with local teams.

What really struck me about BDO was their tailored approach. Unlike other consultants who arrive with ready-made templates, they created a real climate of trust from the start. Their consultant was exceptionally available, and this continued even after the official end of the project.

Steve De WevereMayor of Court-Saint-Étienne

Concrete results

The project resulted in structured recommendations with a phased action calendar. The first concrete achievement was the merger of technical services, effective for several months with the transfer of Public Social Welfare Centre workers to the municipality.

The experience of Court-Saint-Étienne resonates particularly in the current context of reflections on Public Social Welfare Centre-municipality mergers in Wallonia. It demonstrates that with rigorous methodology and appropriate support, it is possible to enhance institutional collaboration while preserving each organisation's core missions.

‘Would I recommend BDO to other municipalities or Public Social Welfare Centres? Without hesitation! Having a partner who understands our specificities is essential. We still maintain informal contacts with them for our new projects’, concludes the Mayor.

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