Published on September 18, 2018

Bodies for regional dialogue

Formalised dialogue at the national and departmental level

Bodies established by the local postal coverage agreement create space for regional dialogue between La Poste and local authorities.

The National Postal Presence Observatory (ONPP) works on the national level, while Departmental Commissions on Local Postal Presence (CDPPTs) intervene on the departmental level.

The National Postal Coverage Observatory (ONPP) : central governance

Four missions

The Postal Coverage Observatory has four main missions :

  • Monitor the way the compensation fund is managed

  • Support the work of the CDPPTs

  • Ensure that La Poste's commitments are upheld in terms of developing its network, especially in the context of public or private partnerships

  • Ensure that a system is set up to inform users of summer closures and changes to opening hours

Upholding commitments to regional dialogue

To provide better service, La Poste is committed to better informing users of the various changes to opening hours. During summer closures, which may not last longer than three weeks, a description of La Poste’s local service offerings must be communicated to the mayor. Throughout the duration of the contact, the ONPP, in collaboration with the CDPPTs, must ensure that all of these principles are properly applied.

Confirmed double governance

The Observatory shall be made up of 28 members :

  • Six members appointed by the French government, which is a signatory of this agreement

  • Six members appointed by the AMF, which is a signatory of this agreement

  • Six members appointed by La Poste, which is a signatory of this agreement

  • Six members appointed by the CSNP (Higher Commission for Digital and Postal Services)

  • Two members appointed by the Conference of Regions from among regional councillor members of the CDPPTs

  • Two members appointed by the ADF (Assembly of French Departments) from among departmental councillors who are members of the CDPPTs

Members shall be appointed for the duration of the agreement. Former chairs of the Observatory shall be entitled to sit on the Observatory for the duration of this agreement.

The chair of the Observatory shall be elected from the elected members who have been appointed by the CSNP. The two vice-chairs shall be appointed from the representatives of the AMF in the Observatory. 

The board of the Observatory shall be composed of the chair and two vice-chairs. A representative of the French government delegation and a representative of the La Poste delegation shall attend the board’s meetings. 

The general secretariat duties of the Observatory shall be performed by La Poste, which shall appoint for this purpose a person to be responsible for facilitating the Observatory and regularly organising meetings of the Observatory and its board. 

The Departmental Commissions on Local Postal Presence (CDPPTs) : local governance

Three missions

The CDPPTs are key bodies for dialogue with elected officials, and are informed by La Poste about all projects. They have three major missions at the department level :

  • Advise on La Poste projects (modernisation of the network, development of public outlets, etc.)

  • Help identify communities’ needs,

  • Negotiate departments’ priorities for use of the compensation fund

Consolidated jurisdictions of the CDPPTs within the framework of the 2017-2019 agreement

The CDPPTs shall have autonomy in managing the compensation fund. Allocation of all the departmental resources shall be conducted within the CDPPTs, upon proposal made by the La Poste representative and in the presence of a representative of the French government. The CDPPTs may also conduct experiments, particularly to test new solutions for pooling services.

The CDPPTs shall be composed of eight members :

  • Four municipal councillorS

  • Two departmental councillors

  • Two regional councillors

A representative of the French government shall attend meetings. General secretariat services shall be performed by a representative of La Poste.

Within the framework of the rules defined by this agreement, the Observatory shall specify the methods for practical deployment of the compensation fund, and shall monitor the implementation of the provisions of this agreement.

The main missions of the ONPP :

  • Implement and monitor methods for using the compensation fund resources

  • Monitor and assess work of the CDPPTs

  • Alert co-signatories in the event actions taken do not comply with the provisions of this agreement

  • inspect annual balance sheets related to management of the fund and postal coverage

  • Monitor the development of the postal network, particularly partnerships, public service centres hosted in post offices, and postman-counter clerk offices

  • Centralise and monitor various experiments conducted by the CDPPTs

  • Approve agreement models with respect to new ways to pool services, and, in particular, related financial returns

  • Formalise advice and recommendations in the event of referral by the CDPPTs

Broader duties of the CDPPTs :

  • Propose the distribution of the entire departmental allocation

  • Fund compulsory expenses as a priority

  • Especially those related to the functioning of public outlets

  • Those within the scope of functioning and regional planning

  • Those related to digital accessibility in these public outlets

  • Ensure equal treatment across all scopes of regional planning for the duration of the agreement

  • Ensure that resources allocated to digital accessibility, as well as all equipment and related expenses combined, assessed for the duration of the agreement, represent at least 15% of overall departmental allocations

  • Conduct experiments, especially to test new solutions for pooling services, within a limit of 5% of their departmental allocation. In this capacity, they shall prepare an annual experimentation report to be given to the Observatory

  • Play an institutional monitoring role, which will allow them to take stock of changes in the region

  • Strengthen communication surrounding initiatives they implement with the help of the compensation fund, within a limit of 0.5% of their departmental allocation”.