Transforming the non-profit offer to improve life trajectories for people with disabilities: The challenge of creating a social engineering department.

Organisational transformation, life trajectory continuity, and cross-functional service engineering for people with intellectual disabilities.

Regional

Faced with rapidly changing needs of people with disabilities and disruptions in life trajectories due to historically compartmentalized services, the association committed to a profound organisational transformation. The objective is to place the person at the centre of their life trajectories, to empower them and to ensure continuity of support throughout their life. In 2025, the association created a Social Engineering Department dedicated to strategic steering of the transformation of services, to the creation of new responses and partnerships.

The main results of the practice are improved quality of life for people with disabilities and their families through: the transformation of medical and social services (creation of Medical and Educational Support Systems, new departments for multiple disabilities and independent living, transformation of Sheltered workshops); creation of innovative systems (pathway commissions, support unit for complex support needs, Carers Support Services, Mobile Educational Support Team, physical and sports activity advisors); strengthening internal structure through cross-functional commissions and an ethics committee; and boosting territorial cooperation and thematic collectives.

People with intellectual disabilities, children and adults, with or without associated disorders; families and carers; care professionals of the organisation. The association supports 2,700 individuals –2,000 adults and 700 children – through 50 facilities and services, and brings together 350 families.

The practice is sustainable because it is publicly funded as part of a multi-year plan, integrated into the NGO's HR strategy, and supported by committed governance. It is transferable because it is based on national and European recommendations, adaptable to any territory facing similar needs, replicable in other organizations through cross-functional structuring, and spreadable thanks to membership of a national (UNAPEI) and European network

Eric FORESTIER — Director of Social Engineering Department / eforestier@papillonsblancs-rxtg.org