Our approach to dialogue and consultation

To ensure the success of a regional project, the Société des grands projets has adopted a method based on consultation, dialogue and continuous exchange with local authorities, partners and residents. This method has guided the construction of the Grand Paris Express and will be pursued, strengthened and updated with the roll-out of Metropolitan Regional Express Services (SERM).

Maintaining a close relationship with local authorities and stakeholders

From the outset, Société des grands projets has placed dialogue at the center of its relationships with local and regional authorities. Through listening, sharing, respecting local differences and supporting elected representatives, this method helps to improve the acceptability of the project and prepare communities for the arrival of a transport project.

A dedicated team all throughout the project

To guarantee the conditions necessary for dialogue and to support local authorities as closely as possible, we have set up teams dedicated to local relations. These teams are the privileged partners of local institutional players. Within Société des grands projets, they work in close collaboration with our operational teams. This support is essential if we are to find the right solutions for each region, at every step in the project life cycle.

Forums for dialogue with stakeholders

Discussions between local stakeholders and Société des grands projets take place within the framework of a number of local consultation bodies. These enable us to maintain a constant dialogue, involve all stakeholders in decision-making, and ensure that project management is geared towards operational efficiency. In addition, specific bodies with mobility and planning stakeholders help to understand the needs of each region in this area, and to drive and coordinate urban transformations around the new transport hubs.

Two major bodies, the Supervisory Board and the Strategic Council, ensure that both the French government and elected officials are represented in the governance of Société des grands projets. These bodies guide the company's strategic decisions and provide it with concrete proposals and measures.

Turning construction sites into opportunities for regions

As part of the construction of the Grand Paris Express, closer coordination with local authorities, institutional bodies and companies is helping to promote local hiring and the integration of people with little access to employment. Thanks to this close partnership, we have been able to set up a one-stop shop for jobseekers and local SMEs across the Greater Paris metropolitan area. This collaboration also facilitates access to worksites for small and medium-sized enterprises and those in the solidarity sector.

Regular meetings with our stakeholders, including the Observatoire Économique et Social du Grand Paris Express, enable us to monitor our actions in favor of employment, economic development and social innovation. We also support companies and their associations in their efforts to make the public works sector more attractive, and thus ensure the orientation and training of future jobseekers.

Dialogue with the educational community

This partnership-based approach guides us in our educational initiatives aimed at young people. We have forged close ties with the educational community – academies, schools, associations – and with experts in orientation and career discovery: academic career information and orientation services, missions to combat school dropout, vocational high schools.

Involving and supporting local residents

While public participation is a fundamental right, it is also essential to engage with the target communities as far upstream as possible to ensure that consultation serves as a real driving force for change and project adaptation. With the implementation of SERM, we intend to step up public mobilization and participation in the project definition and construction processes, all with complete transparency. Our ambition is to create spaces for dialogue where diverse opinions can be expressed and valued. Public participation cannot be successful without the close involvement of local partners in defining and monitoring the process.

Working closely with local residents on our construction sites

Construction work can disrupt the daily lives of local residents, despite all the precautions we take to minimize nuisance. That is why we have set up a dialogue system to support residents as best we can during this period. In particular, this involves providing information as soon as work begins, the daily presence of local agents in the vicinity of construction sites and the organization of public meetings, in conjunction with local authorities.