{"id":5775,"date":"2026-04-28T14:01:13","date_gmt":"2026-04-28T14:01:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/projets-solidaires.la-guilde.org\/?p=5775"},"modified":"2026-07-29T09:31:45","modified_gmt":"2026-07-29T09:31:45","slug":"accompanying-without-a-single-model-the-cross-disciplinary-perspectives-of-3a-conseil-and-dtc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/projets-solidaires.la-guilde.org\/en\/accompagner-sans-modele-unique-les-regards-croises-de-3a-conseil-et-dtc\/","title":{"rendered":"Providing support without a single model: comparative perspectives between Mayotte and R\u00e9union"},"content":{"rendered":"

In both R\u00e9union and Mayotte, the associations supported by COR\u00c9OM had neither the same needs nor the same levels of structure. The experiences of 3A Conseil and D\u00e9veloppement Territoires Conseil (DTC) demonstrate that the effectiveness of this support relies primarily on one essential ability: adapting the approach, tools, and pace to both the supported organizations and the local realities.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Within the framework of COR\u00c9OM, the financial support granted to regional cooperation projects was complemented by technical assistance to the associations implementing them. The objective: to help civil society organizations formalize their requests, structure their projects, secure their management, and gradually strengthen their autonomy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But behind this common framework, the situations encountered were very different. 3A Conseil<\/strong>, mobilized to support the five winners from R\u00e9union, and DTC<\/strong>, technical partner based in Mayotte, therefore developed responses adapted to the profiles of the associations and the contexts in which they operated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Starting from the actual level of the associations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In Reunion Island, 3A Conseil supported project leaders who generally had a clear vision of their project and solid field expertise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u00ab"The project leaders knew what they wanted to do. In essence, we, the support providers, didn't actually create the projects very much."\u00bb<\/em><\/p>Renaud Bourjea, 3A Conseil<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The role of the facilitator was not to invent the actions, but to transforming an intention into a coherent and fundable project<\/strong> : consolidate the budget, clarify responsibilities, verify the eligibility of expenses and anticipate difficulties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Mayotte, DTC encountered a dynamic but highly heterogeneous network of associations, largely composed of volunteer-run organizations with limited administrative resources. Support therefore sometimes needed to begin earlier: explaining the program, making its requirements accessible, and helping associations to formalize an initial proposal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The very short deadlines for the call for projects have exacerbated this difficulty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u00ab"The schedule and time constraints hindered potential projects that could have been submitted."\u00bb<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

This experience serves as a reminder that\u2019Opening a device is not enough to make it accessible<\/strong>. Associations need sufficient time to understand the opportunity, mobilize their teams, and take ownership of the project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To translate without distorting<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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For 3A Conseil as for DTC, a large part of the support consisted of making the link between several languages: that of the associations, that of their professions and that expected by the funders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In R\u00e9union, this translation focused particularly on administrative and financial management. A significant moment was the work carried out with the administrative team of an association using their actual documents. \u00ab"We opened Excel spreadsheets, we opened invoices, we made very concrete connections."\u00bb<\/em> , said Renaud Bourjea, the program's support coordinator.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The ad hoc advice then became a skills transfer<\/strong>. The challenge was no longer just to solve a difficulty related to the project, but to transmit methods that could be reused for other funding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Mayotte, DTC adapted its approach to suit different client profiles. With architects and urban planners, it was necessary to translate highly technical language to make the project understandable to non-specialist readers. With a cultural association, the support focused more on project engineering: target audiences, sequencing of activities, budget, expected results, and the role of partners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In both cases, the role of the accompanist was the same: to make the project legible without erasing its uniqueness<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To work with what's available, rather than doing it for them.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Both experiences converge on a central principle: support should strengthen autonomy, not create dependence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At DTC, monitoring was based in particular on regular meetings devoted to concrete progress: finalizing a budget, reviewing an agreement, clarifying an activity or preparing a new stage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This close proximity helps to maintain momentum, but it also reveals a fragility: some projects rely almost entirely on a single person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00ab"Projects thrive because of the people, not the organizations. When the people leave, there's nothing left."\u00bb<\/em><\/p>Nathalie Benard, DTC<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

When acquired skills remain concentrated on a project manager, they do not easily spread throughout the association. Providing lasting support therefore requires combining several functions<\/strong> administration, governance, employees and, where possible, foreign partners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adapting the tools to the territory<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The experience conducted by DTC with the REEDD 976 also illustrates the limitations of standardized tools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A self-assessment tool for associations, developed in a different context, was tested with organizations in Mayotte. The exercise allowed participating associations to become aware of the various dimensions of associative life and to share their practices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the tool proved too advanced for some organizations, some of which do not yet have employees, premises or regularly active governance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DTC's proposal was therefore to proceed gradually: start with a priority dimension, such as governance or administrative management, then broaden the diagnosis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A good tool is not necessarily a universal tool.<\/strong> Territorializing support does not mean transferring a method identically, but simplifying it, sequencing it and transforming it to make it truly appropriable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anticipating the realities of cooperation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The two advisors also point out that the territory is not simply a backdrop to the project. It directly influences partnerships, timelines, mobility, and risks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a project supported by 3A Conseil in South Africa, the challenges involved formalizing the partnership, customs, logistics, and security. This experience highlighted the importance of having a thorough understanding of the local context and being able to mobilize specialized institutions or expertise when the situation exceeds the scope of the support provider's role.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Mayotte, DTC had to contend with partnerships often based on oral agreements. Formalizing commitments, signing contracts, and providing supporting documentation were not always standard practices among partners. Visa issues also jeopardized some projects relying on travel to Mayotte or other French territories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These experiences suggest that the following should be integrated very early in the support process:<\/p>\n\n\n\n