Territorial Coaching is an innovative approach developed in the Eastern Region of Morocco in partnership between the Oriental Regional Council, the Development Agency of the Oriental, Mohammed First University in Oujda, the Belgian NGO Echos Communication, and UCLG Africa. This approach was developed following the adoption of the Kingdom of Morocco’s Constitution in 2011, highlighting advanced regionalization as a major option for managing development in Morocco. This option calls for an evolution in the management of public affairs, previously more centralized, and gradually becoming more decentralized.
The transition from centralized to decentralized management of public affairs requires the adoption of new relationships between actors and new behaviors from each of them towards others, starting with public actors, between the central government and local authorities, and between the different levels of local authorities, but also between public actors, civil society and the private sector.
The greater attention paid to territorial development within the framework of the advanced regionalization option would require a particular emphasis on supporting participatory democracy as an essential ingredient to rebuild trust between populations and institutions and renegotiate the modalities for mobilizing the actors in a given territory for its sustainable human development.
Regarding the new relationships and behaviors to be adopted to be consistent with decentralized management of public affairs, all stakeholders concerned are in a learning situation.
In a context of mutations and crises observed at all levels and scales, the issue of sustainable and integrated development of local authorities leads them to revisit the way of understanding the general interest, organizing the convergence of public and private actions, organizing the production of wealth and involving all actors from the public, civil society and private sectors in the governance of the territory.
The Territorial Coaching approach was developed to support this transition from centralized to decentralized management of public affairs while encouraging more participatory governance of territories. To provide this support, it was necessary to train and rely on the Territorial Coach who is a professional in terms of mediation and consensus building around issues identified as priorities and strategies for the future of the territory. Territorial Coaches are aware of the potential and difficulties experienced by a territory; they foster emulation and dialogue between actors. Territorial Coaches identify divergent views between territorial actors and help protagonists explore ways to overcome differences or build convergent views; they stimulate the emergence of a common vision between actors within the local society for the development of the territory. The Territorial Coach reveals the development potential of the territory carried by the mobilization of its living forces and organizes citizen meetings to discuss the main problems perceived as priorities by the populations to gather as many proposals as possible to solve them.
The Territorial Coaching Program
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
The Territorial Coaching approach is divided into several key steps. The first step is to carry out a shared diagnosis to identify the issues and resources of the territory through the territorial sociogram. Next, working groups are set up to define strategic orientations and actions to be implemented. These groups, which bring together all stakeholders (Civil Society, Elected Officials, Economic Players…), are supported by Territorial Coaches, who help them structure their thinking and mobilize the skills necessary to carry out the projects.
The actions are then implemented by the actors of the territory, in collaboration with the partners involved. Throughout this process, monitoring and evaluation mechanisms piloted by the Territorial Coaches make it possible to adjust the actions according to the results obtained. This approach aims to strengthen territorial cohesion, transparency and attractiveness of territories by promoting the participation and commitment of all local stakeholders.
PROFESSION OF TERRITORIAL COACH
Coaches and facilitators with a set of skills and professional tools serve to deploy Territorial Coaching across Africa. The profession of Territorial Coach is an exciting and dynamic profession that offers many opportunities for professional and personal development. The Territorial Coach will play a crucial role in supporting individuals and communities towards achieving their goals, particularly in the context of territorial development.
The role of the Territorial Coach is to support local authorities and territorial stakeholders in their development approach using coaching techniques to help them overcome obstacles and effectively achieve their goals. The Territorial Coach must be able to understand the social and economic dynamics of the territory, work with local partners, facilitate communication and promote collaboration between stakeholders.
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