France. Mount a budget, lead a team, negotiate with elected officials and respond to the press, these are all the facets of a museum director who exceeds the simple conservation of the collections. For the territorial conservatives trained at the National Heritage Institute (INP), it is a baggage to acquire, by theory and practice, to project themselves into a position of responsibility … and this, as soon as possible. Because communities are turning more and more towards conservative profiles to professionalize their museum structures, and often set their sights on young graduates: “After having succeeded in the competition, we realize that the majority of the available positions are directions, and we project ourselves from this perspective”said Rémi de Raphelis, director of museums of Boulogne-Billancourt.
Within the INP, this problem mainly concerns future territorial conservatives. Students trained for state museums are generally faced with positions of managerial responsibility that much later in their careers. “We are unique in the public service, because we are the only employment framework which jointly trains the senior officials of the State and those of local authorities, Note Charles Personnaz, director of the INP. Lhe base of the profession is the same, but we take into account the differences in the exercise of the profession between the two sectors, in particular for the territorial to acquire this culture of local authorities. »»
The territorial conservatives are trained alternately at the INP and the National Institute of Territorial Studies (Inet), whose campus is in Strasbourg. At the rate of one week a month, they are faced with the specific problems of the positions that await them in community. A training acclaimed by the students, like Juliette Chevée, graduated in 2022 and today director of the Bartholdi Museum in Colmar: “I see the training at the Inet really as a plus compared to the course of the Conservatives of the State. There are other sectors, cultural engineers, librarians, administrators. We get out of the cultural interior. It is also a journey that leads us to think about our profession: in the territorial, we are confronted with the “rest of the world”, in politics, in the sense of public service. »»
Rather than theoretical teaching, the training of the Inet rests a lot on the return of experience to put in situation the future conservatives-managers. “This is where this training is effective. It takes into account the fact that there are students from external competitions and internal to the public service, which makes it possible to enhance the return of experience of the latter in the form of workshops, of exchange of good practices “continues the director of the Bartholdi museum. “We are aware of the management and psychology of teams, sanctions and their implementation, Lists Fanny Girard, director of the Toulouse-Lautrec museum. At the INP too, we had modules on the construction of a budget, but also on speaking and communication. »»
For these aspiring directors, sometimes devoid of a first professional experience, the question of the management of a team is certainly that which arouses the most questioning, and apprehension. “But this is not something that is learned in 100 hours of lessons, eStime Jean-Roch Dumont Saint Priest, director of the Céret museum. You can learn to react to situations, but you have to continue to train throughout your career. »» “It remains theory, ABSUD Manon Lecaplain, director of the Poitiers museum, Even if it is a quality training, it is not the same as to see the situations in progress, sitting on a chair, than experimenting them with real. »»
Conservative students carry out packaging exercises with the students restaurateurs at the matchmaker in Aubervilliers.
© INP
Before taking their first post, INP students have the opportunity to throw themselves in the deep end during a specialty internship, often with the director of an establishment. “The status of trainee allows you to meet everyone, to sympathize with the least high agents in the hierarchy, and to understand the dynamics, which is accused of the directors, the complaints of technical, administrative agents”, explains Rémi de Raphelis. The Director of the INP also defends this model of round trip between theory and practice. “I see young conservatives who do not feel ready to embrace a management function when entering the INP. The specialty course is often the trigger, which allows them to feel armed, legitimate and take the plunge ”he underlines.
This manager and managerial manager of the profession is tested from the help, during the Oraux, where the Inet emphasizes the reality of a function of director through situations. The state sector being the most prestigious, the territorial often remains a second choice, the challenges of which must be quickly integrated by the students: “The Inet is attached to preparing for this, even if we choose the territorial by default, Considers Juliette Chevée. At the INP, the training is sometimes a little too “state”, the courses being provided especially by conservatives of national museums. »»
To best prepare the Conservatives to become Directors, the INP opened a few continuous training of about twenty days dedicated to taking charge of a management position. “We felt a need, the exercise of these management professions is demanding. A few years ago, some positions found themselves with very few candidates, the post sheets were so demanding that people hesitated to apply ”retraces Charles Personnaz. An opportunity to strengthen skills that has been seized by former students in management for a few years.
