The role of management personnel may vary considerably depending on the target public. The skills required of management teams are closely connected with the characteristics of the target public and of the staff responsible for them.

Non-school childcare facilities

For childcare facilities, the decree of the Government of the French Community of 2 May 2019 is one of the key pieces of legislation. It states that, apart from independent childminders and independent co-childminders, the organising authority must appoint a director who is between 21 and 67 years old and whose main duties are : 

• to ensure the administrative and organisational management of the childcare setting ; 
• to ensure team and human resources management (recruitment, integration, evaluation, training plan, organisation of teamwork/timetables) ; 
• to support change in the teams (orientation of practices, etc.) ; 
• to ensure, participate in and coordinate the effective implementation of the early childhood care project, its evaluation and its development, including its educational, cultural, social and health dimensions ; 
• to establish an approach to relations with parents and children that promotes accessibility for all and support for parenthood ; 
• to ensure an interface role with families, partners, local actors, develop actions allowing an opening to the local community. 

 In crèches, the director shall perform his/her duties in the place(s) of early childhood care.

Pre-primary, primary and secondary education

For schools, the decree of 2 February 2007 professionalise the management function for inter-networks work regarding school heads and the general framework of their roles. In addition, the decree of 10 January 2019 defines a General Department of Inspection as one of the actors in the steering of the education system and schools.

Finally, free Centres for Psychological, Medical and Social Services (CPMS) exist which both receive and listen to young people, and where multidisciplinary teams operate : educational psychologists, assistant educational psychologists, assistant social workers, assistant paramedics and doctors.

Higher education and Adult education

In higher education, the appointment of management personnel and the role they play assume different forms in higher education institutions, arts colleges and universities.

Finally, in adult education, the picture is extremely varied depending on which organisation is providing the training.