From the RMI to the RSA: difficulties in implementing decentralised governance of insertion policies This article focuses on past RMI (minimum guaranteed income) reforms and analyses the decentralisation process of this benefit since its creation in 1988 up to the creation of the RSA (active solidarity income) in 2008. Issues related to RMI governance have often been discussed publicly, but few researchers have engaged in further reflection on such questions. The authors seek to do so by drawing on two forums generated by RMI reforms: on the one hand, parliamentary debates, and on the other hand, public assessment reports and studies. These sources reveal that institutional decisions in terms of insertion have indeed been problematic. While professional integration was defined as the top priority, the "department" (state/county), a territorial level whose competence is social action rather than employment, was set in charge of governing insertion policies. Such governance remains problematic owing to the scarce resources of French departments - all the more so in these times of crisis.
