Professor Liddle said: 'I was really pleased to be involved in what was a really excellent initiative to bring this group of future French local government CEOs to the UK.
'They had a brilliant time in Redcar, Hartlepool and Darlington. I spoke to them as they carried out their research work and also to their supervisors, who concluded that they had an excellent time, with the trainees really able to benefit from their visit. The senior personnel in each local authority made excellent provision, setting up relevant meetings with key staff and facilitating data collection.'
Nicolas Beauchef, of INET, said: 'The students had a wonderful time in England. The research they carried out has been proved extremely valuable to their projects.
'What really made a difference to them was preparation put in place ahead of their visit and the welcome they got within the councils. We are very grateful.'
During their visit the French trainees met with local government officials and department managers as part of their research to compare performance measurement in the UK with France. Final reports will be completed by the trainees and shared with the UK local authorities visited.