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In implementing the “simplification shock program’’, the French government’s objective is to address deep expectations by public service users (citizens, companies) to simplify their interactions with the State administration. This paper deals with the question of the strategic management of the State’s simplification process, based on the perception of the actors in charge of the program. To address this question, the study builds on a series of interviews conducted with actors involved in the simplification initiative. The paper demonstrates that the difficulties expressed by the actors are similar to those identified as recurring in organizational development processes conducted in the public sector. Therefore, it appears necessary to consider the simplification shock program as an organizational development process, in order to implement it in an efficient and sustainable way.