Context
Decentralization has been at the heart of governance reforms in Africa for several decades, with the aim of bringing decision-making closer to citizens and improving the effectiveness of public policies. For several decades, it seems to have established itself in discourse as the “new frontier” of development policies and the improvement of both national and local governance.
In Cameroon, as in many African countries, the adoption of decentralization is not a recent decision. It dates back to 1996, when the constitutional revision made Cameroon a “Decentralized Unitary State.” This approach has intensified since the decentralization laws of 2004, which marked a turning point in the autonomy of municipalities. More recently, following the Major National Dialogue organized in response to the socio-political crisis raging in the North-West and South-West regions, a General Code of Decentralized Territorial Communities was adopted in December 2019 to “accelerate and deepen” decentralization.
However, despite the rhetoric and the texts, decentralization is struggling to materialize in a way that truly unleashes energy and catalyzes development at the local level. Among the obvious elements on which we must continue to work to achieve true decentralization are:
- Political will
- The effective coupling of the transfer of skills and the transfer of resources and/or means on the other hand.
All things that induce profound software changes among both national and local governments.
Beyond these oft-highlighted levers, we believe it is crucial to work on the lever of self-assessment of municipal governance. Indeed, for decentralization to be truly beneficial, a regular and rigorous evaluation of local governance practices is essential.
Although the need for self-assessment is recognized, it faces persistent obstacles. This article examines the challenges faced by Cameroonian municipalities in implementing this self-assessment approach, while highlighting its importance in a context where local governance remains in flux.
It is the first in a series of articles that aims to provide guidance for a more effective and systematic implementation of self-assessment for decentralization that effectively and sustainably improves the living conditions of populations.
General overview of persistent obstacles to self-assessment of local governance of municipalities in Cameroon
In Cameroon, although decentralization has been a national priority since the constitutional revision of 1996, several structural and cyclical obstacles limit effective self-assessment by municipalities. Among the major obstacles at the municipal level, we can cite:
- Inappropriate political and governance culture: The implementation of decentralization is hampered by several obstacles related to political and governance culture:
- Resistance to change: Many local actors are reluctant to adopt reforms, particularly for fear of the consequences of the evaluation of their actions.
- A lack of evaluation culture: Evaluation is often seen as a source of criticism rather than as a lever for continuous improvement.
- Lack of self-assessment within municipalities: Local administrations prioritize the implementation of projects without paying sufficient attention to their monitoring and rigorous evaluation, thus limiting institutional learning and informed decision-making.
- Insufficient human and financial resources: One of the main obstacles is the lack of qualified human resources and adequate financial tools to conduct objective assessments. Municipalities often face a lack of trained personnel, technical expertise, and infrastructure to support the ongoing assessment of their governance.
- A culture of reactive rather than proactive management: Traditionally, public management in Cameroon has focused more on responding to crises than on anticipation and systematic evaluation. This reactive approach inherent to the central government contaminates local governments and hinders the establishment of regular self-evaluation mechanisms.
- Lack of structured institutional mechanisms: Many municipalities still lack clearly defined institutional frameworks for self-assessment. Local governments often lack standardized methodological tools to conduct regular and transparent assessments.
- Lack of reliable data: Self-assessment relies heavily on the availability of quantitative and qualitative data. However, Cameroonian municipalities suffer from limited, poorly structured, and often outdated data collection.
While not exhaustive, the above obstacles demonstrate the internal challenges of self-assessment within municipalities. What about factors external to municipalities?
External causes and limiting factors of self-assessment of municipalities
Several elements deserve to be highlighted:
- Lack of political will: Although decentralization has been on the national agenda for several years, its rigorous evaluation has not always been seen as a priority by local and central authorities. Between 1996 and 2019, decentralization in Cameroon progressed at a snail’s pace at the legislative level, and was barely translated into operational practice at the municipal level.
- The limited technical support offered to municipalities. Although decrees, orders, circulars, manuals, and guidelines exist to guide local governments, their implementation remains sporadic and often ignored. The complexity of the available evaluation tools, which require mastery of performance indicators and audit techniques, discourages municipalities from fully investing in them.
- The lack of external incentives for self-assessment limits its adoption. Municipalities do not perceive any immediate or direct benefits from self-assessment. In the absence of pressure from the central government or citizens, local governments may tend to postpone these essential exercises.
- The disconnect between theoretical reforms and their implementation on the ground. Although the legal framework favors decentralization, the reality is marked by a persistent centralization of decisions and resources, leaving municipalities with little room to maneuver to undertake solid governance reforms.
- Lack of funding: Self-assessment requires not only technical skills but also financial resources. In a context of scarce municipal budgets, this function is often relegated to the background compared to priorities perceived as more urgent.
Despite these challenges and obstacles to the regular practice of self-assessment at the municipal level, it remains important. Here are the reasons why…
Key issues and importance of self-assessment of local governance of municipalities in the context of Cameroon
Despite decentralization’s infancy, self-assessment of local governance is a valuable opportunity for African municipalities such as those in Cameroon. Indeed, regular self-assessment by municipalities is important for:
- Long-term strategic planning: Self-assessment helps identify needs and adjust projects based on results. This process is essential for optimizing resource use, particularly in a context of budgetary constraints.
- Improving municipal performance: Through self-assessment, municipalities can identify areas of underperformance and take corrective action. This enables more efficient management of local resources and better service to citizens.
- Improving transparency and accountability: Self-assessment helps strengthen the transparency of public actions at the local level, by providing citizens with greater visibility into the use of resources and the results of local policies. It also serves as an accountability tool for elected officials, who can thus demonstrate their commitment to the efficient management of local affairs.
- Continuous training for municipal employees. By regularly analyzing their performance, local governments can identify skill gaps and invest in staff training. This not only improves internal skills but also sustains the momentum of reform at the local level.
- Strengthening the effectiveness of public policies: By identifying the weaknesses of existing systems and enabling rapid correction of malfunctions, self-assessment contributes to the optimization of public policies at the local level.
- Increased citizen involvement: When self-assessment is well conducted, it can serve as a catalyst for more active citizen participation. Citizens who are informed and involved in the assessment process feel more involved in the governance of their municipality, which strengthens the bond of trust with local authorities.
- Strengthening the credibility of decentralization: In a country where decentralization is still maturing, self-assessment helps consolidate achievements while guiding future reforms. It thus becomes an essential tool for lending credibility to the decentralized approach and strengthening citizens’ trust in their local institutions.
- Stimulating innovation and local adaptation: Local contexts are evolving rapidly, and self-assessment allows municipalities to adapt to new challenges, whether environmental, economic, or social. Municipalities can thus identify innovative solutions to meet local needs.
Thus, in an African context where needs are becoming increasingly greater due to major demographic trends and in view of the relative failure of centralised functioning, self-assessment of municipalities proves to be a powerful tool for improving their performance, but also for strengthening the legitimacy and effectiveness of state reforms in terms of decentralisation currently underway.
The question that needs to be addressed is who should be the actors and what should be the dimensions of this self-assessment for it to be effective?
A question we will answer in the second article of this three-part series.
