CAMEROON

AT A GLANCE
Official Name: Republic of Cameroon
Chief of State: President Paul Biya
Next Election: 2011
Capital: Yaounde
Population: 19.52 million (UN, 2009)
Independence: 1960 from France
Human Development Index: 153 of 182 countries (UN, 2009)
Global Gender Gap Index: 118 of 134 countries (World Economic Forum, 2009)
Gross National Income per capita: US$1,150 (World Bank, 2009)

Strengthening Internal Audit Reforms in Cameroon

Status: Operational
Local Organization: Cameroon Ministry of Finance
Canadian Expert: Jacques Leduc

Cameroon is working to reform its internal audit process, part of the modernization of public finance management to improve public governance. Their Ministry of Finance has requested DDD assistance to strengthen internal audit institutional and technical capacities in both compliance and performance audits. Jacques Leduc, a Canadian finance expert, will support the Ministry in its design of training modules and guides on performance audits, and on monitoring and auditing the operations budget.

Focusing on Results-Based Management in Cameroon’s Public Service

Status: Complete, 2009
Local Organization: Cameroon’s Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) and Ministry of Economy, Planning and Regional Development (MINEPAT)
Canadian Experts: Pierre Martineau, Bernard Gingras, Gilbert E. Oloko
Presentation: A Few Observations on RBM Initiative Implementation in Public Administration by Pierre Martineau

After learning about Results-Based Management (RBM) during a 2006 working visit to Canada, officials from Cameroon’s Prime Minister’s Office decided to apply it in the modernization of their public service. There were concerns about the lack of transparency, weak accountability and sub-optimal performance of their public administration. They requested support from CIDA to help with a national RBM-related initiative. Canadian expert Gilbert E. Oloko was deployed to Cameroon from April to August 2006, for a scoping, conceptualization, design and planning mission. The result was PROMAGAR, the public service modernization programme rooted in RBM.

Next, Canadian experts Pierre Martineau and Bernard Gingras worked closely with Cameroon’s PMO to help them build a public service culture focused on delivering tangible results to citizens through PROMAGAR. They hosted a mission to Ottawa and Québec for a team of Cameroonian executives in February 2009. They trained 40 public administrators in Cameroon, to provide the tools necessary to effectively respond to public service needs, including better project management and change management. The training seminars facilitated a shared sense of direction and a better grasp of priorities for action. The Cameroon media interviewed participants, who evaluated the seminars as relevant and timely.

Through 2008 and 2009, Gilbert Oloko travelled several times to Cameroon to work closely with the MINEPAT on the country’s second generation of the Growth and Poverty Reduction Strategy (now called Growth and Employment Strategy). He provided support in results-based strategic planning. The focus was on the revision of Cameroon’s current seven sector strategies: Rural Development, Social Development, Education, Governance, Infrastructure, Health, Industry and Services.

"Working with the Government of Cameroon has been an opportunity to confirm how important it is to be flexible and open- minded in accomplishing our missions. Never take anything for granted and avoid the trap of one size fits all." Gilbert E. Oloko


PROMAGAR Training Session for Cameroon's Prime Minister's Office with DDD Experts Pierre Martineau and Bernard Gingras in Yaoundé