Context
The decentralisation of government tasks has been enshrined in Cameroon’s constitution since 1996. The adoption of the decentralisation laws (2004), the establishment of national coordinating bodies (2008) and the increased formal handover of task areas to the municipalities since 2010 have been the most important steps.
Although the legislative conditions are now secure, implementation still faces diverse challenges. The administration continues to be extremely centralised, and the transfer of specialist responsibility to the municipalities is making slow progress – they have minimal autonomy in planning and financial matters. The municipalities often do not have sufficient financial means and the actors at the decentralised level are insufficiently prepared for their tasks. Thus, many decisions remain at the central level; priorities are set without coordination with the municipalities. The population have few opportunities to influence this. The people have very little access to important municipal services, for example health care, a water supply and basic education.
Objective
The population have greater opportunities for participation and better access to basic services through the effective implementation of decentralisation and efficient national and local administration.
Approach
The programme supporting decentralisation and local development sees its role as a catalyst and facilitator. It supports the actors and institutions involved in the reform so they can make proper use of the competences transferred to them.
GIZ provides advice to government and non-government actors in shaping the legal and strategic decentralisation process at national level and in coordinating the processes at national and municipal level. The aim is to guarantee the speedy performance of the tasks transferred to the municipalities to an acceptable quality. The programme strengthens civil-society actors in becoming actively involved in decentralisation and local development processes. Networking the actors involved plays an important role in every aspect.
Results achieved so far
Decentralisation has become part of the country’s development strategy. Cameroon has begun to draft a national decentralisation strategy.
Participative planning is integrated in regional and local administrative workflows and a standard procedure for processes at national level has been adopted.
The legislative framework for implementing decentralisation is largely complete. By 2011, some 80 per cent of all the basic statutory texts and implementing provisions required for implementation had been adopted.
Since 2010, the transfer of competences and resources from ministerial level to the municipalities has gained momentum. The first phase was largely completed in 2014. It will be evaluated at the beginning of 2015 in the course of the discussions on adopting the decentralisation strategy.
Budgets for financing the growing task areas at municipal level are being negotiated. A communication strategy for decentralisation has been adopted and is being broadly implemented.
Coordination, cooperation and the exchange of information between relevant actors at national and local level has improved. Thus, experience gained at local level is being included in national political dialogue, for example involving the municipalities in public investment planning.