Description

The Communauté Urbaine de Bafoussam (CUB) is a decentralised local authority in Cameroon headed by the mayor of the city, elected by indirect universal suffrage. It is responsible for all intercommunal activities, major works and structural projects in the communes of the district of Bafoussam I, II and III. With a total surface area of 40,835 hectares, it has a population currently estimated at around 1,000,000 inhabitants.

Still a very traditional town, marked by the chiefdom system, its main ethnic groups are the Bamilékés, Bamouns and Tikars. These traditional chiefdoms are the neighborhood leaders.

The participatory approach involving the heads of neighbourhoods is an initiative of the Bafoussam Urban Community, designed to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of participatory democracy mechanisms, incorporate diversity as a criterion of inclusion and improve the implementation of the decentralisation policy through the active participation of local residents. It is an innovation in terms of stakeholder collaboration, facilitating citizen participation, community empowerment, citizen deliberation and open government.

This initiative is based on three main consultation channels: 

- Consultation between neighbourhood chiefs and neighbours: this is organised monthly and is chaired by a neighbourhood health and hygiene committee elected by an assembly. At these meetings, summary statistics on the population are compiled and local complaints are voiced and prioritised on the spot. These meetings are characterised by the systematic drafting of a report, which is submitted to the mayor of the city for consideration. In addition, the activities carried out by these groups have made it possible to eliminate pockets of insecurity in the city; identify rubbish collection points in the neighbourhoods; identify priority roads requiring repaving, upgrading or maintenance; facilitate the distribution of malaria control kits to the population; facilitate joint diagnoses during the drafting of planning documents; locate resettlement areas for evicted persons; carry out a census of the population; identify reception areas in the city for those internally displaced by the security crisis; etc. 

- Consultation between the Bafoussam Urban Community and the heads of neighbourhoods: In addition to the digital consultation platforms created for this purpose, quarterly meetings are organised at the town hall. During these meetings, development issues are discussed and solutions are proposed collegially, and the activities carried out by the Urban Community are presented. In addition to the exchanges that take place, this framework also makes it possible to create a climate of proximity, trust and cordiality between neighbourhood leaders and local elected representatives.

- Consultation between the Urban Community of Bafoussam and the local population: this takes place annually during public meetings organised by the Mayor of Bafoussam, to which all residents are invited. However, each resident has the right to meet with the community executive in a private audience to discuss specific problems. 

In addition, these neighbourhood committees facilitate the implementation of a rapid and effective response to crises such as the one related to the covid 19 pandemic. These committees have played a key role in facilitating the success of government initiatives by establishing direct contact with the local population. And thanks to their in-depth knowledge of the field, they are able to effectively guide the authorities in the implementation of certain initiatives.

Moreover, the existence of these committees, led by neighbourhood chiefs, has served as the basis for a number of concerted initiatives undertaken by the Bafoussam Urban Community in the framework of public-private partnerships. The communication strategy used to ensure adequate representation of the local population is directly supported by the consultation framework that has been put in place. It thus uses the various links in the chain - the administration, neighbourhood leaders and the local population - to ensure that it is fully deployed. 

This consultation framework also makes it possible to align development policies with the real needs of the local population, while ensuring effective monitoring and evaluation of development projects.

•  Nomination form