La coopératio internationale et la modernisation de l'administraton publique camerounaise de 1962 À 2012

Abstract

The history of the modernisation of the Cameroonian Public Administration (CPA) from 1962 to 2012 is made up of continuities and ruptures. In 1962, the first academic, technical and professional institutions for the training of its young executives were créated, and the SCOM in 1967. Through applied intervention approaches, a dynamic of improvement of its services and functioning was observed during the 1990s. To place the history of collective mentalities for the African renaissance in a scientific, managerial, economic and diplomatic perspective, and to note the slow and painful modernisation of the CPA despite the contribution of its international patrons and an endogenous will that is both real and dibutative, constitutes the problematic of this study based on a triple interest. Firstly, to show the effectiveness and dynamism of the CPA's modernisation and the cooperation, and secondly, the controversies surrounding the issue of modernisation and the role of the managers of its reforms, which have long been focused on aspects other than those that should rapidly lead to a change in paradigms, principles and logics of organisation, administration and operation for the benefit of the population. Finally, to show that, despite the efforts made, there was still some doubt about the endogenous will to effectively modernise the CPA through the same type of cooperation. Our study allowed us to revisit the systemic management theory and that of the organizations transformation, and to realise that it was the most suitable means of solving the organisational and functional problems of the young administration, which was still stigmatised by the constraints of the colonial system. Similarly, planned liberalism, self-centred development and the globalisation of economies forced the CPA to diversify its international partners, despite the 'privileged' relations between France and Cameroon, and to a lesser extent with England since 1922, hence the reforms were more oriented towards the economic and social sectors than on the normative issues of the CPA. However, theoretically, all the factors for a more significant improvement in its performance seemed to be present to carry out the new administrative reforms adopted and conducted with diversified partners. Moreover, the time taken to implement these reforms and their results are factors that can accompany the dynamics of this subject, which states and verifies three hypotheses based on the theories of international relations: negotiation, 'realism' and 'dependence'. In order to approach this theme in three parts, several sources of written and oral archives were exploited and, after their confrontation, some syntheses are proposed, notably through the foundations of this cooperation, its achievements and the controversies in the work of modernisation initiated, as well as the state of a dubious endogenous will to effectively modernise the CPA.