Public Policy Implementation and Decentralization in Cameroon

Local councils in Cameroon since 2004 find themselves assigned a new task as actors in public policy implementation alongside the deconcentrated ministerial departments with their intervention cutting through education and health. Our study investigates the role played by local councils in the implementation of education and health policies at local levels assesses the impact that devolution of powers to local councils have on implementation of national education and health policies at local levels in the Northwest Region of Cameroon; and identifies some impediments to a successful public policy implementation at local level within the context of decentralization. Unlike before 2004 the role that the local councils play goes a long way to assist the deconcentrated ministerial departments by facilitating implementation tasks for them. Drawing from bottom-up theories of policy implementation the results of our study takes a projective dimension to reaffirm that effective decentralization is positively associated to public policy implementation at local levels.