Implementing Reforms in the Cameroonian Public Service System the Effectiveness and Efficiency of Administrative Reforms

Abstract

Every administrative reform has a political dimension, since the notion of improvement implies a choice of values. Reforms usually run up against resistance or inertia, thus forcing their proponents to engage in some measure of advocacy. Thus, there is a call for concern on what has actually changed in the administrative machinery and what grounds remain to be covered or what needs to be done to guarantee the effectiveness and efficiency of these administrative reforms. As such the research seeks to systematically make an inquiry into the measures needed to be taken to guarantee the effectiveness and efficiency of administrative reforms in the country and to proffer the necessary solutions. Data was collected both from primary and secondary sources through questionnaires which were completed by policy makers (law makers, ministerial staffs and judges), data was also gotten from books periodicals as well as articles published on administrative reforms and analysed using frequency tables. Among others, the research came out with the following findings that human behaviour, outlook and attitudes are constantly changing and the impact of changes falls upon society in general and upon administration in particular, therefore the Cameroon public administration must make sincere and serious efforts to meet the new demands which are resultants of changes in outlook and behaviour. Therefore, the study recommends among others that in order for the administrative reforms to be effective and efficient the government needs to adopt sound administrative reforms that can withstand the changing outlooks, behaviours and attitudes of its administrators and citizens; it would need to increase the scale of operations, based on evidence collected mainly in the field; devolve appropriate fiscal and political responsibilities to sub national governments as incentives to deliver locally preferred services and provide employee satisfaction and morale to overhaul the entire administrative machinery in the public service delivery system.