Cameroon: The Power of Policy- Dr Foretia on Strengthening Governance Through Training

By Boris Esono Nwenfor

To strengthen policy-making processes in Cameroon and beyond, the Nkafu Policy Institute recently organized specialized training on public policy analysis and scientific manuscript writing. The training equips policymakers, researchers, and analysts with the necessary skills to engage decision-makers and promote evidence-informed policies.

In an interview with Pan African Visions, Dr Denis Foretia, Executive Chairman of the Nkafu Policy Institute and Co-Chair of the Denis and Lenora Foretia Foundation, emphasized the importance of ensuring that policies are backed by credible data.

“The main objective is to ensure that policymakers and researchers have the skills to engage directly with decision-makers and advocate for policies based on evidence,” Dr. Foretia stated.

According to Dr Foretia, one of the major challenges in policy formulation in Cameroon and across Africa is the lack of reliable data. "There is a real lack of credible data, and even when good data is available, the challenge lies in convincing decision-makers to utilize it in shaping policy," he explained.

Another challenge, he noted, is the disconnect between researchers and policymakers, which often leads to policies that are not backed by sound research.

To address these challenges, the Nkafu Policy Institute’s training programs focus on enhancing researchers’ ability to analyze policy dimensions, engage government officials effectively, and push for policies that benefit the public. “Bad policies are costly, harmful, and even deadly,” Dr. Foretia warned, stressing the need for well-trained professionals who can advocate for evidence-based governance.

What was the overall objective of the public policy course and scientific manuscript writing?

Dr Foretia: Well, the main objective is to ensure that policymakers and researchers have the skills to be able to engage directly with all decision-makers and ensure that policies in the country are undertaken with evidence. Evidence-informed policymaking.

To ensure that all the policy researchers have the skills to better engage with government officials, and all the different constituencies to push for policies that are based on evidence across the country.

Why did the Nkafu Policy Institute see the need to organize these training programs at this time?

Dr Foretia: One of the things I will tell you is that there is a lot of policy that's done without real evidence supporting it. Our goal is to ensure that all, the vast majority of policies that are being undertaken are being supported by credible evidence.

For that you need folks who are trained and will know all the different policy dimensions and will know how to engage with policy makers to have the skills to be able to do that effectively. And ensure that good policies end up in the books. Because when we have bad policies, bad policies are costly, they are harmful, they are deadly. So, we want to make sure we prevent that from the very get-go.

What are some of the major challenges identified in policy analysis within the Cameroonians and African context?

Dr Foretia: One of the main challenges is the lack of real data. There is a real lack of credible data. The second challenge is that even when you have good data, the challenge of advocating for that for decision-makers in parliament, in the executive branch, is to make use of credible information and translate that information into policy.

Then the third thing is that there is a big challenge between researchers engaging with policymakers. And so, we have to bridge that gap to ensure that evidence-informed policies can be adopted and uptick very easily.

How do you see this training influencing public policy decision-making in Cameroon?

Dr Foretia: The training ensures that the researchers are in a better position, a better place, to be able to take policies from the initiation, and inception phase, all the way to adoption, implementation and also evaluation. That's where all the different policy researchers and practitioners that participated here increased their capacity to understand those processes and how they take that going forward.

What are some of the mistakes researchers make when it comes to manuscript writing?

Dr Foretia: When you look at manuscript writing, the challenge that a lot of researchers have first is that they think that the process is too mythical. So, part of the goal was to demystify the whole process of scientific writing, manuscript writing, publishing and the whole process of publishing. I think that has been very well received.

This is the third time that we are organizing this. You have young researchers, young scholars and also very senior researchers who are part of this process to get themselves better in the whole process. And one thing I will add is that the contribution of Africa as a whole to scientific literature is very low. It's less than 1%. So, we must ensure that the research that we produce in our country makes it to the international and global stage. And that it is used to ensure that policies that are being undertaken are based on real factual evidence.

Beyond this training, what resources or support does the Nkafu Policy Institute offer to researchers and policy analysts?

Dr Foretia: There is a follow-up because all of the participants are engaged with the Nkafu Policy Institute going forward. There is a network that has been created, an alumni network, that ensures that when folks have challenges in one way or another, whether it's in the policymaking sphere, in a policy issue that they are looking to raise awareness about it or advocate for it, they can get back to our colleagues at Nkafu to be able to collaborate in making that come to fruition.

Are there plans to expand these training programs to reach more participants across the country?

Dr Foretia: That's very correct. There are already discussions about having a manuscript writing and scientific writing course in the South West region. We are looking at other regions. We are working with our partners to ensure that later this year we have another session, most likely in the southwest region.

Regarding the public policy course, exactly later this year there is another edition just based on the interest and we know the need that is out there. There is another session that is planned for the end of the year.

What role does the Nkafu Policy Institute envision in shaping public policy and research in Cameroon and the broader ECCAS sub-region?

Dr Foretia: Nkafu's mission is to ensure that in our countries we have free, fair and democratic institutions in Cameroon and in the Central African region in particular. We work a lot to ensure that that can become a reality in different areas as well. This is just one aspect of a whole lot of different things that Nkafu is engaged in to ensure that that goal can be attained.

I would like to let you know that later this year we are also going to have a Central Africa Think Tank Forum, the third edition of the Central Africa Think Tank Forum, which brings together think tank researchers, policymakers, practitioners and other development partners from the Central Africa region together to look at ways to ensure that policy, the especially evidence-based, evidence-informed policy can be adopted and can be used to ensure that average citizens have a better life going forward.

What key message do you have for policymakers, researchers and aspiring public policy analysts following this training?

Dr Foretia: The main message is that adopting a good policy is a process, so you have to start from somewhere and you don't get discouraged because the policy happens within a political space. So, they have to be able to figure out how to navigate those political spaces and ensure that there are policy windows that open and be ready to ensure that when one of those policy windows opens, the right policy can be pushed forward to ensure that the citizens benefit from that right policy. So, it's about being consistent, being persistent and ensuring that they keep their eye on the ball.