Project Report and Results Was Presented to CARPE and Other Stakeholders in a Validation Workshop

CENTER FOR COMMUNICATION IN RURAL DEVELOPMENT (CCORUD NGO Founded on the 6th of December 2006. Registration Number: 001357 / RDA / J06 / BAPP

Organisation Non Gouvernementale Non Governmental Organization B.P :2626 Messa Yaoundé P.O. BOX :2626 Messa Yaounde Tél : (237) 99415041 Phone : (237) 99415041 Ou: (237) 77869723 Or : (237) 77869723

Participants at launching ceremony

MONITORING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF FORESTRY CONTROL POSTS IN IMPLEMENTING THE 1994 WILDLIFE LAW FOR

GOOD GOVERNANCE IN CAMEROON.

FINAL REPORT By: SUNJO Emmanuel N. (Project Manager) And Philip BAWE (Coordinator - CCORUD) Project sponsored by the Central African Regional Program for Environment (CARPE / IUCN)

June 2009

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PROJECT TEAM AND COLLABORATORS ...... 3

 COLLABORATORS AT CCORUD ...... 3 ENUMERATORS ...... 3  NATIONAL NGO ...... 3  INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATORS AND LOCAL CONSULTANTS ...... 3  CARPE ...... 4  COLLABORATORS FROM MINFOF AT THE WORKSHOP / LAUNCHING ...... 4 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ...... 5 PRESENTATION OF THE PROJECT ...... 6 1) PROJECT TITLE: MONITORING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF FORESTRY CONTROL POSTS IN IMPLEMENTING THE WILDLIFE LAW FOR GOOD GOVERNANCE IN CAMEROON...... 6 2) EXECUTIVE SUMMARY OF THE PROJECT ...... 6 3) BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION OF THE PROJECT...... 7 4) GLOBAL OBJECTIVE ...... 8 SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES ...... 8 5) THE PROJECT FOCUS ...... 9 6) METHODOLOGY FOR IMPLEMENTING THE PROJECT ...... 10 DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT ACTIVITIES ...... 13 RESULTS OBTAINED ...... 14 A. RESULTS FROM FCPS ...... 15 B. RESULTS OBTAINED FROM THE CIVIL SOCEITY TOOLKIT ...... 32 DEMOGRAPHICS ...... 32 MAJOR FINDINGS ...... 37 DIFFICULTIES ENCOUNTERED ...... 41 RECOMMENDATIONS ...... 42 CONCLUSION ...... 44 ANNEXES ...... 45 QUESTIONNAIRE ...... 45 MID TERM REPORT ...... 51 SOME CORRESPONDENCES ...... 59 LOGICAL FRAMEWORK ...... 62 PHOTOS OF SOME PROJECT ACTIVITIES ...... 69

PROJECT TEAM AND COLLABORATORS  Project Director – SUNJO Emmanuel N. Project Manager CCORUD  Collaborators At CCORUD - Philip Bawe - Joseph Maximilien Oumol - Chebe Irene Lum - Wuyika Mildred Kewan Enumerators - Mvele Edouard - Ngono Maguy Velda - Mponanga Melinga Hervè - Mpord Rosine Flore - Njongui Ruth - Adama Djehel - Ndukong Amos Ngwan - Bika Marie Ann - Nana Charles Nguidip - Hemle Bilong Pieerre Rodrique - Eboumeyeng Jean Fulbert - Carol Kechilla Research Assistants for Bush meat Survey in Restaurants in Yaoundé - Essola Marie Ann - Wakai Esther - Shey Wilson - Sunjo Gladys - Maximilien Oumol - Mbatu Alex - Fuchi Gilbert - Mbomngong Emmanuel - Chebe Irene Lum - Wango Simon  National NGO - Driori Offrir (LAGA) - Vincent Mfonfu

 International Collaborators and Local Consultants - Shannon Randolph (PhD Stanford University USA) - Chia Linus (Forestry Expert) - Zanga Jean Pierre Hewe (Wildlife Expert) - Tina Anne Marie (Statistician)s

 CARPE o Antoine Eyebe o Stanislas Bila o Pascaline Batupe o Guy Patrice Dkamela

 COLLABORATORS FROM MINFOF AT THE WORKSHOP / LAUNCHING o Nyansi Didier (SCCP / BN) o Tabi Rapheal (DFAF) o Walter Ashu Egbe (DFAF) o Tchuisseu Oscar (Chef Serv. Regional Faune / Aires prot. Est) o Mbah Festus (CPFC Okola) o Mkoinca Alexis (C / PCFC Y’de Gare) o Ngoba Bayembelaise (C / PCFC Nkometou)

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

This publication is a result of the combined efforts of a team of staff and consultants from CCORUD, CARPE, LAGA and MINFOF. The project draft was proposed by CCORUD with inputs from CARPE and LAGA. Sunjo Emmanuel (Project Manager) undertook research for development of the Toolkit and was responsible for finalizing and editing the content and for the publication of the toolkit in its present form. Acknowledgement is also due to many other individuals / institutions that contributed to the development and the refinement of the different sections of the toolkit. Ofrir Driori of the Last great Ape organization LAGA, Philip Bawe – coordinator CCORUD, Mr MFonfu Vincent (LAGA), Atoine Ayebe of CARPE, Mr. Philip Tabi, Director of Wildlife at the Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife, and the Honorable Minister of Forestry and Wildlife Prof Elvis Ngolle Ngolle who permitted and provided approvals for this project to be carried out at all the FCPs. Special thanks to all CCORUD office staff and the Enumerators and research assistants in Yaounde and other localities who did a wonderful job in making this project dream to come true.

PRESENTATION OF THE PROJECT

1) PROJECT TITLE: MONITORING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF FORESTRY CONTROL POSTS IN IMPLEMENTING THE WILDLIFE LAW FOR GOOD GOVERNANCE IN CAMEROON.

2) EXECUTIVE SUMMARY OF THE PROJECT Since the early 1990s, the issue of transparency has assumed prominence in improving governance, primarily through the increased attention given to increasing citizen participation, enhancing civil society engagement in the public arena, fostering closer accountability, as well as in combating corruption. Transparency has been recognized as a means of ensuring an informed citizenry and for pursuing a collective vision. It exposes public space thus allowing every stakeholder to remain informed and aware of achievements and setbacks of the government. It motivates collective engagement and builds community identity by enabling every member to identify with processes, results, and outcomes. Indeed through transparency the boundaries of responsibility and actions are rendered visible thus easily determining the locus of accountability. In addition, transparency limits corruption, which tends to thrive in closed systems that are ridden with ambiguity and discretionary behavior. The Centre for Communication in Rural Development “CCORUD”, believes therefore that Transparency is thus a central pillar of good governance.

In the past decade and a half the focus of transparency, both as an aspect of improving governance and combating corruption, has been at the national level, mainly associated to the global trend of democratization, pluralism and improved corporate governance. In some sense, this is understandable because corruption- the most conspicuous consequence of lack of transparency – is often most visible at the national level, and because national level institutions such as the executive, legislature or judiciary in Cameroon, have been the traditional entry point for tackling corruption. Lately, however, there is a shift towards enhancing transparency at the local level. It is being increasingly recognized that building transparency is important for addressing some of the major challenges to sustainable development and conservation at the local level.

It is for this reason that, the Cameroon based NGO “CENTRE FOR COMMUNICATION IN RURAL DEVELOPMENT” (CCORUD), which is a platform for collaborating journalists, scientists, civil and environmental engineering consultants, Researchers, wildlife experts, law enforcement officers and policy makers who are interested in, and are committed to environmental protection and conservation, carried out an 8 month pilot project (August 2008 – March 2009) for evaluating the performance ( functioning ) of the Forest Control Posts (FCPs) and proposed adapted reforms. This project took into account the following partners: the Cameroon Government, IUCN, and CARPE, all of them involved in biodiversity conservation.. THIS SENTENCE IS TOO LONG AND WE ARE MISSING THE TARGET IDEA (REPHRASE IT OR BREAK IT INTO TWO SENTENCES) CCORUD was motivated by the fact that despite the existence of FCPs, the illegal trade in wildlife, ivory and bush meat etc… is still flourishing in Cameroon. We believe that our findings will enable Government review her policies in the management and functioning of the FCPs, or at least search for adapted strategies to make them more efficient. The study was carried out at the FCPs in Cameroon in the East and Centre Regions. 3) BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION OF THE PROJECT Cameroon’s policy on biodiversity conservation started in the 1930s with the creation of the Forest Reserves, initially managed by the Ministry of Agriculture. The forestry sector welcomed the establishment of the Ministry of the Environment and Forestry (MINEF) in 1992. Following the Earth Summit at Rio de Janeiro, the government adopted a new Forestry Law and formulated the Cameroon Biodiversity Conservation and Management Programme in 1994. The Programme operated based on three principles: • Decentralization • Disengagement of MINEF from execution and concentration on monitoring and control. • Installation of partnerships. This Programme has been active and made an impact at various levels of scale. At grass root level eco - development and training activities have made individual people more aware of the needs of biodiversity conservation. At village level organizations were created that took over the responsibility for the management of their resources (community forest and hunting areas). STAND ALONE SENTENCE (to be completed or erased). At regional and Divisional level

partnerships between the administration, the population and the economical actors have been put in place especially the National and regional control brigades. Technical operational units were created in order for MINEF to better coordinate its field activities. Finally, management plans of Landscapes, National Parks and master plans for project sites have been developed. The importance of a well functioning coordination of the Programme, responsible for the consolidation of planning and reporting, has been proven. However, some factors have been underestimated during the formulation phase of various Programme components, hence the difficulties in meeting all the set objectives.

It is a bid to solve these underestimated factors that CCORUD proposed this project to evaluate the performance of the forestry control posts in combating the destruction of Cameroon’s wildlife. The fact that Cameroon Chimpanzees were recently brought from South Africa is the proof that something needs to be done in the FCPs which among others are mandated to control this illegal transfer of Cameroon wildlife products.

To render the FCPs more effective, there was a need to research and know exactly what is happening in these posts in order to come out with a specific functional system since the former MINEF has been further divided into Ministry of Environment and Nature Protection (MINEP) and the Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife (MINFOF) respectively. It is not yet clear how these posts relate to each of these ministries considering that not all the former decrees, laws and orders will be applicable. 4) GLOBAL OBJECTIVE The global project objective was to evaluate the performance of the FCPs in implementing the wildlife law with a view to reducing the rate of wildlife loss and biopiracy in Cameroon. SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES

o To enable the Cameroon Government and other stakeholders involved in conservation and law enforcement to come out with a more rigorous policy and a better monitoring and control process.

o To identify existing gaps and propose solutions

o To investigate the flow of information and communication availability as well as coordination among the various FCPs on the one hand and between these posts and the institution concerned with wildlife protection.

o To identify the major causes of corruption, lack of transparency, lack of accountability and propose solutions to ensure good governance and transparent management of the FCPs.

o To investigate the level of institutional capacity of FCPs and propose solutions. o To further civil participation in the policy making process affecting FCPs. o To measure experiences of corruption by recording the payment and taking of bribe in order to speed up, modify the results or hinder the provision of service at the FCPs.

o To use the index of corruption and good governance (ICGG) to evaluate the level of corruption at FCPs.

Number of times a service was obtained by a bribe ICGG = * 100 Total Number of times which the same service was used (This formula is used by transparency international)

5) THE PROJECT FOCUS The project was generally focused on good governance. CCORUD felt that there has never been a more important time than now to focus on the quality of governance at all levels. The new social contract arising out of the emerging democratic dispensation, the strong re – emergence of the civil society and the expansion of the public space, foster the need for taking responsibility and accounting for outcomes and impacts. In addition, the forces of decentralization are putting Cameroon government under tremendous pressure to deliver an ever – expanding range of benefits notably: 1. Access to information: Measures to improve stakeholders’ access to information so that they may participate in decision – making more effectively. 2. Ethics and integrity: Tools to clarify what is expected from staff of this ministry and including monitoring mechanisms to ensure they adhere to their commitments and are sanctioned if they break public trust.

3. Institutional reforms: These are measures to help the MINFOF in streamlining and simplification of administrative procedures and structural innovations to promote participation and accountability. 4. Assessment and monitoring: This will assist the ministry and other stakeholders in understanding the types of corruptions and the degree of transparency in the FCPs, while creating a base – line against which the progress in improving transparency can be measured. This strategy is also valuable for increasing public awareness and mobilizing constituency committed to tackling corruption.

6) METHODOLOGY FOR IMPLEMENTING THE PROJECT Greenfield (1996) defines methodology as “a set of methods, techniques and instruments used by a researcher in view of getting certain research objectives”. In this light, we will look at the procedures and methodology used to carry out this study. This will centre on the research design, the location of the project, the population, instruments for data collection, validation of these instruments, presentation of data and how it will be analysed.

a) Research Design Research design is a blueprint, which specifies how data relating to this study should be collected and analyzed. This study was geared towards understanding the effectiveness of forestry control posts in implementing the 1994 wildlife law for good governance in Cameroon. It focused on corruption and transparency. The techniques adopted for the design of the research toolkit included: -Direct observations, -Direct interviews at FCPS and restaurants in Yaoundé - Questionnaire and -Documentary sources. The Toolkit was then produced by experienced consultants and wildlife experts. b) Population of Study: Population is a collective term used in this study to describe the total quantity of cases of the same type, which are the subject of the study. This therefore is a group of staff who share common characteristics.

In this project our population is made up of at least five members of staff of each forestry control post in six localities in the Centre and East regions respectively and in addition five members of the civil society (opinion leaders) in all the six selected towns namely: Belabo, Abong Mbang, Mbankomo, Nkometou, Nkoabang and Nsimalen. The choice of these towns was predicated on two main factors. Firstly they are the main in terms of wildlife trafficking and secondly with the financial resources available, it was not possible to target all FCPs in the two regions. c) Sampling: We did not do any sampling because of the limited number of workers in the forestry control post. In most of the study, all the workers responded. We however, sampled the opinions of the community leaders like: Religious leaders, political leaders, traditional authorities, members of government and administration and some NGO leaders. In the latter, we supposed that if the community leaders are informed, they will certainly pass the message to their subjects. This choice was made because these are the people who manage the populations. d) Instruments of data collection: CCORUD recruited 12 research assistants with a minimum educational level of a first degree in law or natural resource management. These research assistants were posted in pairs to each of the six localities after a two day training workshop on how to use the toolkit and other research methods. In this case, they used direct observation, interviews, questionnaires and documentary sources to gather the required information. In observations, we considered that information gathered through questionnaires was not enough to justify some issues. Research assistants therefore had to keep a daily tracking of what happened in these posts for a period of two months. e) Interviews The interviews were done mainly through conversations and friendly chat between the research assistants and the respondents. They were conducted either in the places of work or at home. f) Toolkits The term toolkit in this project refers to a questionnaire designed to back-up the observations and interviews conducted. Our toolkit contained both open ended and close

ended questions. Each question in this toolkit is referred to as an indicator. To ensure objectivity in the responses, the questionnaire did not seek to bring out the identity of the respondents. The questionnaire was divided in major parts which all reflected the research questions and the variables being studied as well as the objective of the project. With regards to the administration of the questionnaire, respondents were not permitted to carry the toolkits home. They worked along with the research assistants to enable them clarify doubtful questions before they respond to them. In all, 60 toolkits were completely filled, thirty from staff of the FCP, and the rest from the members of the civil society. Research assistants then submitted them with their two-month daily observation diaries. g) Documentary sources: This involved using documentary sources related to our study and project. To achieve this, we contacted some departments of the Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife (MINFOF), the Last Great Ape Organization (LAGA), the Biodiversity Development and Conservation Programme- Cameroon (BDCPC), and Cameroon Environmental Watch(CEW), to source relevant documents and information. Among them were: The National Strategy for Forestry and Wildlife control, the 1994 wildlife law and other publications. h) Validity of Research Instruments Used: • Gender and regional Balance: CCORUD opened up the doors to all cameroonians. Radio and television announcements were made and research assistants were recruited from localities where the project had to take place. For one thing they live the phenomenon and better mastered the area. For each locality, male and female holders of at least a first degree in law or natural resource management were recruited. They were intelligent enough to carry out the task without any mistakes since they mastered the subject. • Test Research To measure the extent to which the questions destined for the respondents corresponded to the exigencies of the research questions under study, we contacted an expert PhD anthropologist from Standford University in USA,

researching in Cameroon, to review our toolkit. Thereafter the project manager carried out a test research in Belabo and Abong Mbang with the research assistants before the final version was printed and distributed.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT ACTIVITIES

The project material and equipment were acquired, the toolkit produced, the project launched and a training workshop for research assistants carried out. We then proceeded with the data collection from the field which was also successfully done and the analysis perfectly carried out and the report produced. Finally the project report and results was presented to CARPE and other stakeholders in a validation workshop.

RESULTS OBTAINED

A. RESULTS FROM FCPs

a) Number of Males =19 Number of Females = 11

Out of the 30 respondents 19 were male and 11 female. This shows that a degree of gender balance is maintained in the FCPs in Cameroon.This is affects the quality of service both positively and negatively. First positively because traffickers have been known to be less violent when controlled by women. The negative aspect lies in the frequent absence from duty by women for reasons ranging from domestic issues through frequent illnesses to long periods of maternity leave. b) Age range =22-56

c) Level of education : 3 BEPC 1 CEPE plus military training 1 Terminal 7 TEF Diplome 8 BAC +2 2 Probatoire D 9 University Graduate

BEPC

CEPE +military training Terminal

TEF Diplome

BAC +2

Probatoire D

University Graduate.

The above qualifications or levels of education are for the various 30 respondents who answered the questionnaire. The highest number of respondents comprises university graduates, reflecting the picture of the educational level of the workers of the FCP in Cameroon. This good level of

education is an added advantage to their output considering that a good level of education is necessary to read and understand texts and laws regulating the sector, effectively participate at seminars as well as better understand issues surrounding conservation as a whole. d) Division of Origin

Division Number of Persons Mbam et Kim 1 Mezam 1 Sanaga-Maritine 2 Mungo 1 Noun 1 Mbam et Foubou 1 Menchum 1 Bui 1 Haut-Nkam 3 Lekie 1 Nyong ekele 6 Bamboutos 1 Mayo-Sanaga 1 Nyong et So 3 Manyu 1 Mayo-Kani 1 Nde 3 Haut-Plateaux 1

e) Ethnic Group Ethnic Group Number of Persons Beti 2 Furu-Awa 1 Bakossi 1 Ewondo 2 Bayangui 1 Mbamoise 1 Pol 1 Bassa 4 Eton 1 Tikar 1 Fulbe 1 Moundang 1 Bamuon 1 Nso 1 Bamilike 11

Out of the 16 ethnic groups represented, Bamilike occupies the top position with the highest number of workers 11.

f)Motivation or Reason for Choosing this Job: Reason Number of persons Interest in protecting and preserving nature 10 For security 1 Employment to earn a living 16 To learn more about animals 2 Love for the animals 5 Exploited an opportunity for employment 2 More family involved in it motivated me. 2 To develop the biodiversity 1 To fight against wood exploitation 2

The result shows that 53.3% of workers chose the job because they wanted employment and 36.7% are doing the job because they want to protect and preserve nature. Some, however, got into the job because someone led them in and others because their family members are more into the profession. This situation explains the nonchalance observed in some workers. This attitude however is not manifested by the majority of the workers as the statistics show because some developed a liking for the job once they found themselves in it.

SECTION II

1) Women seen out of every 10 controlled persons trading in wildlife.

Women. Men 72 % 28%

80% 70% 60% 50% Women 40% Men 30% 20% 10% 0%

Out of the 30 respondents, the percentage of those who responded shows that the highest number of people out of every 10 controlled persons who trade in wildlife are women, with 72%.

2) The approximate age of traders in the wildlife and/or their products ranges between 22 and 46 years. It therefore indicates that this profession is practised by middle aged people.

3) Nationals seen out of every 10 controlled persons trading in wildlife is:

Nationals Foreigners 97% 3%

100%

80%

60% Nationals

40% Foreigners

20%

From the above graph up to 92% of those dealing with wildlife in every 10 controlled persons are Cameroonians, and only 3% as foreigners.

4) Number of times traders try to bribe to pass out of every 10 controls:

People who try to bribe People who do not try to bribe 93% 7%

It is clear from the results that out of 10 persons controlled 93% try to bribe their way out of the FCPs while just 7% will not try to bribe.

What is your meaning of “allow them to pass?” does this mean that traders do not pay bribe but pass nevertheless? Why are they allowed to pass since they are trading wildlife products? WHY ARE THEY DOING THEIR WORK CORRECTLY SINCE THEY ALLOW THEM TO PASS?

5) The number of persons who ever got a promotion out of every 10 persons who have worked in FCP:

Persons Promoted Persons not promoted 31% 69%

Out of every 10 persons who have worked in a FCP only 31% are promoted and up to 69% are not promoted. This creates a climate of frustration and demobilization.

6) The reasons for the promotion:  3 respondents said no profile career follow-up was used as an indicator for the workers promotion.

 15 respondents which are half the population of the respondents said they do not know the reasons for the promotion.  Nevertheless 12 respondents gave the follow promotional reasons: • For good Conduct. • For good knowledge about the job • Level of intelligence of the workers concerned. • For respecting administration at their job sites. • Because of relations they have with the higher authority. • Good academic profile • Because of the bad functioning of the central administration. • By competitive exams.

7) Assessment of the work load.

Too much Just Enough Too little 63.33% 33.33% 3.33%

80.00%

60.00% Too much 40.00% OK 20.00% Too small 0.00%

According to the respondents 63.33% of them said the work load is too much, 33.33% of them said it is OK and 3.33% said it is too small.

IS IT THE SAME SAMPLE? IF YES PEOPLE WHO HELD MEETING EVERY WEEK WILL BE AMONG HAVING IT EVERY MONTH AND THE NUMBER OF THE SECOND ONE SHOULD BE GREATER.

8) Disagreements after every 10 meetings held.

Disagreements Agreements. 31% 69%

From the above, after every 10 meetings held there is a degree of 69% agreement and 31% disagreement.

9) The reasons for the disagreements in meetings.  Poor team spirit.

 Poor organization of working hours.  Insufficient time to rest.  Corruption  Decisions taken by individuals without consultation with others.  Ignorance of the wildlife law and its application especially when a staff allows a trader to pass through the control after examination and another insist that they will not go.  Too many temporary workers who do not understand the system.  Sharing work benefits at the end of the work day.

10) Number of respondents who think everyone’s idea is valued during meetings.

Ideas are valued Ideas are not valued 100% 0%

According to all the respondents everyone’s idea is valued during meetings even if there are disagreements, they always reach a consensus.

11) Public transport cars usually controlled out of every 10 cars.

Controlled Not Controlled 65% 35%

Out of every 10 public transport cars passing 65% of them are controlled by the FCPs and 35% are not controlled.

Administrative cars controlled out of every 10 passing.

Controlled. Not Controlled 51% 49%

51% 51% Controlled 50% Not 50% controlled 49% 49% 48%

Out of every 10 administrative cars passing, 51% are controlled and 49% are not controlled.

Motor bikes controlled out of every 10 passing.

Controlled Not Controlled 87% 13%

Out of every 10 motor bikes passing 87% of them are controlled and 13% not controlled. The percentage of bicycles controlled out of every 10 passing

Controlled Not Controlled 25% 75%

80% Controlled 60% Not 40% contrelled 20%

Out of every 10 bicycles passing only 25% of them are controlled and 75% are not controlled. Pedestrians controlled out of every 10 passing.

Controlled Not controlled 36% 64%

Controlled Not controlled

Out of every 10 pedestrians passing 36% of them are controlled and 64% are not controlled.

12) Criteria used to control vehicles, bikes or persons.  Criteria used to control vehicles: • From experience, trucks that transport wood from the forest areas usually carry bush meat or ivory. • The origin of the vehicle and the towns which they possibly pass through. • The kind of luggage they are carrying.

• Through simple suspicion from the behavior of the driver or individuals concerned. • Through the loading system. • The speed of the vehicle before the control post. • Pre-information about the vehicle through networking. • From the odor. • From direct observation.

13) Number of threats from every 10 cars stopped.

Threats No Threats 80% 20%

From the above results, out of every 10 cars passing through the FCPs, 80% of them will have threats or insults from either the drivers or vehicle occupants, addressed to the workers of the FCPs.

14) Threats by category of automobiles Category of automobile Percentage of threats Public transport cars 32.4% Private cars 25.4% Administrative vehicles 21.1% Motor bikes 11.3% Pedestrians 7.0% None of the above 2.8%

Ranking the threats by category of automobiles, public transport cars rank the highest in threats and insults with 32.4%, followed by private cars.

15) Staff who feel protected by the law and government in executing their duties.

Feel Protected Feel Unprotected. 46.7% 53.3%

Out of all the respondents (FCP staff), 53.3% feel unprotected by the law and the government in performing their duties while 46.7% feel protected. This feeling possibly affects their performance at work.

16) Have been to court with people they intercepted trading wildlife products.

Been to Court Never Been to Court 33.3% 66.6%

The percentage of respondents who have been to court with people they intercepted is 33.3% and 66.6% have never been to court. 33.3 % of the FCP staff has been to court 22 times in three years

17) Court expenses and transport paid by MINFOF

Yes No 40% 60%

From the above, 40% of those who have been to court say their court expenses and transport fare was paid by MINFOF while 60% said theirs was not paid by MINFOF. The explanation for this is that they have never been to the ministry for it.

18) Staff influenced by hierarchy to let go a trader or defaulter with illegal documents.

Received Influence. Have never been influenced 10 % 90%

Received Influence

Have not been influenced

Out of the 30 respondents 10% have received influence from the hierarchy to let go traders dealing with wildlife and 90% of them have never received any such influence.

19) The number of influences by hierarchy out of every 10 intercepted cases.

Influences No influences 33.3% 66.7%

Influenced No influence

From the above chart, the percentage of influence from hierarchy out of every 20 intercepted cases is 33.3% and 66.7% of no influence.

20) The percentage of respondents who say they have been trained as forestry/wildlife workers.

Trained Personnel Untrained Personnel 62 % 38%

From all the respondents 62% say they have received training as forestry/wildlife workers and 38% have not as indicated above.

21) Seminars or workshops attended averagely in one year.

Attends at least one seminar Attends No Seminar 30% 70%

Attends at 80% least one seminar 60% Attends 40% noseminar

20%

As seen above, 30% of the respondents say they attend at least one seminar or workshop averagely on wildlife issues while 70% say they attend no seminar or workshop in the last year. This indicates that there is poor capacity building for the workers.

22) Benefits respondents got from the seminar. • Learned new skills and control techniques. • Learned income generating activities as alternatives to bush meat trading.

• Learned computer skills and programs. • Perfect study of all and new species of wildlife. • How to establish a good report. • Methods of dialogue with the traffickers.

23) Conflicts with the villagers.

Have had conflicts Have not Experienced conflicts. 77% 23%

The percentage of the FCP staff that has had conflicts with the villagers in the course of doing their job is 77% against 23% who have never experienced any conflict. Kinds of conflicts with the villagers: • Intimidation with knives, guns and cutlasses. • Death threats after seizures. • Refusal by the villagers to cooperate with the FCP staff in need of assistance. • Refusal to present official documents.

24) Causes of these conflicts: • Ignorance of the law. • Villagers feel deprived of the rights to exploit wildlife. • No participatory approach to forest resource management. • Conflicts between traditional and public law. • Bad faith from hunters. • Hunting being the only source of income to these localities, the villagers feel deprived. • Conflicts also arise when eco-guards need the assistance of the villagers. 25) Comparing work in MINFOF and other ministries.

Worse in Same Better in MINFOF I don’t MINFOF know Salary 23% 77% Advancement possibility 30% 70% Additional benefits 33% 60% 3% 4% (pension, health allowance) Job security 66% 20% 14% Job satisfaction 37% 57% 3% 3%

Concerning salary, 23% say the treatment is worse in MINIFOF and 77% say it is same.

Concerning advancement possibilities, 30% of respondents feel it is worse and 70% think that it is same in other ministries and organizations.

Concerning additional benefits like pension and health allowances, 33% say it is worse in MINIFOF, 60% think it is same, 3% holds that it is better in MINIFOF and 4% did not know whether it is worse, better or same.

Finally for job satisfaction, 37% say worse in MINIFOF, 57% feel it is same MINIFOF, 3% hold that it is better in MINIFOF and 3% is indifferent.

26) Workers with other sources of revenue

Have other sources of revenue Have no other source of revenue 10% 90%

Out of the 30 respondents of the FCPs, 10% say they have other sources of revenue and 90% of them have no other source of revenue. Those who have external sources of income say they are hardly tempted to ask for bribes, and that their private activity does not conflict with their work schedule. 27) The kind of jobs done to get some income: • Operating a photo studio. • Small scale business. • Farming

28) Number of workers who have received a document with their job description and policies.

Yes No 84 % 16%

84% of the workers say they have received a document with their job description and policies. 16% of them have never received any document of that sort. This means that the majority of workers know exactly what they are supposed to be doing in their duty posts.

29) Number of respondents who say that they generate money from the control post.

Generate money from the post Do not generate money from the post 93 % 7%

93% of the workers of the FCPs are of the opinion that they generate money from the control post and 7% are of the opinion that they do not generate money from the control post.

b) How the money generated is put into use: • 65% is being used for wildlife sustainability. • 35% is put into the state coffers. • The hierarchy decides other uses of the revenue. 30) How the government verifies expenses of the FCP’s • Through competent authorities. • Through their auditors in the various districts.

• Through the budget of the control post. • Through reports and personal talks with the chief of post. • The government assigns controllers to verify from the various posts. b) Number of times checks are done in one year=2

31) Embezzlement at the FCPs

Funds are being embezzled. No embezzlement 13% 87%

13% of the respondents are of the opinion that funds are being embezzled in the FCPs and 87% are of the opinion that there is no embezzlement of funds.

32) The region of origin of most of the wildlife that passes through the control post: • Batouri, Messamena • Mebok, Mefou, Lomie, , Maleng • Mbam et Kim • Ayos • Akonolinga • Dja reserve • Sebec • Moloundou • Ngoila, Messock • South Cameroon

33).Annual Budget

Annual Budget exist No annual budget 100% 0%

All the workers in all the FCPs are aware of the existence of a running budget for the posts.

34) Participated in proposing the annual budget. Involved Not involved 27% 73%

Involved Not involved

As seen in the chart above a small percentage of the FCP workers are involved in the drawing up of the budget for the forest control post, constituting 27% whereas a greater percentage, 73% are not involved. 35) Timeliness of the budget.

On time Late 73% 27%

The percentage of workers who say they receive the budget for the Forestry Control Post on time is 73% and those who say they receive it late is 27%.

36) Existence of an association of FCP staff in the Region or Division

Yes No 40% 60%

40% of the respondents are aware of the existence of an association of FCP staff in their Region or Division, and 60% say they have no knowledge of the existence of such an association.

37) Percentage of respondents who say that meetings have been held to discuss work related problems Yes No 33% 67%

According to the respondents 33% are of the opinion that meetings have been held at their job sites to discuss work related issues and 67% of them say that no meeting has been held.

38) Availability of a communication network between FCPs.

Communication Network. No Communication Network. 17% 83%

17% of the respondents say there is a communication facility between the control post and the region while 83% of them say there is no communication facility.

39) Receive communication credit to carry out their field work.

Communication Credit. No communication credit 3% 97%

As shown above, only 3% of the respondents say they are given communication credit to carry out field work and 97% say they do not receive communication credit.

40) Availability of a monitoring system put in place by MINFOF, to ensure that FCP staffs carry out their duty to the letter.

Availability of a Monitoring System No Monitoring System 80% 20%

A high percentage, that is 80% of the respondents, say that there is an availability of a monitoring system put in place in MINIFOF to ensure that FCP staff carry out their duty effectively. Only 20% say there is no such monitory system.

41) Have stopped a Cameroonian senior member of government to control his/her car

Yes No 43% 57%

43% of the respondents testify that they have stopped a senior member of government to control his/her car while 57% say they have not.

42) Some reactions of Cameroonian senior officials stopped for control: • Violence • Intimidation and threats of dismissing some FCP staff from their post of responsibility. • Some use their influence to get away with the crime. • Brutal barbaric reactions. • Some contact MINFOF directly. • Others cooperated. • Some were simply ignorant of the wildlife law.

43) Have invited gendarmes or police to intervene in a difficult case.

Invited forces of law and order Have never invited 83% 17%

83% of the respondents say they have invited the forces of law and order to intervene in a difficult case and only 17% say they have never invited the forces of law and order because they have never found themselves in a situation whereby such intervention was needed.

44) Gendarmes response out of every 10 invitations

Positive response Negative response 24% 86%

The percentage of the number of times the gendarmes responded positively out of every 10 times is 21% and 86% negative responds. The low response rate is not a lack of interest, but a lack of means of means of transportation to arrive at posts that are far away from a police or gendarme control post.

45) Identification of wildlife species and products in illegal possession: • Through smell • Using experience • Using the wildlife law i.e. from the different protected species. • From our technical know how and after questioning the individual concern. • We learned in school and other training programs.

46) Have handled cases of persons transporting wildlife products with no legal documents

Have handled Have never seen 37% 63%

Respondents who have witness transporters with no documents. Respondents who have never witness transporters with no documents.

37% of the total respondents confirm that they have never witnessed transporters of wildlife with no legal documents and up to 63% say they have witnessed transporters of wildlife with no legal documents.

47) How they know that a document is illegal: • From the signature, the stamp and the date. • The format.

• If the letter head is not from MINFOF. • If the signatory is not the authorized person. • If it is a photocopy. • If the permit does not conform to the wildlife law. • From the information that the trafficker gives.

49) Percentage level of wildlife trade in the community.

The level of wildlife Increased Stayed about Decreased No idea trade in the the same community 10% 16.7% 50% 23%

As shown in the table above, 10% of the respondents say the level of wildlife trade in the community has increased, 16.7 say it has stayed about the same, 23% say they have no idea about the level and up to 50% say it has decreased.

B. RESULTS OBTAINED FROM THE CIVIL SOCEITY TOOLKIT

DEMOGRAPHICS a) Sex:

Male Female

Out of the 30 respondents 80% were men and 20% were women as can be seen from the chart above. b) Age Ranges :

21-30 31-40 40-50 51-60 61-70 1 5 10 11 3

Ages of respondents ranged between 21 and 65.with the majority falling between 51 1nd 60 years. c) Level of Education :

First School Living Certificate O/L

Lower Sixth

A/L

A/L+2

First Degree

First Degree +

The level of education or equivalence of the respondents as shown in the chart was as follows: 6 are holders of First School Living Certificate, - 2 “O” Levels, -3 from Lower Sixth, -10 with Advance Level, -5 with Advance Level +2, -2 with First Degree and -2 with First degree + other diploma. d) Place of origin :

Haut- Lekie Moungo Mefou et Nja et Lom et Sanaga- Bikok Nyong Afamba Lobo Djereme Maritine 5 6 1 11 4 1 1 1

All of them come from different parts of the country with the highest number coming from Mefou et Afamba Divisions in the Centre Region. e) Ethnicity :

Bamilike 1 Mvele 1 Ewondo 4 Bene Mvog 1 Betie 6 Etenga 2 Boulou 3 Bassa 1 Eton 6 Polonais 1 Maka 2 Mbo’o 1 Baka 1

f) Status of the members of the civil society interviewed:

Director of an NGO / Agricultural Engineer. / Senior Civil Administrator (SDO). 2 Sub Divisional Officer. / Pastor 2 Principal of a government high school 3 Village traditional authorities 3 Secretary General of the Council /

Notable 2 Section President RDPC / Community leader / Police Commissioner 2 Mayor / Deaconess / Quarter Head 3 Principal / Church Elder / Director of a School. / Rev. Father. / Magistrate /

KNOWLEDGE OF CONSERVATION ISSUES

1) Seminars, trainings and conferences attended in 3 years on wildlife.

-The average number of seminars attended in 3 years =1.5 -25 respondents said they have never attended any seminar or conference.

2) Has an idea on the content of the wildlife law of 1994.

6.6% say they have an idea of the wildlife law and 43.3% say they have no idea.

3) Possibility of obtaining information about wildlife in your community

Percentage who say there is a possibility

The percentage who say there is no possibility

Those who have no idea if there there is a possibility or not

56.6% of the respondents say there is a possibility of obtaining information about wildlife in their community, 30% say there is no possibility and 13.3% say they don’t have an idea whether there is a possibility or not.

4) Have visited the FCP to understand how it functions. 36.6% of the respondents have visited a FCP to understand how it functions and 63.3% say they have never visited one.

5) Have been contacted by FCP staff for assistance in the post.

Only 20% of the respondents say they have been contacted by the FCP staff for assistance and 80% say they have never been contacted.

6) The opinion of the community about FCP.

Percentage who say the community's opinion is positive

percentage who say the opinion of the community is negative

percentage of respondent who say they have no idea about the community's

26.6% of the respondents say the opinion of the community is positive about the FCP, 50% say the community has a negative impression and 23.3% say they have no idea about the opinion of the community.

7) Feel it as a duty to cooperate with the FCP staff.

Considers it as their duty. Don’t think so 100% 0%

8) Have knowledge of protected species in class A, B and C. Class A:

Have knowledge No idea 40% 60%

As indicated above 40% of the respondents say they have some knowledge about the Class A of the wildlife and 60% say they have no idea.

Class B:

Have knowledge about class B Have no idea 23.3 % 76.6 %

Percentage of those with no knowledge

Percentage of those with knowledge

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

23.3% say they have some knowledge about the Class B of the wildlife and 76.6% say they have no idea at all.

Class C:

Have knowledge about class C. Do not have an idea. 36.6 % 63.3 %

The percentage of those who have some knowledge about the Class C of the wildlife is 36.6% and 63.3% say they have no idea.

9) Have an idea about the cost of 1Kilo of ivory in the world market. Only 10% of the respondents say they have an idea about the cost of 1kilo of ivory in the world market, 90% of them have no idea

10) Have knowledge on other uses of wildlife apart from bush meat

The percentage of those who have knowledge The percentage of those who on other uses of wildlife apart from bush meat. do not. 76.6% 23.3%

Up to 76.6% of the respondents know other uses of wildlife apart from bush meat and 23.3% of them do not know.

Too many graphics in the above section, most of them are not concluding for the FCPs’ enhancement. Those which do not help us should simply be erased!

MAJOR FINDINGS

This project was focused on corruption, transparency and good governance at the Forestry Control Posts referred to in this project as FCPs. In carrying out this research, we discovered the following:

1. The index of corruption and good governance ICGG:

Number of times a service was obtained by a bribe ICGG = * 100 Total Number of times which the same service was used (This formula is used by transparency international) Number of times a service was obtained by a bribe = 9.4 times Number of times in which the same service was used = 10 times From the results obtained from the questionnaires issued to FCP staff and direct interview with traders in markets, the index of corruption and good governance in the FCPs in Cameroon is 94%. (See indicator 4 of the results obtained). This means that the main problem hindering the effective functioning of FCPs in Cameroon is CORRUPTION.

2. From the study, we came out with the following suggested reasons for the high level of corruption in these structures. • From indicator seven of the questionnaire to the FCP staff, 63.33% of respondents feel that their workload is too much for very little pay from government. Corruption in this case is a way of making up their salary to meet up with the challenges. • Indicator nine and ten suggest that some of the disagreement amongst the colleagues of the FCPs is due to corruption especially when sharing benefits at the end of the work day or when some members are not given a share at all. • Indicator 14, 15, 48, 49 suggest that the public does not allow the staff of the FCPs who are willing to do their work to operate well. They keep receiving threats from the entire public including some senior members of Government and community leaders who should show and example. • 53.3% of the staff in indicator 16 are not feeling sufficiently protected by law and the government to execute their duties which they consider has a very high risk especially dealing with traders in wildlife or wildlife products in the night. They are not given fire arms but they deal with hunters who are well equipped, consequently they allow defaulters to pass through the control due to fear. It must be noted here that during the conduction of this project, an eco – guard was shot by hunters in the east province while our research assistants were there. The FCP staffs therefore prefer to receive money and allow the defaulters to go than to

insisted and die. About 83% of staff of FCPs said, they had solicited the assistance of the forces of Law and order but only received 24% of a positive responds. • Indicator 19 and 20 made us to know that 10% of the senior staff of MINFOF influences the sfaff of the FCPs to allow defaulters to pass through their control post. This hinders transparency if some people are not controlled by order from above. • Searching to know if the workers of the FCPs were involved in any other income generating economic activity, proved in indicator 32 that only 10% of staff had other sources of income. Therefore it is possible to assess their assets to know if their salaries can provide all that they possess and keep their families moving and meeting up with all their needs. • 93% of our respondents said money is generated from the FCPs but the amount remaining there for management and the amount to pay into the public depends on the declaration of the chief of post. This is also an entry point for corruption as some individuals can get enriched while the state will remain poor. • There is no proper communication network for coordination between the forestry control posts. They operate as single units at every location and workers don’t have a communication allowance. If there is a trace of a trafficker in one post, they cannot easily communicate the post ahead or behind to intensify their control strategies. • Most of the posts visited are located in areas why by – passes are possible. • 37% of respondents in indicator 53 said they have also intercepted traders of traffickers with illegal Documents.

3. From the demographic study above, about the gender balance, we found out that from the 30 respondents, 63.33 were males and 36.66 females.

4. We discovered that the approximate age range of the traffickers or traders was between 22 and 56 years with women making 72% of those trading in wildlife or wildlife products while about 97% of them are Nationals and only 3% are foreigners.

IF THIS SECTION IS THE SUMMARY FINDING OF THE ABOVE GRAPHS? THIS CONFIRMS THE FACT THAT WE HAVE TO ERASE MOST OF THEM NOT HELPING FOR THE ANALYSIS.

5. About transparency in recruitment of staff in MINFOF, we evaluated through a demographic study the ethnicity and division of origin of the workers at the FCPs and found out that there is good practice because, of the 30 respondents in our sample, they hailed from 5 regions, 18 Divisions, and 15 ethnic groups suggestion a logical distribution. Check your paragraph numbering. 6. About good governance, a thorough examination of indicators 8, 11, 34, 36, 40 and 47, in our findings attest that:

• Most of the FCP staff meet regularly to discuss work issues and each ones idea is valued during meetings (good practice) • The Ministry distributes job descriptions to all the FCP staff which is a laudable idea as 84% of respondents acknowledged receipt. This implies that most of the ill are not out of ignorance. 16% of those who never received probably are those recruited locally or those in internship who also responded. • MINFOF also has a system of controlling the income generated from the FCP but may need to reinforced and define limit on the handling and management of these funds. The Government has a good intention. • There is an annual budget for the FCPs (good practice) but it is not clear how the sum is calculated considering that they do spontaneous controls and raids often requiring a lot of communication and movement. • 80% of the respondents said MINFOF has a monitoring system to ensure that workers of the FCPs adhere to their commitments which is excellent. The laxity in FCPs may be because there is no rigorous control or hard system of punishment and sanctions. There is high need to improve in these checks.

7) Hindrances to good governance: indicator 12, 14, 15, 24, 25, 28, revealed that the members of the public do not cooperate with FCP staff to enable them carry out their duties well: o About 80% of persons stopped for control threaten the FCP staff. This is a bad practice. If these FCP must do their work well, they must be allowed to exercise their duties. o Cameroon senior officials stopped at control posts tend to be violent, threaten, intimidate or promise to contact MINFOF hierarchy for their dismissals (bad practice). o Indicator 24 and 25 revealed that about 77% of FCP staff have had conflicts with the villagers. o FCP staffs are not motivated for extra hours put into service due to the nature of their exercise. Considering the high risk involved in their work, some find no reason to expose themselves to danger but it must be noted that they accepted and committed themselves to the ministry to carry out this task. o Only 36.6% of these community leaders have once visited the FCP to know how it functions as seen in indicator 4 of the civil society toolkit. o 80% of these leaders have never been contacted to intervene in an issue at the FCP implying that no relationship exist between these structures and the immediate local authorities. o 50% of leaders of the civil society said in indicator 6 of the civil society that the community has a negative impression about the FCPs. o Only a few leaders of the civil society have an idea of the different protected species in the wildlife law. o Some of the FCPs are situated in areas where by – passes a possible. Control becomes ineffective. o The check points and control posts are not sufficiently lighted and many have no first aid or toilet facilities. o There is no code of ethics for staff of the FCPs.

o The staffs depend on their initiative and experience to detect the vehicles and documents to control, exposing themselves to high risk of personal conflicts.

8) About the staff / Community capacity building, the following observations were made: o In indicator 21, about 62% of the respondents were trained professionals in forestry and wildlife which is good practice. o Only 30% had attended an average of one seminar or workshop in the last year. Even though professionals, if their knowledge is not improved, they cannot be effective in their practice. o There is neither a National Order nor an Association of FCP staff yet. This implies that there is no exchange of knowledge or experiences between these professionals. o 83.33% of communities, religious, political and traditional authorities have never attended a seminar or workshop on wildlife issues for the past three years.

9) From our findings, FCPs in Yaoundé concentrate their control on wood which is in high demand for construction. They feel that wildlife issues are not a major concern. That explains why our research in Yaoundé extended to restaurants where we discovered that over 100 restaurants in Yaoundé alone sell bush meat most of which comprises endangered species.

DIFFICULTIES ENCOUNTERED

This project never went without difficulties. The major problems encountered:

o There was a delay between the signing of the contract and the disbursement of the funds by CARPE/IUCN, which affected the project execution timetable.

o The Ministry of Wildlife and Forestry was to sign a letter introducing the project to its provincial delegates in the two regions concerned with the project, informing the chiefs of FCPs that CCORUD was realizing a project which also be of interest to MINFOF. This was to facilitate data collection from the Forestry Control Posts. From when the request was made to when the letter came out took more than two months. The enumerators who had been trained during a workshop could not be received at the various posts and some of them were threatening to abandon the project.

o This delay also caused some trained enumerators to relocate from these areas in search for greener pastures even when we had already paid some advances to them. Thanks to additional staff we had trained for bushmeat surveys in restaurants in Yaounde, we were able to manage the unforeseen situation ant to quickly fill the gaps.

o The project management team had to carry out an additional field trip to introduce the enumerators to FCPs which affected directly the budget.

o Many people than invited attended the launching of the project workshop just by hearing a radio communique and reading the news bar on television that announced the holding of a workshop.(This in itself was an indicator of how much Cameroonians are interested in knowing what goes on at FCPs) This caused us to have extra logistic difficulties.

RECOMMENDATIONS

A. EFFECTIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS

a. With the rapid development of the new information technology, we strongly recommend that MINFOF should begin thinking of developing a modern surveillance technology through the use of satellite communication systems that transmit data and imagery in real time between surveillance aircrafts and the national surveillance centre. This information will then be given to all the relevant ministries. This will reduce direct personal contacts between staff of the FCPs and the persons being controlled. b. At every control post, standard and mobile X – ray facilities should be provided including trace particle detection equipment. This is effective in detection (scanning) tiny elements in form of parcels.This may not be feasible now considering the many FCPs around the country, but it is worth some consideration for a long term strategic planning. DUE TO THE NUMBER OF FCPs IS THAT FEASIBLE, AS I KNOW THAT BAT TIME WE LACK THIS EQUIPMENT EVEN IN CAMEROON AIRPORTS c. We also propose that MINFOF should begin a Detector Dog Program. This is the use of sniffing dogs to detect wildlife products in illegal possession. d. FCP staffs need to be furnished with personal defense equipment and protective clothing considering the high risk involved in the exercise of their functions. e. There is a high need to establish a communication network between the various FCPs and between these posts and the ministry. f. MINFOF needs to partner with MINCOM or CCORUD to install or make use of community or council radios which have proven their effectiveness in the sensitization of local communities especially programs in the local languages. This will improve public capacity building and awareness of the wildlife laws. g. Forestry and wildlife control posts and check points need to be sufficiently lighted taking example from the toll gates. Serious control cannot be done in the dark. h. The hunting season in Cameroon corresponds to a period when most students are in school and prohibited when they are on holiday. MINFOF and other stakeholders need to look for alternative trade or employment because during the holidays, the population pressure increases in forest areas where the only economic activity is hunting to get money for school fees. i. In future forestry control check points should be placed at bridges because a trader may not succeed to escape from crossing five bridges.

B. GOOD GOVERNANCE

a. MINFOF needs to study a possibility of rewarding workers who excel in the performance of their duties. This will help to reduce the prevalence of corruption. b. There is high need to improve the monitoring system for FCPs especially the generation and use of funds whose limits are not clear at moment. A more transparent financial management system needs to be instituted.

c. FCP staff found involved in illegal practices such as the taking of bribes should be severely sanctioned by the ministry. This will act as a deterrent.(deternt d. A clear system for the promotion of staff should be introduced. This can act like a motivating factor for people to act right. e. FCP staff should be encouraged and permitted to attend seminars and workshops to build their capacities. f. A code of ethics needs to be developed for all the FCP staff. g. MINFOF need to organize seminars for members of the civil society and community leaders to build up their capacities in the understanding of the wildlife law.

CONCLUSION In Cameroon there is still a very wide gap between the law and practice. The government has been putting in a lot of effort to cut off supply of wildlife and wildlife products through improved Law Enforcement. There is high need to establish a systematic and well coordinated working collaboration between MINFOF, MINEP, MINDEF, MINJUSTICE, MINAREST, MINFI, MINCOM and the Territorial Administration Ministry with a strong collaboration of the local populations and members of the civil society. The fight to protect Cameroon’s wildlife therefore is a collective issue. It goes beyond the work of one ministry. MINFOF can only coordinate. Everyone must be involved and defaulters heavily punished. Corruption cannot be fought nor can increased transparency and accountability be carried out by angels or spirits. It takes a people to build their country and provide a better future for generations to come. Therefore there is high need for Cameroonians to change their perceptions and mentality about money and riches, love of fatherland, and enjoy its fruits while preserving something for the future citizens. Finally every Cameroonian (CAMEROONIAN?) must be able to: o Resist Corruption o Reject Corruption o Report Corruption

ANNEXES

Questionnaire Section I

Demographics a) sex : male female b) Age c) Educational level d) Ethnicity e) Division of origin f) Why did you choose this job ?------

g) Can you give the difference between a trader in wildlife and a trafficker?

SECTION II 1) Out of 10 traders in wildlife or wildlife products how many women can one see? ------. 2) What is the approximate age group of most traders in wildlife products? ------. 3) Out of 10 traders you have intercepted, roughly how many were. Nationals ------. Foreigners ------. 4) Out of every 10 times, how often do traders in wildlife products try to bribe to pass with illegal products? 5) Among 10 people who have worked at FCP for 5 years, how many have been promoted? ------. 6) Why were they promoted? ------. 7) How do you assess your work load? ------.

Too much

Just about right

Very little.

8) How often does your staff meet to discuss work issues? ------. 9) Out of 10 meetings you have how many times do you have disagreements on work matters? ------. 10) What are the main causes of disagreements? ------.

11) Is every one’s idea valued during meetings? Yes

No 12) Out of every 10 public transport cars how many do you likely control? ------. - Out of every 10 administrative cars how many do you likely control? ------Out of every 10 motor bikes how many do you likely control? ------. - Out of every 10 bicycles how many do you likely control? ------. - Out of every 10 pedestrians how many do you likely control? ------.

13) What criteria do you use to decide which vehicle, bikes or persons to control? --- - Vehicles ------. - Bikes / Bicycles ------. - Persons ------. 14) Out of every 10 cars stopped from how many can you likely have threats or insults from either drivers or vehicle occupants? ------. 15) Which of the categories of automobiles below gives you the most threats? ------. Public cars.

Administrative cars

Private cars

Motor bikes.

Pedestrians 16) Do you feel protected by law and government in executing your duties? Yes No 17) Have you ever had to go to court with some one you intercepted trading wildlife products? Yes

No - If yes, how many times in 3 years?

18) Did MINFOF pay for your court transport and other expenses? Yes

No 19) Has a hierarchy ever ask you to allow a trader in wildlife to pass? Yes No 20) If yes out of 10 cases how often does this occur? ------. 21) Are you a trained forestry or wildlife worker? Yes

No 22) How many seminars or workshops have you attended in the past one year? ------. 23) Name three benefits you got from there------. ------. ------. 24) Have you had any conflicts with the villagers in executing your duties? Yes

NO - If yes, what kinds of conflicts? ------. ------. ------. 25) What are the causes of these disagreements or conflicts? ------. ------. ------. 26) How can the public be educated on wildlife issues? ------. ------. ------. 27) In your opinion what role can the FCP play in educating the public on wildlife issues? ------. ------. ------. 28) How many times do you do night work per week? ------. 29) Are you paid for extra work hours? Yes No 30) Are you paid differently for night work? Yes

No 31) If yes, why? ------. 32) How do you rate working in MINFOF with you friends working in other ministries or organizations? Worse in MINFOF Same Better in MINFOF. Salary Advancement Possibility Advancement benefits Job security Job satisfaction

33) Do you have another source of income besides your job with the FCP? Yes

No 34) If yes, what kind of job? 35) Were you ever given a document outlining your job description and policies to be adopted at the FCP? Yes No 36) Do you generate funds from wildlife sales at the forestry control post? Yes

No -If yes, how is the money used? ------. ------. ------. 37) How does the government verify the expenses of the FCP’s? ------. ------. ------. - How many times in one year? ------. 38) Are there ever cases of people embezzling funds here?

Yes No

39) What is the origin of most of the wildlife that passes through your post? ------. ------. 40) Are there other places wildlife can also come from? Yes

No - Name the areas. ------. 41) How can members of the community get information about wildlife issues? ------. - Is there any annual budget from government for managing your FCP? Yes No - If yes, were you involved in drawing up the budget? Yes No 42) Do you always receive this money on time at every beginning of the financial year? Yes

No 43) Is there an association of FCP staff in this province? Yes

No No idea.

44) Have you had any meetings in the past, organized by MINFOF for discussing problems or ways of improving work at FCP’s?

Yes

No 45) Is there any communication net work between FCP’s in your province or Cameroon? Yes

No idea 46) Are you given telephone communication credit for your field work? Yes

No If yes, is it used for the needs of the work? ------.

47) Is there any monitoring system put by MINFOF to ensure that the FCP staff meets their responsibility in implementing the wildlife law? Yes

No 48) Have you ever stopped a Cameroonian senior member of government or military officer to control his or her car? Yes

No 49) If yes, what was his or her reaction? ------.

50) Have you ever called the gendarmes or police to intervene in a difficult case? Yes

No 51) If yes, out of every 10 times how many times did they respond positively? ------. 52) How do you identify the transformed species and products in illegal possession? ------. ------. ------. 53) Have you had cases of people transporting wildlife products with illegal documents? Yes

No 54) How do you know that the document is false or not legal? ------. ------.

------. 55) In your opinion, in the past two years the level of wildlife trade in the community has:

Increased Stayed about the same.

Decreased

56) In the past three years, have you or your colleague been a victim of an assault from the community? Yes No 57) Have been trained to use fire arms for defense? Yes No 58) In your opinion, out of every 10 traders or transporters of wildlife, how many will move in the day? ------. 59) Is there any system of compensation for an FCP staff who effectively tracks down a trader in wildlife or wildlife product? Yes No 60) If yes, how is the compensation done? ------. ------. 61) How do you carry out control when it is raining? ------. ------. 62) Are you permitted to report a serious matter from the forestry control post directly to the ministry in Yaoundé? Yes No 63) When was the last time you seized meat or an animal part? ------. - Explain what it was. ------. ------.

64) Since you started working in the FCP about how many seizures have you made? ------. 65) What is your impression about this project carried out by CCORUD, IUCN? CARPE in collaboration with MINFOF.

MID TERM REPORT

PRESENTED TO: CARPE

BY: CENTRE FOR COMMUNICATION IN RURAL DEVELOPMENT (CCORUD)

PERIOD: From August to December 2008

TOTAL PROJECT FUNDING FROM CARPE: 7,072,000 FRS

PROJECT TITLE: MONITORING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF FORESTRY CONTROL POSTS IN IMPLEMENTING THE 1994 WILDLIFE LAW FOR GOOD GOVERNANCE IN CAMEROON:

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

This proposed (8 months) pilot project aims to help investigate the effectiveness of the forestry Control Posts (FCPs) in enforcing the 1994 wildlife law in Cameroon for good governance. The objective of the study is to carry out research which will help bring out the strengths and weaknesses of these structures, most importantly the inadequacies impeding their proper and efficient functioning, and to propose remedies to rid the FCPs of their corrupt practices, frauds, malfunctioning and institutional incapacities all in a strong bid to bring about greater accountability and good governance in this sector of the Cameroon natural resources conservation. It will also seek to identify existing gaps and weaknesses that hinder free access to information and communication, this blocking transparency and creating avenues for corruption. This will be done through the use of a research tool kit to be produced in English and French and the project will target forestry control posts in 2 provinces where wildlife issues are more serious.

5) GLOBAL PROJECT OBJECTIVE. The global project objective is to evaluate the performance of the FCPs in implementing the wildlife law with a view to reducing the rate of wildlife loss and bio - piracy in Cameroon.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES

o To enable the Cameroon Government and other stakeholders involved in wildlife conservation and wildlife law enforcement to come out with a more rigorous policy and a better monitoring and control process.

o To identify existing gaps and propose solutions o To investigate the flow of information and communication availability as well as coordination among the various FCPs on the one hand and between these Posts and the institution concerned with wildlife protection.

o To identify the major causes of corruption, lack of transparency, lack of accountability and propose solutions to ensure good governance and transparent management of the FCPs.

o To investigate the level of institutional capacity of FCPs and propose solutions. o To further civil participation in the policy making process affecting FCPs.

PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION The project received approval from CARPE for funding under the CARPE small grant Programme and a convention was signed between the two parties on July 16th, 2008. Before this contract was signed, CCORUD already began executing the project using her own contribution for the project which made up 10% of the sum. However, the financial transactions between CARPE/IUCN and CCORUD went through only in August when the check of 80% of the project funds was disbursed.

PROJECT METHODOLOGY CCORUD proceeded with a research of relevant documentation for the project. This was done by recruited consultants through consultations with relevant government ministries, other well established local NGOs like LAGA, CEW, BDCPC, CARPE, CWAF etc. Also in August and part September, project material and equipment was procured.

Experts were then invited to work on the design of a research toolkit or questionnaires which was divided into three models: A 65 questions toolkit for staff of the FCPs A 12 questions toolkit for the civil society

A Check list for direct observations at the FCPs. A 12 questions toolkit for those trading in bush meat.(additional not in the original plan of the project) As soon as the primary toolkits were produced, we launched this project on the 29th and 30th of September 2008 at the Mvog Betsi Zoological Garden in Yaounde. The project was launched under the patronage of the Minister of Forestry Prof Elvis Ngolle Ngolle and attended by many experts, NGO leaders, MINFOF staff from the centre, south and east regions, many radio, television stations and newspapers. This was immediately followed by a two day training workshop for the 12 recruited enumerators from the six selected localities. (See attached workshop report for details). PROJECT BUDGET MANAGEMENT The level of execution of the project is satisfactory despite the many unforeseen that came up in the cause of implementation of the project. So far the project is within the budget limits as planned from the conception. The expected outs and results will be acquired without any difficulties. All parties are playing their roles well up to the moment of this report.

RECRUITMENT OF PROJECT PERSONNEL CCORUD applied a lot of transparency in the recruitment of her project personnel. A public announcement was made over CRTV radio and also through the television, inviting applications from holders of at least a first degree in law or natural resource management from the six localities selected for the project namely: Belabo, Abong Mbang, Nkometou, Nsimalen, Mbankomo, Nkoabang. From these localities through phone interviews, we recruited two persons each a male and a female making a gender balance of 50%. The reason for choosing this method is that it is more effective to use people who are resident in these areas because they already know a number of issues there. Secondly it will permit children from these areas to benefit economically from the project. We also received an additional technical support from a PhD anthropology student of Stanford University in USA. She worked in the office and participated in field data collection with enumerators in the east and Centre regions. She is still working in the project.

PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED

Among the problems we have encountered so far, we can highlight the following:

o There was a delay between the signing of the contract and the disbursement of the funds by CARPE/IUCN, which could affect the project timetable.

o The minister of forestry was to sign a letter introducing the project and acknowledging that CCORUD was realizing the project also for the benefit of MINFOF to facilitate data collection from the Forestry control posts. This took over two months and enumerators could not be received at the various posts.

o This delay caused some trained enumerators to relocate from these areas in search for greener pastures even when we already paid some advance to them. Thanks to additional staff we trained.

o The project management team had to carry out an additional field trip to introduce the enumerators to FCPs which affects directly the budget.

o Many people attended the launching after hearing the radio announcement. This caused us to have extra logistic difficulties.

PROJECT TIMETABLE With the above difficulties, the project timetable may be modified but we are putting everything in place to respect the 8 months period.

LEVEL OF EXECUTION OF THE PROJECT The enumerators are presently in the field carrying out data collection. The exercise is mid way and will be over around January 15th 2009.

CONCLUSION The project was highly welcomed by all the stakeholders involved in wildlife conservation in Cameroon. Many have so far given a lot of moral and technical support. The ministry is also in full support and many are waiting anxiously for the results of our findings. Many thanks go to CARPE for the financial support and collaboration. We can assess our success rate at 75% at this point.

Submitted by: Sunjo Emmanuel N Project manager Launching of the Project “Monitoring the Effectiveness of FCP in Implementing the Wildlife Law for Good Governance in Cameroon” at Yaoundé Zoological Garden in Yaoundé.

Tentative Programme For 29 Sept.2008

8H 00 Registration of participants

9H 00 Arrival of Representatives of Partner Organisations

9H 00 Arrival of H.E the Minister of Forestry and Wildlife

. Singing of the National Anthem . Welcome address by CCOURUD Coordinator . Role of CARPE in Conservation and Governance (Director, CARPE) . Threats to Protected Species Through Illegal Hunting (Director, LAGA) . Presentation of Project (Project Director, CCORUD) . Launching of Project by H.E the Minister of Forestry and Wildlife, Pr, Elvis Ngolle Ngolle) . Family Photo 10H 00 Cocktail

Launching of the Project “Monitoring the Effectiveness of FCP in Implementing the Wildlife Law for Good Governance in Cameroon” at Yaoundé Zoological Garden in Yaoundé.

TRAINING WORKSHOP PROGRAMME 10 H 30 : Introductions by Participants  Review of Agenda  Objectives of Workshop  Outline of Expectations 13H 30 Lunch 14H 30 Questions and General Discussions

15H 30 END OF DAY ONE

Tentative Programme for Day Two, 30 Sept.2008

09H 30 Arrivals of Participants

o Research Methodology (By Ofir) o Overview of Research Indicators, Background and Explanations o Introduction to Research Approach for Wildlife Law Enforcement, Presentation of Tool Kit

o Assement of Tool kit o Questions and General Discussions o Distribution of Research Material o Lunch and Departure

EVALUATION FORM

WORKSHOP: Training for Enumerators and Research Assistance

DATE: September 29 – 30, 2008 – 09 – 23

VENUE: Mvog – Betsi Zoological Garden, Yaounde

Please mark the number that corresponds best to your opinion on each question with 5 being the highest and 1 being the lowest mark.

1. The objectives of this workshop were: Clear Unclear 5 4 3 2 1

2. Explain briefly why the objectives were not met ……………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………

3. The set – up preparations (logistics) were: Well Structured Poorly structured 5 4 3 2 1

4. The contents of the workshop were: Well structured Poorly structured 5 4 3 2 1

5. If they were poorly structured, please explain why ………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………

6. The terminology in this workshop was Easy to understand Difficult to understand 5 4 3 2 1

7. The explanation given to the toolkit was: Clear Not Clear 5 4 3 2 1

8. Do you understand what you have to do in the field after attending this workshop? ……………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………

9. Did the training prepare you well to begin your work in the field? ………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………….

10. Overall quality of the training: Excellent Poor 5 4 3 2 1

SOME CORRESPONDENCES

MONITORING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF FORESTRY CONTROL POSTS IN IMPLEMENTING THE WILDLIFE LAW FOR GOOD GOVERNANCE IN CAMEROON

LOGICAL FRAMEWORK

LOGICAL INTERVENTION Objectively Source of Hypotheses and Verifiable Verification Risks Indicators To evaluate the performance / effectiveness GENERAL of the FCPs in implementing the wildlife OBJECTIVES law with a view to reducing the rate of wildlife loss and biopiracy in Cameroon 1- To enable the Government and other stakeholders involved in wildlife conservation and wildlife enforcement to come out with a more rigorous policy and a better monitoring and control process. 2- To identify existing gaps and SPECIFIC propose solutions OBJECTIVES 3- To investigate the flow of information and communication availability as well as coordination among the various FCPs on the one hand and between these Posts and the institutions concerned with wildlife protection 4- To identify the major causes of corruption, lack of transparency, lack of unaccountability and

propose solutions to ensure good governance and transparent management of the FCPs 5- To investigate the level of institutional capacity of the FCPs and propose solutions 6- To further civil participation in the policy making process affecting FCPs

1) Project material and Material is displayed Can be seen and equipment is acquired identified 2) The tool kit is produced 50 copies are produced Contract for experts, Can be consulted and distributed reports. RESULTS 3) Training workshop Presence of 25 Materials made available Facilitation successfully carried out participants 4) Data is successfully collected Completely filled 60 Copies available for Usage of expertise from the field questionnaires from the consultation field.(10 per post) 5) Collected data is analysed Availability of copies Consultants, Researchers Team spirit and the report produced and support staff contracts and report. 6) The project report and results Successful Workshop Workshop report and Feedbacks, comments are presented to CARPE for presentation and Number of stakeholders and testimonies of validation, 50 Copies in attendance. stakeholders in available, media report. attendance.

For Result 1 A computer printer, Acquired receipts 1: Carry out contact ink, stationeries with legal texts missions with procured with available. Financial relevant receipts, availability report. stakeholders, of decrees, laws, MINFOF, LAGA, legal texts acquired National Assembly, from relevant Public Libraries, ministries. other NGOs, documentation Centers to acquire ACTIVITIES relevant laws, permits, decrees etc necessary for the project. 2: Go to the market to procure project material and equipment For Result 2. Appointment dates, Samples of Questionnaire 1:Contact missions contracts signed contracts, formulation with sister NGOs, with consultants and appointment letters, MINFOF, Policy letters of Availability of tool Makers and other appointment kits in English and available. Copies of French Stakeholders tool kits available involved in Wildlife including French Law enforcement to versions. get experts and Consultants to work on the tool kit.

2: Appointment and recruitment of project team to work on the tool kit. 3 : Organization of 1st consultative meeting with consultants 4: Preparation of job description for the consultants 5: Production of the tool kit in English 6- Translation of tool kit into French 7: Printing of the tool kit into sufficient number of copies for research and workshop For Result 3 25 Invitation letters, 1: Appointments receipts, Number of and recruitment of participants researchers. 2: Production of invitations and appointment letters and distribution to the various participants and Workshop report recruited researchers. 3: Arrangements

and renting of the hall, preparation of food, arrangements for lodging, contact workshop facilitators etc. 4: Running of a three day training workshop for researchers. 5: Evaluation of the level of understanding of researchers. 6: Test research, evaluations and corrections. 7: Writing of the workshop report and production of attendance sheet.

For Result 4. Receipt for 1: Research bags purchased items, and folders are completely filled produced and questionnaires, distributed to transport, hotel and researchers. restaurant tickets Uncompleted 2: Researchers are from researchers. Reports questionnaires, assigned to the Transport various 6 forestry difficulties, climatic control posts in the conditions

2 Provinces: East (Belabo, Abong Mbang), Centre (Awae, Mbankomo, Boumnyebel, Baffia) 3: Logistic issues are arranged. 4: Transportation and installation of researchers in the project site.

For Result 5. Complete reports Full project report. Uncompleted 1: Consultants and from consultants questionnaires from statisticians are and statisticians the field, statistical recruited. formulae used in the 2: Review of the analysis completed tool kits by consultants. 3: The data entry and analysis is carried out by consultants. 4: The complete project report is produced.

For Result 6. 25 Invitations letters End of project Probable 1: Invitations are with the date of the report and Retardation produced and workshop, attestation of distributed to all the announcements in successful stakeholders, the media, power completion of CARPE, IUCN, point presentation, project from MINFOF, and other signatures of 25 CARPE relevant government participants in the ministries. attendance sheet, 25 2: Logistic issues reports handed over are arranged. to stakeholders 3: The research findings are presented and deliberated upon. 4: The phase 2 proposal is presented. End of workshop and end of project.

For Another Strict respect of the Reports at different Result project time table. levels of the project Excellent expertise, operational capacity and good management of the project .

PHOTOS OF SOME PROJECT ACTIVITIES (SEE PRINTED PICTURES IN HARD COPY)