Administrative and professional ethics: capacity building for CHRC staff
The training held in the Mutuelle du Trésor in the Messa quarter of Yaounde from 26 to 28 April 2023, reflects the constant concern of the Top Management of the Cameroon Human Rights Commission to see the professional capacities of all the staff of this institution constantly strengthened. This is the seventh training session organised within two years for the staff who play the leading roles in implementing the CHRC's mission. Mr Jean-Pierre ABOUEM ESSEBA, the Permanent Secretary, presided over the opening ceremony of the seminar on behalf of President James MOUANGUE KOBILA, who was not available.
To make the Cameroon Human Rights Commission "the reference structure in the highly competitive human rights environment in Cameroon" is the vision of the team led by Professor James MOUANGUE KOBILA since 2021. This vision is translated into action by implementing the cardinal values that underpin it. To achieve this, the Top Management of the CHRC has for the past two years impelled a dynamic punctuated by reforms and actions aimed at enabling the staff members of this institution to play their role fully. The training seminar on administrative and professional ethics from which they benefited is part of this dynamic.
The CHRC Permanent Secretary began his address by thanking the Director of the National School of Administration and Magistracy (ENAM). The Director kindly agreed to appoint Mr NDONG NTOUNG, "a senior government official and trainer of high reputation with a long and rich experience, to conduct this training seminar". The Permanent Secretary of the CHRC added that "the behaviour of the staff must imperatively translate into daily respect of the cardinal principles of administrative and professional practice for an optimal implementation of the attributions and professional obligations written down in their respective job descriptions" before committing these men and women to humbly assume the posture of trainees because they must "show themselves to be equal to the requirements of the missions assigned to them", he said.
The CHRC Top Management is indeed aware that the staff members on whose action it relies have a vague knowledge of administrative and professional ethics and conduct. The Permanent Secretary noted that such shortcomings often lead them to "adopt unfortunate behaviours that have justified disciplinary sanctions up to the termination of the contracts of more than a staff member of the Commission".
For three days, senior and junior staff from the head office and the ten regional branches of NHRI Cameroon were mobilised and trained under the guidance of a dedicated expert. After having proceeded with knowledge checks, notably on the organisation of the State of Cameroon, the general administrative environment and the professional environment at the CHRC, the ENAM expert continued with the rules of behaviour towards the institution and the hierarchy and colleagues. These modules enabled the participants to focus on the set of obligations to which the exercise of their function obliges them. These include the obligations of loyalty, service and dedication to the service, performance, professionalism, promptness, hierarchical obedience, respect, courtesy, collaboration, consultation, etc. These rules must be supplemented by the obligations of hierarchical obedience, reserve, professional discretion, professional secrecy, openness, communication, transparency and accountability.
The thoughts of CHRC staff members were also set on the general principles of administrative and professional practice. CHRC staff members understood that the performance of their duties is governed by the cardinal principles of respect for the public interest and the legality of administrative action. The notions of continuity of public service, protection of public assets, objectivity and impartiality must be applied when dealing with the clients' files. In addition, CHRC staff must be familiar with the administrative environment, have a global vision of situations and master administrative writing.
Exercises were carried out on translating the performance requirement, the obligation to serve and to dedicate to service into practical attitudes to be adopted in executing administrative and professional activities.
Based on a sample sheet translating the meaning, foundations and practical attitudes of applying the legality of administrative action as a fundamental working principle in all public entities, the participants examined the six values underlying the vision of the CHRC. A reference document will be produced within the next few days. Its content will better inform the motives behind the selection of professionalism, objectivity, efficiency, commitment, integrity and performance as values of the Human Rights Commission of Cameroon.
The staff members of the CHRC, who were present from the beginning to the end of the three-day training session, did not hide their gratitude towards Professor James MOUANGUE KOBILA and his team for the initiative. The training "helped to situate the staff on their responsibility in their daily work (respect for hierarchy, moral probity, professional conscience, etc.) and in maintaining the brand image of the CHRC," said Pierre Emmanuel MBIA, Chief of Staff of the CHRC Vice Chairperson.
Annet Mbeng Enonchong, Assistant Research Officer in charge of the file and statistics at the CHRC, said that this training was "very enriching and timely because it helped improve the knowledge of senior staff in handling administrative files and a better understanding of the values of our institution. She proposed "that such training be extended to other junior staff of the Commission such as secretaries, who are called upon to intervene in the handling of several files".
Mathias EKEKE NJOMO, the CHRC Littoral Branch Head acknowledged that the said training "enabled the staff members to draw inspiration from the fundamental values put forward by the management for the performance of the obligations crystallized in the 2019 law governing the organization and functioning of the Commission". He added that "it also helped the staff members, through sharing experiences with the expert, to adopt practical measures and attitudes that result from these fundamental values when carrying out their duties".
Ernest Hervé ESSAMA, Assistant Research Officer, in charge of Human Rights Protection at the CHRC, after having also commended the initiative of the management, believes that "the foundations of administrative ethics having been laid, it would be beneficial to complete this training with other similar but more in-depth training".
This training followed a series of others organised to make the National Human Rights Institution of Cameroon more operational. These include the initial training workshop for members and staff, training workshops for members and staff on litigation before African regional human rights bodies, institutional development and organisational strengthening, project management, and human rights refresher courses for certain senior staff, assistant managers and secretaries.
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