Geneva, Switzerland. On 17-21 March, a workshop was organized by the UN Country Team in Cameroon with support from UNITAR to build the capacities of UNCT members on systems thinking and strategic foresight. The training aimed to enable UNCT to undertake the work on UN Country Analysis in an innovative manner, providing an approach that is more forward-looking, system-based and people-centered.
53 UNCT members took part in this five-day training programme opened by UN Resident Coordinator Mr. Issa Sanogo. Throughout the workshop, participants worked jointly on developing Causal Loop Diagrams or visual representations of national sub-systems, identifying main leverage points in the national system and potential policy interventions in connection human-centered approach and with the National Development Strategy 2030, analysing stakeholders, discussing mega-trends and uncertainties and developing scenarios, as well as stress-testing potential development pathways in the face of different scenarios.
Having a more integrated and future-proof approach to UN Country Analysis is important as it provides the foundation for the future UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework in Cameroon. "Identifying leverage points - high systemic impact areas - and related pathways, as well as opportunities and risks, can help UNCT to approach future support not only jointly, but also more strategically", noted Elena Proden from UNITAR, who facilitated the workshop jointly with François Fortier.
Follow-up sessions have been planned with UNITAR online to help practice the application of methods to finalize the UNCA approach. The benefits of this capacity-building exercise are, however, expected to go beyond the country analysis process to enable all members to apply these innovative methods for joint programming and stronger collaborations to ensure more impact from UN work in Cameroon. A better awareness around complexity and the non-linear nature of transformations is critical to having more impactful and agile programming and implementation.
