Understanding the role of institutions in the multiple streams approach through the recognition of the diaspora as a development agent in Cameroon

Abstract

This article examines the potential contribution of the diaspora to development in Cameroon. It illuminates the role of institutional dynamics within the Multiple Streams Approach (MSA). Drawing on the concept of problem compatibility, this research demonstrates that problem recognition does not occur solely as a result of the work of policy entrepreneurs or problem brokers. It also depends on the institutional context within which the problem arises. Data demonstrate that the shock of the economic crisis and its repercussions in Cameroon required innovative sources of development financing, particularly capitalizing on resources from the diaspora, otherwise known as the diaspora option. This led in part to the modification of the "appreciative system" of its network on diaspora policy. Moreover, the heterogeneity of this network has reframed the view of the diaspora, long considered a threat to the stability and security of the country. This analysis, based on interviews with fifteen government officials, experts, and professionals, highlights the institutional processes that drive the problem stream.

Conflict Resolution as A Game: The Government's Policy Agenda has Been Neglected Through Negotiation and Compensation

“…Configurations of power and perceptions dominate the placement of issues and their movements across the agenda. Proximity and potential have an indirect effect on the agenda because they are filtered through power and perception (Ntienjom Mbohou, 2023). Likewise, in the formulation of the policy agenda, there are several levels of the agenda that must first be known so that it can be further understood where a problem lies (Otsuka & Sugihara, 2022).…”