Memoire Online - The Case for a Data Bank at the Ministry of External Relations - Cameroon

The organizational structure shows MINREX organizational structure including grade

A click on an icon in the middle shows who is where, while the Employee Databank provides the rest of the information.

Employee Information System records all the information of every employee right from the day he/she joins MINREX till the separation.

Employee Databank also includes information specific to Asset Management, Vehicle

Movement Activity keeps a track of every activity like Temporary Transfer, Permanent Transfer, Promotion, etc. that takes place in the employee's career path.

The content of personnel files, be it diplomatic personnel or potential candidates should be built up in the different databases that make up the bank. For each name appearing in the databases, the essential information that could facilitate placing should be entered. We shall call this table of name profile as illustrated in the table below. 1.4 Name profile for diplomats and potential candidates for IOs.

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Place of birth
Province of origin
Service commencement date
Present grade
Present position
Academic title
Present administration
Next expected grade	Date
Date of next movement
Expected retirement date
Language knowledge
Brief academic profile
Brief work profile
Personal address (phone, mail, e-mail, street and house number)
Persons to be contacted in case of need

We must specify here that the same table could register information on the three categories of persons in we have been working with, namely; diplomatic personnel (MINREX), Cameroonians working in IOs, and potential candidates for posts in IOs. The table could be expanded as need may arise. As for the source of information to be registered in the databases, category one (1), that is diplomatic personnel, will be obtained from MINREX internal and external services. Category two (2), that is Cameroonians working in IOs, will be obtained from MINREX, as well as the organizations^29(*). Category three (3), that is potential candidates for IO posts, will be made up de facto of all diplomatic personnel of MINREX, citizens of category (2) above and select executives of other Government agencies, lecturers, researchers, as well as prominent members of the civil society. This last category might reveal quite difficult to constitute. But the diplomats in charge will have to be really rigorous, proactive and efficient. Category three databases seem particularly important. The difficulties met by Cameroonian authorities to find a suitable candidate for the post of AU Commissioner for trade and Industry, as reported by Ndzesop, is partly because of the absence of such a database. Candidates for posts in IOs are not only MINREX civil servants, but the entire Cameroonian citizens who qualify for such posts. Already, documents from the Bureau of Liaison at the Directorate of General Affairs in MINREX show that a majority, if not all, of technical IOs are lodged in Government agencies directly concerned. As such, while MINREX harbors technical IOs, these other Ministries harbor those IOs that have to do with technical issues. More so, even when there is a post in a political IO, Cameroon's candidate shall not come only from MINREX. In this category three, profiles of such personalities as former ministers, minister delegates, secretaries general, directors, professors, rectors, etc., should be included. It is important, here, to mention that political posts in IOs require candidates with high political experience. In some countries the preparation of candidates for posts in IOs could include the appointment of the latter to a high-level post. At another level, the database for available posts in IOs needs to be quite efficient. Folders need to be arranged in this database according to IOs, a folder per IO. Within each IO's folder, a list of available jobs has to feature, with job descriptions, qualifications and application forms.

The management of the databank will be quite easy if the bank is well conceived and established. If an adapted application (computer) program is used, a simple click on an icon, say available posts in IOs, will open the folder. Another click of a particular IO will show specific posts available at that moment. Yet another click will open up a particular job vacancy. The operating agent of the bank shall download application forms for such posts. An important requirement of the databank at CMU is update and modification. This has to do with many aspects. The first and most important thing to update is the presentation and construction of the database itself. Those in charge of the bank need to constantly update and modify the bank to suit the purposes of the Government. Modifications should also be effected to maximize the effectiveness and efficiency of the bank. On the other hand, there is need for constant modification and update of files and folders contents. This makes up one of the most costly tasks of the managers of the bank, but it is worthwhile. The purposes of the bank do not permit it to be outdated. Diplomatic personnel constantly change grade, function, work place, titles and even separate either by resignation, retirement or death. The same is true with potential candidates, MINREX patrimony, and Cameroonians present in IOs. Similarly, posts in IOs are constantly being created, occupied, deleted or modified. It even happens that the posts come up again but with different job descriptions, qualifications, etc. Daily inspection needs to be done in order for the bank to be efficient. d. How to use the files (decision tool) The fact that we have provinces of origin, academic profile, etc., feature on the profile will be important for the rotation of diplomatic personnel. It is a general principle that personnel from the same province will not all have to go the same department or embassy. The cultural diversity, linguistic multiplicity and academic exuberance of Cameroonians will well be put to light in different departments of the ministry.

Simple data is useless except transformed into information. The decision-maker does not read the data, but the information. The coordinator of the bank has to present the data in a way that makes for information. Raw data is only useful if converted into information. Usually, the coordinators will have to notify the competent authority (MINREX), when an elective post is available in an IO. The notification has to be done with a list of potential candidates available in the databank. With the accord of the Minister, the best candidate is summoned and informed of the posts and the lobbying machine is set up. For non-elective posts, the CMU has to notify potential candidates. Upon reception of appropriate candidates, the CMU should request a support letter from the highest possible authority. Such moves have to be done in close collaboration with the department directly concerned with the IO in question.

As for the management of careers of diplomatic personnel, the fact that data is available on the state and expected change (modification, promotion, nomination, etc) in the career of every diplomat permits the writing of regular reports. Particularly, grade change and rotation data present in the bank has to be reported in time to the hierarchy for appreciation.

As for the bank itself, its management requires much sacrifice. As costly as it is to establish it in the first place, it is even more costly to manage. MINREX should keep in mind that there is an installation and management cost, a need for the training of new personnel with appropriate skills, regular back-up and data recovery, etc. Databases require planning because the facts introduced into the bank are not politically neutral. They represent the goal of the politician to translate a particular policy into reality. Therefore, regular meetings have to be held to decide on major changes to be made on the structure and content of the bank.

On a more technical note, the administration of the bank has to acquire appropriate software for data security management, data quality control and data transformation into a decision-making informational facility. This bank at the CMU should function as a data warehouse, a sort of central recipient and distributor of data to various destinations. This is so because each department in MINREX runs or should run a group database of its services. This is especially true for embassies, consulates and departments in charge of IOs.

* ²⁹ The Human Resource management services of these IOs will provide data on the identity of Cameroonians within the IO.