GENERAL SECRETARIAT

🏛️ Role of the General Secretariat

The role of the Secretary-General (SG) of a Cameroonian Council is defined in the General Code of RLAs and subsequent regulatory texts, outlining their position as the Mayor’s chief administrative aide and head of technical services.

1. 📋 Administrative and Functional Coordination

The SG is the administrative manager who ensures the entire bureaucratic machinery of the Council runs efficiently.

• Service Management: Runs and coordinates the activities of all administrative and technical operational entities (Departments and Services) within the council.
• Hierarchical Reporting: Reports directly to the Chief Executive of the Council (the Mayor) on the activities and performance of all services.
• Procedure & Quality: Responsible for defining and codifying internal administrative procedures and establishing measures and techniques for improving output and service quality.
• File Execution: Examines administrative files and ensures the prompt execution of decisions made by the Mayor and the Municipal Council.

2. 📝 Technical and Legislative Support (Rapporteur)

The SG plays a crucial technical role in the legislative and financial processes of the Council.

• Council Deliberations: Attends, ensures the material preparation, and provides the secretarial services/minutes (secrétariat de séance) for the meetings of the Municipal Council and its Executive. The SG acts as the rapporteur of these bodies.
• Budget & Accounts: Coordinates the preparation of the draft budget and the administrative accounts of the Council for submission to the deliberative body.
• Document Management: Centralizes, archives, and manages all legal records and documents (archives and documents) of the local authority.
• Legal Instruments: Processes files and instruments, often receiving a delegation of signature from the Mayor to manage routine administrative correspondence.

3. 📊 Planning, Monitoring, and Human Resources

The General Secretariat is the central hub for strategic planning and the management of human resources.

• Program Monitoring: Prepares and centralizes summaries of action programs, economic reports, and progress reports on local development initiatives.
• Staff Training: Oversees the continuous training and organizes seminars, retraining, or specialization courses for the council staff, under the Mayor’s authority, to build capacity for effective service delivery.
• Development Planning: Plays a key part in coordinating the preparation and monitoring of local economic, social, and cultural development plans (plans and programmes communaux de développement).

In summary, while the Mayor is the political head and Ordonnateur (Chief Executive and authorizing officer of expenditure), the Secretary-General is the administrative brain and engine that implements the Mayor’s vision through the daily management of the civil service and its resources.

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