Cameroon

The overall objective of the PeSOP project is to improve the socioeconomic conditions and promote economic and social participation of internally displaced people and host communities in Cameroon. The UNHCR country office contacted JIPS in the spring of 2023 to request technical support for one of the components of the PESoP project, namely the socioeconomic profiling and registration.

In November 2023, JIPS carried out a scoping mission which informed a series of initial recommendations that informed the project planning and conceptualisation.

A follow-up, technical mission took place in July 2024, where JIPS facilitated workshops with community members, civil society, local and national authorities in each of the five municipalities to establish the collaborative structure and finalise the methodological approach. Subsequently, JIPS led on the questionnaire development working with UNHCR, BUCREP, and INS, , incl operational guidance for data collection, and the analysis planning. JIPS also supported UNHCR in the recruitment and training of the local team working on the project, as well as guidance and support for the training of data collection supervisors and enumerators. Data collection was carried out by BUCREP in December 2024.

Upon completion of the preliminary analysis, JIPS conducted a joint analysis mission in May 2025, where findings were presented through interactive workshops in all municipalities and at the regional level, to ensure joint validation and interpretation. During Q3 and Q4 of 2025, all analytical outputs were completed jointly with UNHCR, BUCREP, and INS.

In parallel to the profiling exercises, JIPS also assisted in the strengthening of the municipal-level IDP registration systems, with a differentiated approach by municipality considering their capacities, potential use, and commitment.

The following key aspects of the profiling stand out linked to amplifying the use and impact of the exercises across the municipalities and region:

• Direct engagement of national statistical actors: The close collaboration with INS and BUCREP ensured not only a technically sound and context-adapted approach as well as co-drafting of the study reports. It also enabled jointly validated methodology and tools that can be replicated in other parts of the country, while providing important experiences and lessons for future national-level standardisation and mainstreaming of IDPs into the national statistical system (NSS).
• The inclusive and participatory process empowered municipal actors‘ leadership and agency in coordination, data production, and response. It also ensured that the data effort was anchored in local data governance.
• Aligning the indicator framework with national and international standards – such as on socioeconomic factors, SDGs, and durable solutions – ensured that the results could directly contribute to national monitoring efforts, thus significantly elevating the benefits from the studies from the local to the national level.

The exercise laid the foundation for a more accurate and holistic understanding of the challenges faced by IDPs and host communities in the West region of Cameroon, with an emphasis on providing solutions that promote local integration.

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NOTE: The final outputs from the profiling are available in English and French (see links listed below) and include:

• A solutions analysis report per municipality;
• A research brief looking at the socioeconomic inclusion of IDPs, based on the consolidated insights across all five municipalities;
• An anonymised dataset.