Non-Formal Education for Socio-Professional Integration: Evaluating PAIRPPEV Project Design and Impact

Effective project design is essential for program success. Even well-meaning initiatives like Cameroon's PAIRPPEV falter over time without robust foundations. Launched in 2006, the Support Program for Professional Insertion and Re-insertion of Vulnerable People (PAIRPPEV) includes three projects targeting socio-professional integration for vulnerable groups, yet integration issues persist nationwide after twenty years. This study examines PAIRPPEV's effects on vulnerable populations' integration, highlighting how design shapes outcomes. Employing mixed methods with quantitative and qualitative data, it finds that quantitative results show positive design impacts on integration in Mfoundi Division. However, qualitative insights reveal two major flaws: no dedicated funding mechanism for activities and a narrow beneficiary scope restricted to National Employment Fund (FNE) database registrants, excluding most vulnerable people. These constraints account for the program's enduring low national integration rates. Consequently, the following recommendations arise: redesign PAIRPPEV for comprehensive coverage of all vulnerable populations, expanding beyond FNE registrants via community outreach to boost reach and integration effectiveness; create a dedicated funding stream solely for PAIRPPEV, to ensure reliable implementation.