Monitoring-evaluation and the performance of forest–environment projects in Cameroon: bridging normative frame-works and operational practice

In a context of increasing accountability requirements, monitoring and evaluation (M&E) has become a key lever for enhancing the performance of development projects. This study exam-ines the effectiveness of M&E mechanisms in forest–environment projects in Cameroon, using an empirical approach based on a sample of 50 organizations. Drawing on a mixed-methods methodology combining descriptive analysis and linear regression, the findings reveal a strong convergence in donors’ methodological frameworks, alongside a significant gap between for-mal systems and actual practices. The analysis shows that the institutional integration of M&E is the primary determinant of project performance, while standalone evaluations have a limited effect. Furthermore, digitalization acts as a complementary lever, whose effectiveness depends on its alignment with organizational systems. These findings contribute to a better understand-ing of the theoretical and empirical determinants of monitoring and evaluation (M&E) in Afri-can contexts and provide managerial implications for improving existing systems.