The Cameroon National Institute of Statistics (INS) hosted a workshop on developing a "National Strategy for Communication and Dissemination of Statistical Information" from 4 to 6 February in the city of Mbalmayo. Developed in collaboration with PARIS21, the three-day workshop brought together representatives from the INS, government and media with the aim of producing a national strategy for communicating and disseminating statistics in Cameroon.

The workshop focused primarily on group work during which participants amended an existing draft communication strategy developed by the INS Communication and Public Relations Unit and guided by PARIS21 guidelines.

INS Director-General Joseph Tedou kicked off the workshop and introduced presentations on the current state of communications at the INS, led by INS Head of Communication and Public Relations Marie Flore. Introductory presentations framed the workshop by first acknowledging the lack of a communication strategy in Cameroon, setting the scene for preliminary discussions on the necessity of such a strategy. Topics discussed included:

• The role of the INS in coordinating communication and dissemination in the national statistical system (NSS)
• Global standards of communication and dissemination of statistics
• Data users' needs

One group conducted research and analysis on good practices in communicating official statistics, while others focused on logistical issues such as budgeting and monitoring and evaluation. By the end of the workshop, participants had validated a new draft strategy to inform the communication and dissemination of statistical information not only in the INS, but also in the entire Cameroon NSS.