From Design to Reality: A Participatory Assessment of Large-scale Agricultural Projects in the North West and West Regions of Cameroon

Abstract

Introduction: Participatory assessment approaches offer a critical pathway for addressing these limitations. By involving stakeholders as co-producers of knowledge, participatory frameworks enhance the identification of context-specific challenges, distributional outcomes, and unintended effects often overlooked in top-down evaluations. Aims: This study examines the alignment between large-scale agricultural project design and implementation realities in Cameroon, focusing on how resource dynamics, institutional conditions, and political economy factors shape the design–reality gap. Place and Duration of Study: The research was conducted in the North West and West regions of Cameroon between December 2025 and March 2026, within smallholder-dominated systems facing contrasting institutional and socio-political conditions. Methodology: A mixed-methods approach was applied using an integrated framework combining the Resource-Based View, Institutional Theory, and Political Economy perspectives. Data were collected from 400 farmers, 22 key informant interviews, and focus group discussions, complemented by documentary analysis. Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression and thematic analysis were used for quantitative and qualitative assessment. Results: Findings reveal a significant design–reality gap driven by resource misalignment, weak institutions, and power asymmetries. Quantitatively, the estimated design–reality gap index is approximately 0.31 (31%), indicating a moderate but structurally significant divergence between planned objectives and actual implementation outcomes. While resource provision is necessary, its effectiveness is constrained by poor timing, limited access, and weak contextual adaptation. Institutional alignment emerges as the most critical determinant, while elite capture and unequal access exacerbate disparities. Participation plays a limited, largely procedural role. Conclusion: Bridging the design–reality gap requires context-sensitive, institutionally grounded, and politically informed approaches that strengthen governance, address power imbalances, and embed meaningful and inclusive participation in agricultural development interventions.