Key challenges identified included the centralization of the organization in Ouagadougou, the absence of key regional stakeholders within the National Organizing Committee (CNO), the limited involvement of other provinces in organizing the National Day celebrations, the inadequate budget allocated to the Regional Organizing Committee (CRO) and the late disbursement of funds, shortcomings in the appointment of the heads of certain committees, and the insufficient involvement of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs).
With regard to efficiency, several enabling factors contributing to efficient organization were identified during the preparations for the 11 December celebrations. These included, in particular, public procurement procedures that favored open competitive bidding and the streamlined arrangements put in place for issuing building permits. Conversely, the main sources of inefficiency included the limited involvement of regional directorates in monitoring infrastructure implementation, the existence of two organizing committees (the CNO and the CRO) with overlapping responsibilities, failure to meet implementation deadlines, and weak coordination among stakeholders, resulting in the reworking or deterioration of certain infrastructure projects.
Concerning the outcomes and impacts of the rotating 11 December celebrations, between 53% and 88% of respondents, depending on the sector considered, believed that the rotating organization of the celebrations had contributed to improvements in: (i) national pride and social cohesion; (ii) regional attractiveness; (iii) urban mobility; (iv) accommodation; (v) security; (vi) access to safe drinking water and sanitation; (vii) access to energy; and (viii) employment.
The findings were more mixed with respect to access to electricity, cultural activities, and income generation, with only 49.71%, 16.8%, and 21.9% of respondents, respectively, reporting improvements in these areas.
Overall, the impacts appeared to be less pronounced in the first regions to host the 11 December celebrations—namely Fada N’Gourma, Ouahigouya, and Bobo-Dioulasso. Similarly, the regions reporting the smallest improvements in the sense of national belonging were those where some misunderstandings had arisen regarding the distribution of infrastructure investments.