Enhancing Transparency, Accountability & Community Participation in the Implementation of the Constituency Development Fund

Following the enhancement of the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) budgetary allocation from K1.6 million to K25.7 million in 2022, and subsequently to K28.3 million in 2023, civil society expressed concern at the lack of mechanisms for transparency, accountability and meaningful inclusion of community members in the CDF processes. In response, the Jesuit Centre for Theological Reflection (JCTR) conducted a systematic Constituency Development Fund (CDF) monitoring exercise of the implementation of CDF in May 2023 in four select constituencies (Chisamba, Kasama Central, Masaiti and Livingstone Central) to advocate for improved transparency, accountability and community participation in the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) processes and subsequently safeguard this development tool from corruption, wastefulness, politicisation, elite capture, and derailing from the CDF’s objectives. This brief highlights key findings, challenges and recommendations of JCTR’s CDF monitoring exercise.