Constituency Development Fund has been a sticky issue in Zambia. Media still has to find its best ground to report the use of the fund beyond scandals

1. ROLE OF MEDIA
REPORTING CONSTITUENCY DEVELOPMENT FUND
PAPER
BY
INNOCENT DAKA
ZANIS, SOLWEZI
SACCORD WORKSHOP, MWAKA LODGE
November 30, 2012

2. 1. Introduction
Constituency Development Fund (CDF) is an allocation in the National
Budget under the ministry of local government and housing authority. Today
it takes a share of as much as K150 billion of the total budget.
The fund is meant for micro projects at constituency level intended to
address specific needs of the local communities. It also keeps the spirit of
community participation alight, as the projects that are financed by CDF are
locally identified and include an aspect of involvement in their management
and implementation.
Most of the projects financed include labour based feeder roads, public
health, basic education and market infrastructure. In some cases CDF has
been used to add value to the rural education and health infrastructure by
paying for water reticulation and electrification. Community income
generating groups involved in poultry and crafts making have sometimes
benefited from CDF.
2. Procedure
The procedure basically starts with the communities, through Constituency
Development Committees, identifying need areas and looking at alternative
interventions or projects and a choice made based on the best alternative
that is cost effective and efficient. The projects must address urgent social
economical needs of the community.
The CDF committees then present these proposals to planning sub-
committees of the District Development Coordinating Committee (DDCC) for
technical assessment. When the technical assessment is done, the proposals
are passed for appraisal by the DDCC and later for approval by the full
council as in their original form or with proposed technical adjustments.
Those proposals that do not meet the criteria in terms of addressing specific
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3. social and economical needs of the community and are not cost effective
are sent back and the applicants are asked to find alternative projects.
3. The Role of Journalists in Reporting CDF
Constituency Development Fund is an allocation in the national budget.
Therefore it is component of Zambia’s public policy in view of public
expenditure included in the budget legislation passed by parliament.
The role of journalists to report CDF must help in the following:
 To inform and educate the various publics how the fund is making a
difference in the lives of constituents; the relevance of its outcomes
 How the first grades of one rural school will have for the
first time ever in that community going to have normal
learning hours because of a new classroom that has
increased classroom space,
 Or teachers are happy to remain at a rural school and have
ample time to prepare their lesson plans because their
houses are electrified
 How wealth and jobs are being created
 To provide checks and balances to ensure funds are utilised for the
intended purpose
 Follow up and report any actions that may lead to
irregularities
 Interview interest groups, ensure the deserving groups
and viable projects are funded
 Be on the lookout for any political interference—it can
take quite some covet forms, in some cases front women
or youth clubs may be used and in others same groups
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4. being funded every other allocation for the purpose of
‘clientelism’ (groups being rewarded with CDF for votes)
 Create awareness for community members effective participation in
the utilisation of the fund
 Facilitate local and national conversation from which the elected
representatives and constituents can learn from each other on issues
that can make the fund work better
4. Sources
If a journalist is looking for answers to how constituency development funds
are used, the amounts released as well as on which projects they are
utilised, there are several places they can be tempted to focus their research
on.
These places may include the councils, the councillor’s office (person),
Constituency Development Fund Committees and the direct beneficiaries of
the funds—who may include the school and health authorities, a youth or
women’s income generating group.
5. Challenges
Challenges in reporting CDF largely emanate from, among others, the
following
 Lack of interest to understand the procedure of the fund, hence it
makes it hard to figure out what is news and where it lies
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5.  Lack of journalistic skills to link utilisation of CDF to issues of good
governance—transparency and accountability. For example clientelism
is not seen as anything wrong
 Insufficient public information concerning the disbursement of the
fund. Those involved in the process of disbursement keep the
information an ‘official’ seal of secret
 Media houses oversight to make CDF one of the news topics on the
local authority beat
 Unavailable logistics for reporters to follow up CDF projects in outskirt
communities in vast constituencies
Thank You
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