Examining the Effectiveness of Monitoring and Evaluation Strategies in Constituency Development Fund (CDF) Projects: A Case Study of Ndola Central Constituency of Ndola District

Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) are essential to ensuring public sector project transparency, accountability, and effectiveness. In Zambia, the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) funds local development via people-centered initiatives from the grassroots level. The present study examined the M&E methods' effectiveness in CDF projects in Ndola Central Constituency. A mixed-methods design was employed, with 150 participants consisting of community members, members of the ward development committee, and government officials. Data were collected through properly designed questionnaires, interviews, and document reviews, drawing on the Logical Framework Approach and Results-Based Management philosophy. Results showed that approximately 2 out of every 3 respondents (62%) were men, and 38% women, with 4 out of every 5 respondents (80%) between the ages of 26–45 years, indicating a relatively young and educated population. Direct experience with M&E activities was reported by only 1 out of every 3 respondents (33%). Around 7 out of every 10 respondents (70%) said that M&E procedures were applied in an irregular and infrequent manner and were seldom used in project decision-making. The traditional tools of site visits and logical frameworks were used in 85% of the projects, and computer tools and management information systems were used in less than 15% of the cases. Less than 2 out of 5 projects (40%) used good M&E. The greatest reported challenges were inadequate financing (78%, nearly 4 out of 5 of the interviewees), poor technical capacity (66%, about 2 out of 3), political meddling (54%, more than half), and poor data management systems (61%, about 3 out of 5). Training, new technology innovations, and greater people's participation were mentioned as the options for improving monitoring performance.