Constituency Development Fund (CDF) social audit guide: a handbook for communities

A social audit seeks to evaluate how well public resources are being used and how to improve performance and aims to ensure maximum community participation in this process. The Constituency Development Fund (CDF) was introduced in Kenya in 2003 as a homegrown initiative to address inequalities in development around the country at a local level. However, there have been concerns that CDF monies have not been managed in transparent manner.

This handbook is designed to assist community groups and individuals to understand the CDF process and to provide information and skills on how to monitor these funds through social auditing. While the handbook is specific to Kenya, it contains some interesting lessons for other contexts.

This handbook is designed to: 

• Assist community groups and individuals to understand the CDF process
• Enable all who use it to effectively track CDF expenditure in their local area
• Facilitate training of groups and individuals with an interest in monitoring CDF expenditures
• Support members of the public can effectively monitor CDF expenditures through a focal audit.
  

Chapters cover: 

• Who is involved in CDF 
  
• Project selection 
  
• Procurement 
  
• CDF Project Implementation 
  
• What is Social Auditing 
  
• Offences and Redress under the CDF Act 
  
• CDF Best Practices