Your Ward, Your Voice, Your Data

A new platform enabling citizens to monitor decentralization progress and hold local authorities accountable.

By Francis Maingaila

Lusaka, Zambia24 - (July 15, 2025) — Transparency International Zambia (TIZ) has launched Local Lens, an online platform designed to empower citizens to monitor the progress of Zambia’s 2023 National Decentralization Policy and hold local authorities accountable.

The launch of the portal was accompanied by the release of a pilot assessment conducted in ten districts — Livingstone, Katete, Ndola, Mansa, Choma, Chipata, Petauke, Mongu, Solwezi, and Kasama — which revealed mixed progress in decentralization reforms.

According to the assessment, the overall implementation rate stands at 60 percent. Among the three core areas assessed, decentralized governance showed the strongest performance at 66 percent, followed by policy coordination at 58 percent, and fiscal decentralization at 57 percent.

While all districts had established Constituency Development Fund (CDF) Committees and decentralization task forces, challenges persist. 

Public awareness of the reforms is low at 37 percent, the realignment of subnational structures remains poor at 20 percent, and capacity-building efforts are still limited. 

Only 16 percent of districts had received training in accrual accounting, and just 28 percent had training in policy coordination.

Speaking at the launch held at Lusaka’s Intercontinental Hotel, TIZ Advocacy, Policy and Research Manager Bright Chizonde attributed the slow progress to weak coordination, vague mandates at the local level, and limited participation of sector ministries in Ward Development Committee (WDC) activities.

“The success of decentralization depends on transparency and citizen empowerment. Without these, reforms will not translate into improved local governance,” Chizonde said.

The assessment found gaps in governance coordination, financial accountability, and district-level capacity. 

As a result, TIZ recommended urgent interventions, including the adoption of digital financial management and revenue mobilization systems to support fiscal decentralization. 

The organization also urged increased support from cooperating partners such as GIZ, USAID, and the World Bank to strengthen capacity, improve communication from the Decentralization Secretariat, finalize the alignment manual, and promote peer learning among districts.

Chizonde emphasized that transparency and citizen involvement are essential for reforms to deliver meaningful outcomes. 

He explained that the pilot assessment, conducted from April to July 2025, focused on three thematic areas — decentralized governance, fiscal decentralization, and policy coordination — using both quantitative and qualitative data aligned with the decentralization implementation framework.

The average implementation rate for fiscal decentralization was 57 percent. Notably, all ten districts had been audited by the Office of the Auditor General — a milestone in accountability. 

Sixty percent had developed digital revenue collection systems. Yet, capacity constraints remained: only 16 percent of districts were trained in accrual accounting, and 40 percent in financial management, due to the delayed transition from cash-based systems. Livingstone recorded the highest performance in this area at 89 percent, while Solwezi, Petauke, Kasama, and Mongu scored below 50 percent.

All districts had functional CDF committees and had conducted orientation training sessions. 

Capacity-building activities were implemented in 94 percent of districts, often with support from development partners. However, awareness among the general public was alarmingly low at 37 percent — a gap attributed to ineffective public engagement strategies. 

Realignment of subnational structures remained minimal at 20 percent, largely due to the delayed finalization of the national alignment manual. Livingstone led with a 77 percent implementation rate, while Kasama trailed at 47 percent.

Policy coordination scored an average of 58 percent. All districts had established decentralization task forces and developed integrated service charters. 

Nonetheless, only 28 percent of districts had received policy coordination training, and a mere 24 percent had training in monitoring and evaluation. 

Ndola emerged as the strongest performer in this area with an 83 percent implementation rate, while Kasama again ranked lowest at 44 percent.

Chizonde highlighted recurring obstacles to effective policy execution, including the unclear delineation of responsibilities at local levels, weak monitoring systems, and low ministerial engagement in WDCs. 

“These gaps hinder effective local governance and underscore the need for clearer communication and stronger institutional support,” he said.

Among the ten districts assessed, Livingstone, Katete, and Mansa emerged as top performers, with implementation scores of 73, 72, and 70 percent, respectively. Petauke and Kasama recorded the lowest scores at 48 and 47 percent.

Chizonde concluded that the pilot study offers valuable insights to guide Zambia’s nationwide decentralization rollout scheduled for later this year. 

“We are optimistic that with concerted effort, Zambia can realize its decentralization goals,” he said.

TIZ Chapter President Priscilla Chansa acknowledged positive strides but emphasized the need for further effort to achieve meaningful decentralization.

“We appreciate the support from the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, the Decentralization Secretariat, GIZ, and the European Union. But to truly advance decentralization, we must strengthen systems, build capacity, and enhance citizen participation,” she said.

According to the pilot assessment, the strongest area of implementation was decentralized governance, with a 66 percent performance rate. 

This was followed by policy coordination at 58 percent and fiscal decentralization at 57 percent. However, the report highlighted continuing challenges in financial management and institutional coordination.

To address these issues, TIZ recommended three priority actions: accelerating the adoption of digital financial management systems, building strategic partnerships for capacity development, and improving coordination between national and district authorities.

Chansa noted that the newly launched Local Lens platform would empower citizens to track decentralization progress in real time.

 “The platform makes decentralization data more accessible and actionable. It provides a tool for citizens to engage meaningfully with their local authorities,” she said.

Speaking at the launch, Ms. Promita Sengupta, Head of Program for ENACT at the German development agency GIZ, praised Zambia’s progress, highlighting the increase in Constituency Development Fund (CDF) allocations since 2022 as a transformative step.

“Since 2015, Zambia has made steady progress—from ratifying the African Charter on Decentralization, embedding it in the Constitution in 2016, to adopting a comprehensive National Decentralization Policy in 2023,” Sengupta said.

She described decentralization as a “significant shift in governance” and hailed the Local Lens portal as more than just a data tool. 

“It’s an empowerment tool. We hope it will be used by civil society, the media, academia, and government to enhance transparency and improve responsiveness in local governance,” she said.

Sengupta reaffirmed GIZ’s continued support through its ENACT and Decentralization for Development programs. 

She emphasized the need for inclusive participation and sustained commitment to turn policy into tangible results.

“Decentralization is a long-term process. With the right partnerships and political will, Zambia stands to make meaningful progress in democratic governance and improved service delivery,” she added.

The full pilot assessment will be published soon on TIZ’s decentralization tracking portal, with a nationwide rollout of the Local Lens initiative scheduled for later this year.

The 2023 National Decentralization Policy aims to devolve authority to local governments in order to improve governance, accountability, and the delivery of public services.