Ministry of Rural Development

Village Development Committee (VDC)

The Village Development Committee (VDC) is the foundation of the Rural Development Structure. The people who are living in the village elect the membership of the VDC through democratic process.

The VDC election at the local level is done in order to mobilize and to utilize effectively and efficiently the available local human resources and to get support from the villagers in each village. Moreover, this approach would promote and encourage the participation of the community members in needs assessment, planning, design, implementation, monitoring, evaluation and community development management and to achieve sustainability. This method aims mainly at promoting the self-confidence of the rural people in decision-making and further enhancing the ability of solving their own problems in the community by themselves.

The VDC shall be recognized by the PROD and CRC as an autonomous committee to initiate their own co-ordination and communication between the village, the VDU should also be recognized as the key target point for the integration of all partners involved and for financial assistance. VDU shall recognize the Chief of Village as the representative of the local authority and should work in close co-operation.

Based on planning raised by the PRDC, the preparation and VDC election will be managed by the PDRD in close collaboration with line departments and local authorities.

The VDC shall be recognized by the PRDC and CRDC as an autonomous committee that works to ensure co-ordination and communication between the village, civil societies and governmental institutions. The VDC should also be recognized as the key focal point for interaction with all agencies and financing sources. The VDC shall recognize the authority of the village chief as representing the local government fostering mutual support and respect.

Composition and Membership of the VDC

Each VDC should consist of following members:

President.............................................................................................1 person
Vice-President......................................................................................1 person
Secretary............................................................................................1 person
Treasurer............................................................................................1 person
General Members...............................................................................3-5 persons
Adviser(s)......................................................................................1-2 person(s)

Immediately after the election, members elected shall discuss and decide on the assignment of roles and responsibilities for each member elected accordingly. VDC members will decide amongst themselves who will serve in the key position as President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer and General Members. The Village Chief will be a VDC Adviser if, either he declines to be a candidate for election as VDC members, or he lost the VDC election. A representative of elderly people in the village serves also an Adviser of the VDC.

The roles and responsibilities of each member are as follows:

President: The President is responsible for the overall co-ordination of VDC activities. The duties of the President include:
Leading the VDC in identifying projects, developing work plan and schedules, and supervising the projects through completion;
Representing the VDC in discussions with local authorities and external support agencies, and maintaining good relations with representatives of these agencies;
Acting as Chairperson of VDC monthly meetings, and call special VDC meetings whenever there is a need;
Holding general meetings with all villagers to inform them of VDC activities and plans;
Ensuring that resources provided by external support agencies are well managed and controlled;
Leading the VDC in the monitoring and evaluation of its activities.
Vice-President: The Vice-President assists the President in all of his/her duties, and fulfils the duties of President during his/her absence.
Secretary: The Secretary serves as the "memory" of the VDC, recording all of its activities and plans. The duties of the Secretary include:
Recording the agenda of the VDC meetings;
Recording the subjects discussed and decisions made during the course of VDC meetings;
Recording the ideas and counsel of development agents who assist the VDC in its activities.
Preparing all reports required of the VDC;
Working closely with the President to prepare VDC meetings;
Assisting other VDC members in fulfilling their responsibilities.
Treasurer: The Treasurer is the person responsible for any money raised by the VDC, and for gaining the confidence of the community to contribute to VDC activities. The duties of the Treasurer include:
Maintaining an Accounting Journal to regularly record all funds received in support of VDC activities and all the VDC's expenses;
Obtaining the authorization of the President and Vice-President before making any expenses;
Carefully keeping all receipts;
Always knowing the exact amount of money held by the VDC;
Always being capable of providing information to other on the amount of money raised, spent and kept by the VDC, and giving reports at each VDC meeting.
General Members : The remaining members of the VDC are responsible for assisting in all of the above. Particularly, they are individually responsible for chairing each of the sub-committees (e.g. Water Management, Infrastructure, Rural Credit & Income-Generation, Education & Culture, Health & Sanitation, etc.) according to the consensus reached by VDC. The sub-committees will be created by the VDC according the real situation and needs of the village. The existing programs / projects / activities within the village either generated by UN agencies, IOs and NGOs will be included in each sub-committee in accordance with their nature.

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Recognition of VDC Members

The Chairman of the PRDC will issue a letter to each elected VDC attesting to the results of the election and the elected officers of the VDC. The PRDC will advise the VDC on the guidelines to be followed through organizing the training courses to VDC members within 10-15 days after the election.

Duties and Responsibilities of the VDC

The VDC, under the overall guidance of the PRDC and in consultation with the village population, will:

close consultation with the community, analyze and identify the main problems of the village, set priorities according to importance and urgency and prepare project proposals and an annual village development plan;
Seek all means and possibilities to solve problems within the community first;
Encourage the village population, assign responsibilities for each activity and mobilize village-based resources to achieve village project implementation;
Represent the villagers in putting forward their needs and problems to Government or other agencies, to obtain resources and seeking out much needed technical assistance and training;
Co-ordinate with all existing activities carried out by different agencies within the village to get better performance;
Where established, administer the village development plan, monitor and evaluate village-based development activities;
Report the village-based activities to CRDC and PRDC;
Disseminate information relating to progressive activities and experience between other villages in the local area; and
Properly manage the village development funds.

Meeting and Mandate of VDC

The VDC shall conduct their ordinary and extra-ordinary meetings to discuss and search for consensus among members as well as among villagers on issues that related to the development activities of their village. The ordinary meeting should be convened regularly on a monthly basis as set by the VDC. The extra-ordinary meeting shall be convened at the invitation of the VDC President. The mandate of the VDC is 3-years term.

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