An Introduction to Participatory Budgeting in Wales (PB) Jez Hall and Alan Budge PB Partners
PB PARTNERS J Independent social enterprise that is E working to empower citizens Z • Supporting new ways of doing PB • Community engagement specialists H A L PB Network: Advocating for PB across the UK L www.pbnetwork.org.uk and supporting PB in Scotland 2 2
I Participatory Budgeting is N Worldwide T E R N A T I O N A L 3
I EUROPEAN PARTICIPATORY BUDGETING Latin countries… Reformist, participatory N Germany … Consultative, transparent T 250 municipalities on their map of participatory budgeting processes E Portugal: 80,000 voters in its 3m euro national PB R Paris: 426m euros <2020, <5% of the city budget. N A USA and CANADA T Chicago: first major programme $1m in 49 th Ward (now $4m) I New York: 8 th year growing < $35m per year (50,000 voters) O City of Boston : 4th consecutive year of $1m of PB capital funds N branded as Youth Lead the Change: A L 4
THE START OF PARTICIPATORY BUDGETING I Began in Porto Alegre, Brazil in the 1980s N End of dictatorship and rebirth of democracy T Public finances were empty (stolen), citizens had unmet expectations, E and wanted... R Democracy to be done differently N = Democratic innovation! A Something drives the need for PB? T e.g.... The 141+ experiences in Scotland I like... The Scottish Independence O Referendum 2014??? N A L Or... Brexit?? 5
From 2006 to 2010 P The English PB Unit supports a nascent Wales PB Unit. The Coedpoeth Participatory Budgeting Pilot 2006 B “More of the same please!” “Informative and helpful. Thank you” “ This is different because it is trying to involve local residents in deciding I what and how to improve the community”. Participatory Budgeting in Pen Y Gelli Junior School N “linked to the above process to involve more young people.” St. Asaph "Your City, Your Choice" Denbighshire, 2008 W “Small sums can facilitate huge changes. A Initial detractors, once involved, become committed supporters. L Blaenau Gwent ‘Your Voice, Your Choice’ Participatory Budgeting, 2010 £30,000 was available for local people to decide which community safety projects would E be funded in their neighbourhoods. The pilot was supported by the Home Office S 6
PB grants from 2011 up to now P Residents vote on upper Denbigh park: July 2011. About 120 residents take part in a vote on how to spend B £26,000 on children's play. Mr Bill Ellis-Jones said success "due entirely to the time, dedication and commitment of residents" I Youth focussed PB in Colwyn Bay in 5th year and growing: 2014 N Fifth round in Colwyn Bay £42,000 via support from the Welsh Government’s Vibrant and Viable Places Community Fund. W Citizens decide online on the proceeds of crime in North Wales, 2014 and 2015 A Anglesey and Gwynedd residents have their say on how money seized from criminals is spent. Led by Police and Crime Commissioner Winston Roddick, and partly funded by money seized L under the Proceeds of Crime Act. £42k available for projects. E Rolled out in 2015 to Wrexham and Flintshire. S Plus many other small processes, mainly in North Wales, such as The Llangollen Town Council’s PB , that may restart this year, after a few years pause. 7
PB Policy papers/blogs from Wales P Welsh Government children’s PB toolkit: In 2012 the Welsh Government published a toolkit on B using PB with Young People. In 2009 the Welsh Government said “PB represents an opportunity for local authorities and their partners to involve young people ... I The Welsh Government feel very strongly that children and young people should be given the opportunities to be involved in making budgetary N decisions on issues that affect them.” PPIW Publication: PB Evidence Review, August 2017 W The Welsh Government is exploring the role Participatory Budgeting (PB) could play in the Welsh Government budget. To help inform this work, a new A report by the PPIW provides evidence on the different types of PB, how they have been used, and the key considerations for designing a PB process. L E Institute for Welsh Affairs blog, Sept 2017 S It doesn’t have to become a bun fight! Could a blend of participatory budgeting and citizen juries help solve some of Wales’ policy dilemmas? 8
A L A N WHAT IS PARTICIPATORY BUDGETING? B U D G E 9
WHAT IS PARTICIPATORY BUDGETING? D E ‘ PB directly involves local people in making F decisions on the spending and priorities for a I defined public budget. ’ N Or… ‘ Local people deciding on how to allocate part of a I public budget ’ N Or…… G ‘ If it feels like we have decided ---- it ’ s PB. If it feels like someone else has decided, it isn ’ t ” P (Brazilian resident) B 10
Connecting and complimenting existing D democratic processes E F Only a small percentage of any public budget will be I allocated using PB N I Formally mandated and ‘signed off’ by the elected N legislature... ... but then the decision is ‘the communities’ G Supports: Representative Democracy P Public Service Reform B Community Development 11 11
UK PB MODELS D E Small grants allocation F I N I Mainstream Investment N (the 1% commitment) G Commissioning, community P planning and budget B development and consultation 12 12
PB in Scotland 2014-18 P B Over £10 million has been allocated by PB across Scotland to date. 30 of 32 Local Authority areas engaged in some form of PB S C Scottish Govt have invested £4.9m in support to PB O Community Choices fund, support to PB programme development T Participatory budgets ranged from £750 to £500m L A Projects have been delivered under a wide range of themes – N health and social care, economic development, transport etc. D 13
The Scottish Policy Context P Referendum – September 2014 B “Harnessing the Democratic Energy” (Nicola Sturgeon) Commission on Strengthening Democracy (2014): S “that a process of participatory budgeting, covering tax and spending options, is adopted by all local governments ...” C Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 O Provisions for public participation T on decision making (including resources) L Programme for Government 2017 and A the COSLA 1% agreement N D “the best people to decide the future of our communities are the people who live in those communities.” 14
Objectives of PB In Scotland P B Increase quality and quantity of community engagement (more deliberative, inclusive and transparent); S C Increase trust in politics and O in politicians; T L Stimulate dialogue and A positive action within communities; N D Encourage well targeted public investments. 15
How PB might support Democracy P B Margo Howe, a local Councillor said: I think it’s revealing that people themselves S have grabbed the opportunity C and seen the benefit of it. It’s their ideas and, because of this, O they will make it work. T They’re loving it!”. L “Democratic power should be delivered from communities up, not A drip down from above.” N The Commission for Strengthening Local Democracy, 2014. D PB brings new opportunities for engagement with voters and, perhaps most importantly ... building trust in the democratic process. 16
Scottish PB infrastructure Training and capacity building – on how to ‘do PB’ S Resources - how to guides, briefings for elected members C Research, testing, and implementation of digital platforms O Scottish PB identity and network PB advisory group T PB evaluation L Trained facilitators and advocates A SG funding and leadership A critical mass of processes from which to learn N D 17
ONLINE PARTICIPATORY BUDGETING D I G Digital tools and engagement I Connecting on and offline T participation A L To reinforce and amplify… P Ideas, engagement, deliberation and voting B 18 18
ONLINE PARTICIPATORY BUDGETING D Council grant I funding to support Local Communities G I £2.5k per project T 150 ideas A generated online L 1,300 people taking part in discussions P online B Map shows the spread of ideas 19 19
ONLINE PARTICIPATORY BUDGETING D Dundee Decides I G £1.2 million I Community Infrastructure T fund. A 11,500 votes L cast- over 10% of entire P eligible voting population. B 72% new to engaging in community planning 20 20
G R SMALL GRANTS ALLOCATION A N A grants pot / initiative funding T - community chest, etc - M A Bidders present proposals to residents, who vote on which to support K I N Limited impact on mainstream G Effective at engaging, networking P and enthusing local people B 21 21
M A THE NEED FOR PB I N Christie Commission (September 2011) - Four P’s’ S T • a decisive shift to Prevention; R E • continually improving Performance A • working in Partnership (nationally and locally) M • engaging and developing our People I N G PB 22 22
M MAINSTREAM PB – A SOME COMMON ELEMENTS I N THE ANNUAL CYCLE S T Design Evaluation and R Learning E Scrutiny and A Informing and Monitoring PB budget cycle engaging M = I participatory N activity at all Delivery of Setting stages G new projects of Priorities Develop PB budget Decision Ideas Making 23 23
Recommend
More recommend
