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Diálogo Regional sobre Sociedad de la Información

Strengthening the Participatory Budgeting Process through the Use of Internet

The Case of Miraflores (Lima, Perú)

Laura León Instituto de Estudios Peruanos - DIRSI

ACORN-REDECOM (Brasilia) 14 May 2010

Contents

• Introduction
• Methodology
• Analytical framework
• The case of Miraflores
• Research context
• Project perspective
• Socio-technique perspective
• Democratic perspective
• Conclusions

Introduction

• “the interactive nature of Internet technology has the

potential to reinvigorate the democratic process and re- engage citizens positively in political life” (McCullagh, 2003:1).

• ICTs as a promise to overcome the lack of trust and

interest of citizens in politics?

Methodology

• Case study methodology.
• Information source: municipality of Miraflores.
• Municipality website.
• Observation of the e-vote tool.
• Limitations: no collection of information from citizens.

Analytical Framework

Source: Demo-net (2008)

The Case of Miraflores

Research context

• Participatory Budgeting (PB): a public management tool

and a direct democracy mechanism used to direct public resources by citizens.

• Miraflores
• District of Lima.
• High level of HDI, not a poor district.
• Since 2004 Miraflores implements the PB.
• 69,027 residents (INEI, 2007).
• Access to ICT (Internet, cable TV, mobile and fixed line

telephony).

• It is the first application of ICT for citizen participation in Peru.

Project Perspective

• Creation of a municipal ordinance to promote citizen

participation:

• Allows any resident to participate.
• Enlarges the amount of financial resources involved.
• Binding character of the agreements.
• Use of Internet.

Project Perspective

• Use of Internet as a tool to:
• Announce the call for participation.
• Register the participants.
• Publish the presentations of the training sessions,

workshop minutes and the accountability reports.

• Vote.
• Spread the agreements.

Project Perspective

Adoption levels (Vaz, 2009) Miraflores Participatory Budget To provide information about the PB process. The information is published in the website. To provide information about the implementation process, monitoring the timeline, showing which are concluded

• r in process.

The information about de development of the process is published. To provide information about the progress of the implementation of the selected projects, allowing social control. This information is published but not updated and its format and language make it difficult to understand. This information is published in the financial transparency section, not in the PB one. Presentation and discussion of new ideas and projects through the Internet. There is no tool available for receiving nor discuss ideas. Discussions and debates should be face to face in the meetings. E-vote. Miraflores’ PB has an e-vote plataform Fuente: Elaboración propia a partir de Vaz (2009), traducción propia, y Miraflores (2010). Internet adoption levels for Participatory Budgeting applied to the Miraflores case study

Socio-technical Perspective

• Internet was chosen as a tool due to high access to this

technology and “computer literacy”.

• Computer available for voting in the municipality.
• The e-vote platform is simple and easy to use.
• Information of the investment projects is available.

Democratic Perspective

Year Number of residents that voted Percentage of voters in relation to population allowed to vote 2007 427 0.61 2008 3000 4.34 2009 2000 2.89 Source: Municipalidad de Miraflores y DNPP (2010). Number of e-votes and its equivalency in percentage of the population allowed to vote, 2007-2010

Conclusions

• Internet is just one strategy to increase citizen

participation.

• The project has a shortage in tools that can generate an
• nline public sphere.
• The analysis suggests that the project is increasing
• participation. The democratic context is a key factor.
• The increase of participation is based in:
• Access to technology
• Computer literacy and abilities
• Interest and motivation of the participants
• Political will and commitment to citizen participation

Diálogo Regional sobre Sociedad de la Información

Horacio Urteaga 694 Jesús María, Lima - PERU Teléfonos: ( 51-1) 3326194 / 4244856 Fax: (51-1) 3326173 info@dirsi.net www.dirsi.net

Laura León lleon@iep.org.pe

IEP Instituto de Estudios Peruanos

• Av. Horacio Urteaga 694

Lima 11, Perú www.iep.og.pe

This case study was developed with the financial support of Logolink International / Instituto Polis (Brazil).

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http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/pe/legalcode Se sugiere citar este documento de la siguiente forma: León, Laura. Strengthening the Participatory Budgeting Process through the Use of Internet [diapositivas]. Brasilia: DIRSI, 2010.