Phil Teece

Participatory Budgeting Unit

Cleaner, Safer, Greener Conference

Brighton, March 16th 2009

Aims and objectivesof PB Unit

PB Unit works to empower communities in the UK by developing participatory approaches to

local public budgets by:

• Finding ways of opening up public budgets to local citizens and challenging processes which exclude people

• Helping people learn about public budgets• Working with others to develop opportunities for participation

in public budgets• Developing and carrying out UK models of PB

The 60% Problem

• Over 60% of people do not agree they have any influence over local decisions

• 60% do not feel they are given an adequate say over how local services are run

• Nearly 60% do not believe their local councillors reflect their views

Perception Is All

“We have found the public’s view of local government to be a dispiriting combination of poor awareness and understanding, distaste for organised politics and negative perception of councillors”

Councillors Commission Report

WHAT IS PARTICIPATORY BUDGETING?

• ‘Participatory Budgeting directly involves local people in making decisions on the spending and priorities for a defined public budget. This means engaging residents and community groups to discuss spending priorities, make spending proposals, and vote on them, as well as giving local people a role in the scrutiny and monitoring of the process’

CLG National PB Strategy (Sept 2008)

Or…

Local people decide how to allocate part of public budget

Participatory Budgeting Unit Values Principles and Standards

If it feels like we have decided … it’s PB. If it feels like someone else has decided, it isn’t.’

Brazilian resident

involved in PB

Empowerment Line

Listen Consult Involve DecisionsA vote!

Empowerment

HEALTH WARNING!

• Only a small percentage of any public budget will be allocated using PB

• The PB process is formally mandated and ‘signed off’ by the elected legislature

Where Has PB Come From?

• Began In Porto Alegre, Brazil in late 80s

• Over 300 cities world wide: Latin America, Canada & USA, Europe

• Recognised as good practise by World Bank, UNESCO, DFID, OECD

• Around 50 organisations in UK

Policy Agenda

• Strong and Prosperous Communities

• Communities In Control White Paper

• Councillors Commission

• National PB Strategy

• Duty to Involve

• Corporate Area Assessment

Place and Cohesion

“The most valuable contribution comes from us all as local citizens. It is true that government is essential to the mix of activity. It is also true that the third sector is critical. However, it is through the millions of small everyday actions that we can all either improve or harm our local communities.”

Commission on Integration and Cohesion

Potential Benefits of PB• Engages more people and different people

• Better targeted services

• More mature deliberation about priorities

• Stronger social cohesion

• Local ownership of resources

• Changed relationship between elected members, officers and residents

• Rebuilds democracy and trust

• Tackles deprivation and exclusion through engagement

Models of PB

• Investment budget and priority setting

• Small grants allocation

• Specific mainstream budget allocation to wards/areas

• Projects and services

• LAA based themes and larger budget

The participatory budget of Icapui, Brazil

The left column reads, “where the money comes from.”

The one on the right reads, “what the money is spent for.”

Below it says, “When the administration is transparent, everything works smoothly

PB in the UK

• Local authorities – County Councils, Borough Councils, District Councils, Parish & Town Councils

• LSPs • Health sector: PCTs, LiNKS• Police Forces• Housing Associations• Community based groups• Schools• Cleaner, Safer, Greener

So how do you do it?

• Know why you are doing it• Gain commitment from stakeholders• Identify funding• Identify theme/area• Design it to fit your criteria• Establish Steering Group• Plan (engagement strategy)• Invite projects• Decision day• Allocate funds

So how do you do it ?(2)

• Budget literacy

• Community capacity building

• Needs time

• Cyclical and learning

• Build confidence in the process

• Build participation

• Strong commitment

• Local ownership• Direct involvement• Support for representative

democracy• Mainstream involvement• Accessibility• Transparency• Deliberation• Empowerment• Shared responsibility

PB Values, Principles and Standards

Values

Some Issues to Think About

• Initiative overload – how to generate community enthusiasm?

• How does PB fit with existing democratic structures?

• Does it represent good value?• Is it sustainable? • How do you make it a bottom up process?• How do you build community capacity?• Fitting to the local context• Managing the risks• Managing expectations

‘Participatory Budgeting ---- is a tool which gives people a real and direct say about how funds are allocated, and helps them to take more ownership of their neighbourhood, to feel able to say this is my street, my estate and I’m proud of it.’

Hazel Blears

“In 4 years as a councillor, probably the

best day of my life”

Cllr Graham Middleton, Denton Ward, Newcastle