Slides used by Alan Budge, PB Partners at the Big Local spring event in Manchester, Birmingham Nottingham and Newcastle, organised as part of the Local Trust programme of networking and learning events for Big Local residents. The events took place on 7, 8, 13 and 21 May 2014.

1. Participatory Budgeting

2. 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’

3. OR
Local people decide how to allocate part of a public
budget’
‘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

4. ORIGINS OF PARTICIPATORY
BUDGETING
Began in Porto Alegre, Brazil in
1980s – city of 1.5m people
End of military dictatorship and
election of Workers’ Party

5. DEVELOPMENT OF PB
Now in 300+ cities worldwide, including Latin
America, Canada, USA and over 25 in Europe
Identified as good practise by international
institutions, including World Bank, UNESCO,
OECD, UN Habitat prize, and DFID
175 + examples of UK pilots
Links with government ‘localism’ agenda

6. Possible PB Models
1. Small grants allocation
2. Mainstream Investment

7. SMALL GRANTS ALLOCATION
• A grants pot /initiative funding-
community chest, NRF funds etc
• Bidders for the money present
proposals to residents, who vote on
which to support (eg Sunderland,
Bradford, Newcastle)
• Limited impact or link to mainstream
• But very effective at
engaging/enthusing local people

8. Mainstream Investment
Move towards allocating substantial sums of
mainstream funds via PB
- Newcastle £2.25m – Childrens’ Fund
- Tower hamlets £2.4m from mainstream
budgets to ‘top up’ existing themed
provision – voted on by residents

9. PB and the Big Local
• (From the Local Trust Website)
• ‘Communities will be better able to identify
local needs and take action in response to
them’
• The Big Local is not about ‘Your Local
Authority (etc) telling you what to do’.

10. PB and the Big Local feedback from work so
far:
Walsall PB training day
Develop PB in out BL plan: Embed PB within Mossley Big Local
• Hope to incorporate grants model into our BL plan annually
• I hope to advocate PB to my BL area
Oldham Big Local
‘Our PB process is well under way – with thanks to PB partners for your
invaluable advice and support’
Fiona Jones, Oldham Big Local.

11. The participatory budget of Icapui, Brazil.
Left column reads Where the
money comes from…
One on the right reads What
the money is spent for…
Below it says When the
administration is transparent,
everything works smoothly…

12. I approached this as a local officer would, who thought I was in charge and I
knew best. I was very firmly told by the residents that I wasn’t in charge and I
didn’t know best – and they were absolutely right.’
Stuart Pudney: Deputy Chief Executive,
Yorks Police Authority
The PB process has changed (for the better) out of all recognition our
relationship with local officers and members
Chris Parsons: local resident

13. DVD
PB – ‘The story so far’
Then questions/comments etc

14. Group Exercise
• Newplace Local Authority has made available
£100,000 of funds, to be allocated using a pilot PB
process.
• Money can be used for any purpose that promotes
community Well-being The programme to be
completed during one financial year.

15. Group exercise
• Devise and design:
• Key components for PB event .
• Timeline for process
• Use 3 stages
• Before - During - After the event.

16. PB small grants model – key
components - 1
Create a Steering/Planning Group
• Representing key stakeholders
• To manage the process

17. Key components - 2
Secure Funds
• to allocate to projects
• to cover process costs - event, publicity etc

18. Key components - 3
Devise Workplan
• Resources needed: time & money
• Timetable/calendar of event

19. Timeline trade-off between lead time to
organise event & enough time to spend money
Link to funders budgetary decision timescales
crucial especially with mainstream PB

20. Key components - 4
5) Develop Publicity Strategy / Brand Name

21. Key components – 5
Invite Project Ideas From Local People / Service
Providers
- Develop ideas into viable projects in
consultation with voluntary &
statutory service providers who
will deliver them.

22. Key components – 6
Invite Service Users & ‘Deliverers’ to
Decision Day
PR strategy to include effective ways of
creating awareness/engaging service users

25. Key components– 7
Decision Day
Where projects are voted on/scored by
residents.
Projects scoring highest receive funding

26. Key components – 8
Funding Distribution
Successful projects get contracts
Monitoring guidelines established

27. Key components – 9
Project Delivery Monitoring & Scrutiny
Scrutiny might involve:
Residents/Service Users
Board members and Staff

28. Key components – 10
Evaluation
In house
External

29. PB Partners
www.pbpartners.org.uk
alan.budge@pbpartners.org.uk
m. 07795 307817