In the Welsh county of Blaenau Gwent, a participatory budgeting project known as "Your Voice, Your Choice" was used in 2010 to allow local residents to engage in democratic decision-making regarding how funds would be allocated for community safety.
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Problems and Purpose
150 community members in Blaenau Gwent, a county in South Wales, UK, came to a participatory budgeting event called "Your Voice, Your Choice" in March of 2010 [1]. They did so in order to have a say in which projects would be chosen to make Blaenau Gwent safer. All in all, "£30,000 was available for local people to decide which community safety projects would be funded in their neighbourhoods" [1]. This case was a pilot project, which the Home Office offered its support for [1]. "Your Voice, Your Choice" allowed the members of the Blaenau Gwent community to propose projects to improve community safety. Costing no more than £3,000, the projects were expected to fill two criteria: "projects must be delivered in Blaenau Gwent and they must address ‘community safety’ issues" [1].
Background History and Context
Organizing, Supporting, and Funding Entities
Participant Recruitment and Selection
150 local residents were present at the event [1].
Methods and Tools Used
This initiative uses participatory budgeting, an increasingly common method of democratic innovation broadly described as "a decision-making process through which citizens deliberate and negotiate over the distribution of public resources." There are many benefits associated with participatory budgeting including increased civic and democratic education; increased government transparency; and an increased opportunity for participation by historically marginalized populations [1].
What Went On: Process, Interaction, and Participation
Influence, Outcomes, and Effects
Analysis and Lessons Learned
See Also
Corby's Participatory Budgeting on Community Safety (Northamptonshire, UK)
YOUdecide Participatory Budgeting in Gosport, England
"Voice Your Choice": Participatory Budgeting in Huntingdon, UK
Participatory Budgeting in Cumbria, UK
References
[1] PB Network (2013). "PB in Blaenau Gwent with Home Office funds." PB Network. Retrieved from https://pbnetwork.org.uk/pb-in-blaenau-gwent-with-home-office-funds/
External Links
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFP8oDMMRBo
Review of Participatory Budgeting in Wales
Grant-Making through Participatory Budgeting (UK)
Notes
Lead Image: Wales Participatory Budgeting https://goo.gl/WBya41
