The expansion of Participatory Budgeting in Brazil

1
The expansion of Participatory Budgeting
in Brazil

• an analysis of the sucessful cases based upon
  design and socio-economic indicators
• Leonardo Avritzer
• Brian Wampler

The World Bank Institute The Municipal
Development Program (MDP), Africa The
Participatory Democracy Project Belo Horizonte,
Brazil December, 2008
2
Explaining the Research

• Presentation guidelines
• P.B. cases
• After the collection of data, it was time to
  categorize it for the analysis process. P.B.
  cases were categorized according to their
  existence in administrative mayoral periods in
  Brazil since 1997
• 1997-2000 120 cases
• 2001-2004 199 cases
• 2005-2008 201 cases
• Research Methodology data collection and
  categorization
• P.B. incidence emergence and spreading
• P.B. incidence socio-economic indicators
• P.B. incidence design and patterns for
  successful cases

3
PBs Operation

1. Citys regionalization and constitution of fora
   and regional and thematic assemblies
   presentation of demands and discussion of
   priorities
2. Adjustment of the discussion to a set of rules
   and procedures to be discussed, such as poverty
   indices and access to public goods and services
   redistributive criteria
3. Creation of a PB council (delegates and
   councilors) that defines the investment plan and
   budget proposal
4. Control, supervision and fiscalization of the
   implementation of approved projects.

4
P.B. INCIDENCE Emergence and spreading
Diffusion of PBs through municipal
administrations in Brazil
Period 1989-1992 Period 1993-1996

Source Projeto Democracia Participativa, 2004
5
P.B. INCIDENCE Emergence and spreading
Diffusion of PBs through municipal
administrations in Brazil
Period 1997-2000 Period 2001-2004

Source Projeto Democracia Participativa, 2004
6
P.B. INCIDENCE Emergence and spreading
Diffusion of PBs through municipal
administrations in Brazil
Period 2005-2008

Source data collected from the present research
7
P.B. INCIDENCE Emergence and spreading
Percentage of P.B. Experiences through Brazil
Regions of Brazil Years Years Years
Regions of Brazil 1997-2000 2001-2004 2005-2008
North 2,5 5,5 8,5
Northeast 14,2 22,6 22,4
South 39,2 22,6 21,9
Southeast 41,7 45,2 41,3
Center West 2,5 4 6,0
Source data collected from the present research
8
P.B. INCIDENCE Design and patterns for
successful cases
P.B. 2008 In which place of the administration
P.B. is located
PB 2008 Continuity 1997-2008 Continuity 2001-2008
Planning Secretary 32,50 38,20 29,20
Works Secretary 1,90 2,90 3,10
Finances / Accounting Secretary 11,90 8,80 9,20
Sector directly subordinated to the Executive 36,30 20,60 46,20
P.B. Secretary 4,40 11,80 3,10
Secretary of administration 8,10 11,80 4,60
Other 5 5,90 4,60
Source data collected from the research
9
P.B. INCIDENCE Design and patterns for
successful cases
P.B. 2008 Timing cycle for the cases
Source data collected from the research
10
P.B. INCIDENCE Design and patterns for
successful cases
P.B. 2008 Existence of P.B. Municipal Council
Source data collected from the research
11
P.B. INCIDENCE Design and patterns for
successful cases
P.B. 2008 Priorities for the distribution of
resources
Source data collected from the present research
12
Conclusions

• HDI ranking above the average
• Historically, P.B. cases are present in cities
  that rank higher in HDI average. Despite the
  de-concentration from the South and Southeast,
  which are regions that usually rank higher
  anyway, this pattern hasnt changed, as the table
  bellow shows
• P.B. Cases still rank higher in HDI in comparison
  to Brazils average. Regarding the Northeast
  region, which has received most of the new cases
  found, the pattern remains the same P.B. Cases
  rank higher in comparison to the regions average.

13
Conclusions

• Central institutions to the existence of P.B.
• The research has shown the existence of some
  institutions that have strong presence in the
  successful cases of P.B.. They are described in
  the table that follows
• These institutons are related to design and may
  be understood as key elements for the proper
  functioning and even existence of P.B.

14
Dissemination paper

• Brazil and Mozambique

15
Analysis of data collectedBrazil and Mozambique

• Two phenomena are common to both cases
• FIRST
• Rapid increasing in the degree of urbanization in
  the last years

16
Analysis of data collectedBrazil and Mozambique

• Second
• In spite of the increase in the degree of
  urbanization, there havent been adopted any
  effective urban planning policies to guide the
  process
• The result is the lack of basic policies in many
  areas of many cities, such as access to electric
  energy, access to basic infrastructure, and so on

17
Analysis of data collectedBrazil and Mozambique

• One of the most important observed characteristic
  of P.B. cases in Brazil nowadays is not only the
  wide territorial distribution, but the
  non-complete dependency on the type of political
  party to exist. Not only leftist parties have
  been adopting it, but also centrist ones.

18
Analysis of data collectedBrazil and Mozambique

• Successful cases in Brazil have shown that two
  variables do have great weight for the existence
  of P.B.
• First
• The political will of the government. The support
  and initiative of the government are paramount
• Second
• The existence of a strong participatory
  background, or, in other words, the existence of
  a strong civil society capable of pressing the
  government for the adoption of the program

19
Analysis of data collectedBrazil and Mozambique

• In Mozambique, as well as in many other african
  countries, some participatory programs have been
  implemented by a myriad of organizations
• However, the methodology of such programs implied
  a top-down implementation, which means that a
  whole prescription was previously made and, then,
  implemented as a package
• Successfull P.B. cases in Brazil have, rather,
  been implemented in a bottom-up basis. This
  suggest that the role to be played by civil
  society actors is crutial for the success of the
  program, participating in all steps of the process