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THEME PAPER

assistance and dedicated open, iterative, and inclusive Provides access to
resources. A strategic budget process through which gaining experience in
and resource allocation citizens collaborate (directly leadership opportunities
mechanism is required or indirectly) with the local as well as avenues to
at multiple governance governments and contribute build skills such as public
levels - to plan, design, and towards identifying local speaking, negotiation,
implement projects which needs and challenges, facilitation, and
promote social inclusion; planning and decision- community mobilisation.
to conduct continuous making, construction and It motivates the youth
training and sensitization implementation, as well as to gain confidence in
programmes for technical periodic monitoring and publicly expressing their
experts and government evaluation of the budget views and opinions, and
officials; to organise digital utilisation. PB takes into enhance their leadership,
skilling and capacity building account the contextualised communication, and
sessions for youth and expenditure requirements advocacy skills.
diverse communities to be aligning with optimal
inducted into participatory utilisation of the available y More equitable and
planning and data collection resources. effective public spending:
approaches; and to facilitate Increases responsiveness
outreach, communication, Participatory Budgeting to the specific needs
and advocacy campaigns enables a variety of powerful expressed and vocalised
to sustain the impact of the and lasting impacts across a by communities and
initiatives. community. The Participatory incorporates their
Budgeting Project (2024) 14 innovative ideas for
For improving effectiveness enlists the following impacts: spending and project
in resource allocation and expenditures. Even if
encouraging co-ownership y Stronger civil society: all ideas are not taken
of project processes and Promotes democracy, up for funding and
outcomes, a Participatory consensus-building, and implementation, it
Budgeting (PB) approach can conflict resolution across helps to relay the local
be used which is “a democratic diverse and marginalised contextual needs of
process in which community stakeholders including the communities to the
members decide how to spend women, persons with governments.
part of a public budget” . disabilities, low-
13
It consists of budgeting income groups, elderly, Digital engagement
tools and mechanisms that and young people. It Many local governments are
communities and citizens enables transparent and yet to utilise the advantages
of a city can leverage to accountable relations of leveraging digital tools to
collectively decide on how with the government collect and manage data and
portions of the municipal paving a way for long- information in an integrated
budget can be utilised for term civic engagement. manner which has the potential
specific purposes. It is an to contribute to informed
y New community leaders:

13 Participatory Budgeting Project. 2024. Accessed at: https://www.participatorybudgeting.org/about-pb/
14 Participatory Budgeting Project. 2024. Accessed at: https://www.participatorybudgeting.org/about-pb/
15 MoHUA. 2020. National Urban Policy Framework (NUPF): Strategic Intent. Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs, Government of India. Accessed at:
https://iica.nic.in/images/Articles/NUPF_Final_Oct%202020.pdf

October, 2024, Volume 25. No.1 - SHELTER 11