We invite you to join our first research seminar, where international experts will share leading research about the impacts of participatory budgeting on governance and well-being and help you use it in your work.

Thousands of cities, states, schools, and other institutions have used participatory budgeting (PB), giving residents the power to decide how to spend part of a public budget. PB is more than a budget allocation tool — it can change how governments work and increase community well-being. A growing body of research has documented these impacts and the conditions enabling them. This research can help government innovators improve PB processes, providing evidence-based solutions for common challenges. It can also help civil society advocates promote more effective and equitable PB, learning from what has worked elsewhere.

In the first People Powered University research seminar, leading researchers will share key findings on the impacts of PB on indicators of governance and well-being, explaining how PB can increase tax revenues, shift public spending, reduce infant mortality, and more. Government practitioners and civil society advocates will help translate this research into practical recommendations and next steps for your work.

This seminar is the first in a series organized in partnership with the World Bank, Open Government Partnership Local, and International Observatory on Participatory Democracy.

Location: Online

Cost: Free

Language: English, with captions and interpretation in French, Portuguese, and Spanish