New Research Seminar: Impacts of Participatory Budgeting on Governance & Well-Being
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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.
Who is leading the seminar?
Czarina Medina-Guce, Ateneo de Manila University (Philippines). Czarina is a sociologist specializing in participatory governance, public policy, democratic innovations, local governance, and impact assessments. She is an independent consultant to international development organizations.
Brian Wampler, Boise State University (United States). Having researched PB since the mid-1990s, Brian is a professor and the author of several books on PB. His work seeks to understand the great variation in how PB programs function and how these programs affect social and political change.
Michael Touchton, University of Miami (United States). Michael studies participatory institutions and development, with a focus on Latin America, Africa, and the United States. He is a professor and co-author of two books.
Tarson Núñez, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil). Tarson has been working on PB since the 1980s and led Porto Alegre’s PB process in the 1990s. He is currently a social researcher for the state government of Rio Grande do Sul.
Greta Rios, Ollin (Mexico). Greta is a youth activist and the founder of Ollin, which promotes youth participation in Mexico, including the right to participate in Mexico City’s PB process.
Who is this seminar for?
Government staff and officials responsible for managing participatory democracy programs around the world.
Local organizations that are supporting or advocating for participatory democracy.
International organizations and funders that want to better support or encourage participatory democracy.
Researchers studying the impacts of participatory democracy.
What will you get from this seminar?
After this seminar, you will be able to:
Better understand how PB can improve governance & well-being.
Identify key impacts of PB on governance and well-being based on leading research.
Identify specific practices and next steps for increasing the impacts of PB.
When and where is this seminar?
May 11th, 9:00 - 10:30 am EDT (New York time)
Via Zoom, in English. We will provide simultaneous interpretation in French, Spanish, and Portuguese, and other languages upon request. Please share your language preferences when you register.
Submit your questions!
Please register and share your questions by the end of April, and we’ll incorporate them into the planning of the seminar.
