Marco Biagi MSP, one of the architects of the third sector-supported community empowerment bill, on how communities can have a greater say on where cash is spent.
It’s a concept that originated in Brazil in the 1980s and has since spread to 1,500 localities around the world.
The concept is participatory budgeting – a way for people to have a say on how and where public funds are used to address local needs, and it’s an approach I believe will flourish over the coming years.
Already 18 local authorities have signed up and over the next year I am excited to see what ideas communities in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Argyll and Bute, and the Western Isles will come up with.
But we want to build on this, it should not just be restricted to councils, we want to see wider public services appreciate the value of participatory budgeting too.
This is about giving communities more controls and opportunities to be involved in decision making
Marco Biagi MSP
This week I saw the benefits of this way of working when I visited projects in Manchester and Durham. In Manchester I met MutualGain, a group that has brought together communities in the north east to tackle crime.
Around 450 people voted on the allocation of £27,000 in Seaham, County Durham, which resulted in a 31 per cent reduction in victim based crime, and saw anti-social behaviour reduced by 11 per cent.
While in Greater Manchester MutualGain had their funding matched by local authorities to the tune of £78,000. Around £461,000 worth of projects were put forward and members of the public had to deliberate the value of each project in a way that police officers on committees would normally have to do.
In Durham, the county council has organised 39 separate participatory budgeting events with 24,000 residents taking part. It’s incredible to think that just one of these events was attended by over 1300 residents who had a say on a funding pot of £500,000.
From meeting the groups and individuals involved what really struck me was just how having that control gives them a sense of ownership and it raises awareness of the challenges organisations face when they have to make difficult decisions with a restricted budget.
Our community empowerment (Scotland) bill, which was given the green light a few weeks ago, will give communities even more controls and opportunities to be involved in decision making.
Through the bill public authorities will be required to promote and make it possible for members of the public to be involved in their decisions and activities, including the allocation of resources. This means communities can be in discussions with the council, the health board or any public body in a devolved area, at the earliest stage.
There’s a massive difference between communities being asked to comment on ideas others have come up with, and communities being able to vote on how funding is allocated from the start.
Marco Biagi is SNP MSP for Edinburgh Central and minister for local government and community empowerment.
