Participatory Governance and Citizens’ Engagement – Moving towards a “People Budgeting Process”
April 2, 2016 – Mauritius Finance
With globalization and liberalization, coupled with democratization and the unprecedented information technology revolution, the roles of Governments and socio-economic actors have changed significantly.
From a direct role in delivery, Governments are now beginning to act as facilitators. At the same time, citizens are demonstrating a far greater interest in public affairs and committing themselves to contributing more actively to the socio-economic development of their country. Furthermore, the changing role of government and rising expectations on the part of citizens are giving way to a new dynamic order to address citizens’ needs.
Therefore, new and additional public participation mechanisms and institutions for citizens to engage in policymaking and share their inputs relating to decisions that will have an impact on their immediate future are necessary for they are a reflection of mature democracy.
With the rise and consolidation of the democratic movement, citizens in most countries are asking for a greater say in the policymaking processes of the State. Faced with new challenges of governance, many Governments are also making efforts at all levels to engage in dialogue with stakeholders, assimilate information and weigh public feedback from a variety of perspectives regarding the formulation, implementation and monitoring of public policies and programmes.
Popular participation in a society’s decision-making processes has many implications for economic growth and development, human rights, democracy, social capital, decentralized governance, efficiency of resource use, equity and social justice, and sustainable use of environmental resources, among others.
Citizens play many roles — as nationals of their country, inhabitants of their local community, members of their chosen networks of interests, family members, and so on. Participation and engagement help citizens to reconcile their multiple interests and explore trade-offs.
Participatory governance is of intrinsic value for it gives the opportunity to citizens to be involved in decisions that affect the quality of their lives. It is also of instrumental value, as the engagement of citizens may lead to public policies better grounded in reality, responsive services, transparency and accountability in the allocation and expenditure of public resources.
Citizens have an important role to play in driving the performance of governments to higher levels. Participatory governance results in gathering better feedback and more engagement with the intended beneficiaries of public policies and programmes. The improvement in the provision of public goods and services, in turn, can increase confidence in government and contribute to building public trust. Civic engagement and public trust are essential intangible assets, making up the social capital so critical to achieving higher levels of human development.
Good examples of civic engagement in public accountability come from a number of countries that are applying participatory governance methodologies in a variety of fields. For instance, citizen groups in South Africa now actively participate in budgeting and fiscal policy processes.
People Participation in the Budgeting Process
Budget transparency, public participation in the budget process, and strong formal oversight institutions need to work together to create a robust budget accountability ecosystem.
Public participation in budgeting is a relatively new concept in public financial management. Citizens engagement in shaping the national budget offers opportunities for people across a diverse range of groups to engage in discussions about what matters to them, their families and their communities. It is a vital part of a wider strategic approach to advancing people participation and empowerment.