Introduce Participatory Budgeting through a Digital Platform (AMERV0008)

Commitment ID

AMERV0008

Commitment Title

Introduce Participatory Budgeting through a Digital Platform

Problem

Despite formal mechanisms for public involvement in Yerevan’s budgetary processes—such as open hearings—citizen engagement remains low. Residents often lack meaningful opportunities to influence how municipal funds are allocated, resulting in a disconnect between public needs and budget priorities. This limited participation undermines trust in local government and weakens the responsiveness of public services.

The existing approach does not adequately capture community perspectives, especially in diverse neighborhoods with varying needs. As a result, some local priorities go unaddressed, and public resources may not be spent in the most impactful or inclusive way. Without stronger mechanisms for participatory decision-making, budget planning risks missing valuable citizen input that could enhance efficiency, transparency, and social equity.

This commitment seeks to address these challenges by introducing a participatory budgeting mechanism through a digital platform that empowers residents to propose and vote on projects, ensuring their voices shape the city’s financial decisions.

Status quo

Currently, the participation of Yerevan residents in municipal budgeting processes is largely passive. Although public hearings are organized before the annual budget is submitted to the Council of Elders, citizen engagement remains low, and their input has minimal impact on final budget allocations. Most residents are either unaware of these hearings or do not see them as effective platforms for influencing decisions. To date, no structured or digital participatory budgeting mechanism exists, which limits broader involvement, especially from underrepresented groups. Preliminary steps have been taken by launching the "Active Citizen" platform, but it lacks dedicated tools for participatory budgeting.

Action

This commitment aims to introduce a digital participatory budgeting mechanism in Yerevan through the “Active Citizen” platform. It will allow residents to propose and vote on community projects that could be included in the city’s annual budget. Each year, a specific spending category will be selected for participatory budgeting, with a dedicated municipal budget allocation to implement selected proposals.

The process will include:

• Developing a user-friendly digital tool for submitting and reviewing ideas
• Launching annual calls for citizen proposals
• Organizing public voting on eligible submissions
• Implementing the most-voted projects

The overall objective is to enhance civic engagement, improve transparency in budget allocation, and strengthen trust between residents and the municipality. This initiative is expected to create a culture of collaboration in local governance and ensure more inclusive and responsive budgeting decisions.

How will the commitment contribute to solving the public problem described above?

The commitment directly addresses the low level of civic engagement in budget planning by creating an accessible and transparent platform for participatory budgeting. By enabling residents to propose, discuss, and vote on local initiatives, it empowers them to influence decisions on how a portion of the city budget is spent. This fosters a sense of ownership over public resources and enhances trust in municipal governance.

Expected outputs include:

• A functional participatory budgeting module on the “Active Citizen” platform
• At least one annual cycle of citizen proposal collection and public voting
• Publicly available results and implementation of selected projects

Expected outcomes:

• Increased public participation in budget decisions
• Better alignment between municipal spending and community needs
• Improved transparency and accountability in the budgeting process
• Strengthened relationship and trust between citizens and local authorities

What long-term goal as identified in your Open Government Strategy does this commitment relate to?

This commitment supports Yerevan’s long-term strategic goal of fostering inclusive, transparent, and participatory governance. By institutionalizing participatory budgeting, the municipality aims to deepen citizen engagement in decision-making processes, enhance the responsiveness of local government, and strengthen democratic accountability. The initiative directly contributes to building a culture of active civic involvement and collaborative policy development, which are central pillars of Yerevan’s Open Government vision.

Primary Policy Area

Fiscal Openness, Social Accountability

Primary Sector

Cross-sectoral, Public Services (general)

What OGP value is this commitment relevant to?