Reform Description

Implement participatory budgeting in the City of Zagreb to improve transparency, empower citizens, and ensure equitable allocation of local funds

Problem(s) Addressed by Reform

The participatory budgeting commitment in Zagreb addresses a long-standing issue of limited citizen involvement and lack of transparency in municipal budget allocation. Traditionally, citizens have had limited or no influence over how municipal funds are spent in their neighborhoods because there has been no formal mechanism for residents to influence budget allocations, leaving decisions solely in the hands of city officials without direct community input. This situation has led many citizens to feel that their needs and priorities are not adequately represented in the city's financial planning. The issue began decades ago with rapid urbanization and centralized decision-making in Zagreb, as has been in many cities worldwide throughout the 21st century. 

The issue of limited citizen involvement and lack of transparency in municipal budget allocation stems from several root causes: the absence of legal frameworks supporting participatory budgeting, bureaucratic resistance to change, a lack of digital tools for public engagement, and poor dissemination of budget-related information. As a result, citizens often feel ignored and disempowered, dissatisfaction with local authorities grows, public funds may not reflect actual community needs, and opportunities for creative, citizen-driven solutions are significantly reduced.


In previous years, Zagreb has implemented limited forms of citizen consultation during budget planning, such as surveys or public forums. However, these efforts lacked structure, legal backing, digital tools, and transparency. There was no formal process for integrating citizen input into budget decisions. As a result, these initiatives had minimal impact on building trust or improving community engagement in decision-making.

Zagreb has implemented a structured e-participatory budgeting system in Zagreb, piloted in four districts. This system allows citizens to propose local projects, vote on them, and monitor implementation. Unlike past efforts, this initiative is digitally supported, process-driven, and backed by city administration and district councils. It ensures that selected projects are integrated into the municipal budget.

A pilot project in 4 city districts was launched in 2024. Citizens submitted 252 proposals, 16 of which were approved and funded. 593 citizens participated through a dedicated digital platform and public forums. While the pilot was successful, it covered only 23.5% of the city. 

Relevance to OGP Values

This commitment will promote transparency by providing citizens with easy and open access to information and data related to participatory budgeting processes through the digital platform. All proposals, discussions, funding decisions, and progress reports will be publicly available online, ensuring that government actions are visible and understandable. By openly sharing data and updates, the government will become more transparent, building trust, and enabling citizens to follow how their input influences budget decisions.


The commitment will foster accountability by establishing clear mechanisms for tracking the implementation of funded projects and publicizing progress updates regularly. 

City districts and city officies will report on how resources are used, and the outcomes achieved, allowing citizens to hold them responsible. 

Transparent monitoring and evaluation systems integrated into the platform will facilitate ongoing oversight by the public, enabling citizens to learn how their proposals are executed and providing feedback channels that reinforce government responsibility.

Citizen participation will be improved by actively involving individuals and community groups in all stages of the process—defining priorities, submitting proposals, deliberating, and monitoring implementation. The commitment encourages continuous engagement through public forums, outreach programs, and the user-friendly digital platform, which supports broad and inclusive participation. By ensuring diverse voices are heard and empowering citizens to contribute meaningfully, the commitment creates a collaborative environment where communities co-create solutions and hold government accountable.

In line with the Open Government Challenge’s emphasis on cooperation between government and civil society, this commitment reflects strong collaboration with expert and civil organizations such as HrOpen, GONG, the Association of Cities, and the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing (FER). This partnership supports a co-creation process aimed at addressing shared challenges and promotes the inclusion of a wide range of participants through diverse outreach channels—both traditional and digital. Continuous monitoring of implementation through citizen feedback ensures adherence to transparency principles, thereby strengthening the legitimacy and effectiveness of the process. 

Additionally, this commitment has undergone external monitoring and evaluation:
https://www.opengovpartnership.org/documents/end-of-commitment-report-implementation-of-an-e-service-for-participatory-budgeting/ 


Intended Results

By implementing this commitment, we aim to achieve several key results:
- upgrading and development citywide digital participatory budgeting system
- minimum 50 citizen proposals funded annually 
- minimum 1000 citizen proposals
- minimum 70 public forums held

The commitment will increase citizens' understanding of budgeting processes and democratic participation, while city staff will gain training in deliberative practices and community engagement. Ultimately, these efforts will lead to greater citizen involvement in local governance, more responsive and transparent public institutions, and the establishment of a new standard for inclusive and participatory budgeting practices.


Milestones


1. Launch of Upgraded Citywide Digital Participatory Budgeting Platform
By 15.9.2025., the City of Zagreb will launch an enhanced digital platform for participatory budgeting, enabling residents of all 17 city districts to submit, discuss, and vote on proposals.

2. Public Engagement Campaign and Capacity-Building Activities
By 31.12.2025., the city will carry out a comprehensive communication and outreach campaign across all districts and organize training sessions for citizens and city staff on how to engage with the new platform and participatory budgeting process.

3. Implementation of First Citywide Participatory Budgeting Cycle
By 31.2.2025., Zagreb will complete its first full participatory budgeting cycle citywide, including proposal collection, public forums in all districts (at least 70), online voting, and final project selection.

4. Funding and Implementation of Selected Citizen Proposals
By 31.12.2026., a minimum of 50 citizen proposals will be selected and funded, with implementation beginning immediately and tracked publicly through an open digital dashboard.

5. Annual Reporting, Evaluation, and Institutionalization Measures
By 31.12.2026., the city will publish an annual report on results, impact, and lessons learned. Based on this, it will propose legal or policy steps to institutionalize participatory budgeting as a permanent feature of Zagreb’s governance system.


Is Civil Society Involved?

Civil society has been actively involved in shaping this action and will continue to play a role in its implementation. During the design phase of the participatory budgeting platform, the City of Zagreb collaborated with civil society organizations such as GONG, HrOpen, and the Association of Cities. These organizations provided input on transparency standards, user experience, and inclusive participation mechanisms.

In the implementation phase, civil society partners will help promote citizen engagement through public forums and digital outreach, assist in capacity building for underrepresented groups, and support monitoring and evaluation efforts. Their continued involvement ensures the process remains transparent, inclusive, and responsive to community needs.