Continuing to learn from international experiences of participatory budgeting

Coryn Barclay, research consultant at Fife Council, took part in an international learning visit to Paris in December 2016, supported by what Works Scotland, to consider how Scotland could learn about participatory budgeting and public sector reform.

Two years on, she was invited to participate in an international round table discussion at the Third National Meeting of Participatory Budgeting, hosted by the City of Montreuil on 8/9 November 2018, again in Paris. Here she shares the experience.

Knowing how: Putting research into practice

What Works Scotland and community planning partners in Fife have worked together on collaborative action research projects for the past three years.

Here, Coryn Barclay, Research Consultant at Fife Council, blogs about how research is the 'secret weapon in public service reform'.

Scotland and international experiences of scaling-up participatory budgeting

The Scottish Government has recently reiterated its support for participatory budgeting with a blog post by the Minister for Local Government and Housing which confirms a national support programme for local authorities and communities

An international conference on participatory budgeting will be taking place in Edinburgh on 20th and 21st October 2016.

So we thought this was a good time to ask Giovanni Allegretti, who talked about international experiences of participatory budgeting at a What Works Scotland event in June, to share his reflections on ‘scaling-up’ participatory budgeting and how Scotland can learn from, and contribute to, the international expansion of participatory democracy.

Closing the commissioning gap: Supporting community and social enterprise through participatory budgeting

Guest blogger Jez Hall, from PB Partners, discusses the potential role of participatory budgeting in future community service provision. 

The Economics of Prevention and Difficult Decisions for Community Planning Partnerships in Scotland

Claire Bynner, Research Associate at What Works Scotland, reflects on a seminar held by What Works Scotland last week on the Economics of Prevention focused on community planning and health.

This blog summarises the main points from the seminar and concludes that evidence provides no easy answers for CPPs.

Beyond cynicism and complacency: Participatory budgeting in Scotland

Oliver Escobar, Lecturer in Public Policy at the University of Edinburgh and part of the What Works Scotland team, outlines how participatory budgeting is gaining momentum in Scotland.