Title: Technology support for participatory budgeting

Authors: Jeremy Rose, Jesus Rios, Barbara Lippa

Addresses: Department of Computer Science, Aalborg University, Selma Lagerlofs Vej 300, 9220 Aalborg, Denmark. ' Business Systems Division, Manchester Business School, Booth Street East, Manchester M15 6PB, UK. ' Institut fur Informationsmanagement Bremen (ifib), Am Fallturm 1, 28359 Bremen, Germany

Abstract: Participatory budgeting is information and communication rich – making it well suited for modern technology support. Widespread participation is difficult to achieve without this support. This paper identifies basic processes which are common to most participatory budgeting initiatives and couples them together in a generic process model. We illustrate it with the well known Porto Alegre case. The more recent Berlin-Lichtenberg initiative is examined to understand how internet-based technologies are used to support the various participatory budgeting processes. Moreover, we identify a range of technologies currently used to support different e-participation activities and match them to the generic participatory budgeting processes.

Keywords: participatory budgeting; e-participation; technology support; ICT support; information technology; communications technology; electronic participation; online participation; process modelling; internet.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEG.2010.032728

International Journal of Electronic Governance, 2010 Vol.3 No.1, pp.3 - 24

Received: 12 Jul 2008
Accepted: 15 May 2009
Published online: 18 Apr 2010 *

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