Municipalidad Provincial de Ilo
The Pitch
The Provincial Municipality of Ilo (Municipalidad Provincial de Ilo) improved government accountability by designing a participatory budgeting process. In this model, citizens are decision-makers in the budgeting process, designate funds to sustainable development projects and monitor project implementation.
The Problem
A lack of government accountability to keep promises to citizens is a pervasive issue in many parts of the world. When citizens don’t have a say in how the local government’s budget is being used, their needs often go unmet.
The Process
- Held two pilot programs to test the use of a participatory budget
- Began Ilo’s participatory budget in 1999 by passing Municipal Ordinance 145-2001-MPI
- Wrote their Sustainable Development Plan in alignment with the participatory budget (the Sustainable Development Plan describes which projects in the budget are of priority)
- Required half of delegates who monitor the budget to be female
The Impact
- Allows all citizens to participate in the budget, meaning that diverse interests are represented in determining where the city should invest its resources
- Commits the government to address residents’ needs by making residents a major stakeholder in city projects: The community provides about 30% of the value of public improvement projects
- Ensures that the mayor and officials are held accountable by the delegates of the budget: A citizen board monitors project progress and reports on what actions have been taken
- Increased women’s participation in the budgeting and project development process, providing them with an avenue to advocate for their needs
