All-Ukrainian Participatory Budgeting

Toolset

IT Development

Industry

Digital Democracy and Governance

Decentralization

All-Ukrainian Participatory Budgeting is a national participation instrument that involves citizens in distributing state budget funds by submitting projects, identifying the most priority ones through electronic voting, and monitoring the implementation of the winning projects.

Background

The journey of participatory budgeting in Ukraine began in 2015 through the PAUSI Foundation's initiative involving Chernihiv, Cherkasy, and Poltava residents. The USAID project "Strengthening the Local Financial Initiative in Ukraine" furthered this effort in 2016, launching the Hromadsky Project to provide technological solutions and support. Building on this, the All-Ukrainian Participatory Budgeting emerged, incorporating the experience gained from the Hromadsky Project.

Product

The All-Ukrainian Participatory Budgeting is an electronic platform that fully automates the participatory budgeting process for all stakeholders—administration, project authors, and city residents. Developed and digitalized by SocialBoost specialists, it is built on secure authorization tools, ensuring a transparent and tamper-resistant voting process. The initiative has evolved into a comprehensive system supported by legislative frameworks and processes.

Results

National Implementation: Introduced at the national level in 2019, this initiative was one of the first participatory budgets in Europe, showcasing Ukraine's commitment to participatory democracy.
Financial Allocation: In 2020, the State Fund of Regional Development allocated 30 million hryvnias for the All-Ukrainian Participatory Budgeting. Various regions, including Kherson, Chernivtsi, and Donetsk, received support from international organizations like UNDP.
Regional Interest: Several regions expressed willingness to participate, with active engagement from areas like Mykolaiv, Lviv, Odesa, Vinnytsia, Kharkiv, and Poltava.
Comprehensive Support: Beyond the electronic platform, the initiative offers a full cycle of support, including expert advice, training sessions, and information and communication support.

The All-Ukrainian Participatory Budgeting stands not just as a technological platform but as a symbol of democratic progress, fostering citizen engagement in governance and setting a precedent for the future of participatory democracy in Ukraine.

In 2019, the All-Ukrainian Participatory Budgeting was recognized internationally by the El Observatorio Internacional de la Democracia Participative (OIDP), making it to the finals of the Best Practice in Citizen Participation competition. This recognition affirmed its status as a pioneering effort, symbolizing the state's commitment to nurturing an active democratic society at the national level.