• The fourth stage began in 2007–2008 along with a new trend: there were PB professional communities in Brazil, Colombia, Argentina, Spain and Germany. There were initiatives such as the Chilean PB Forum, the Portuguese Participatory Budget Initiative, the British PB Unit, the American Participatory Budgeting Project and others. A distinctive feature of this stage is the formation of experts and organizations having PB knowledge.

• The fifth stage is related to the integration of PB practices into more complex systems of citizens’ engagement. Most likely, this trend will intensify in the coming years.

According to different estimates, as of 2012, more than 2,000 PB projects have been implemented worldwide with 40 to 50 % of all projects being implemented in Latin America.

The IB practice is a program implemented within the framework of one region of the Russian Federation aimed at involving citizens in the budget process and participation of citizens in budget decisions. In other words, it is activities similar in their program and design, aimed at addressing issues of local importance, with the help of allocated budgetary funds for this purpose.

The most famous practices of initiative budgeting in Russia are: the World Bank Local Initiative Support Program (PPMI), Participatory Budgeting(European University in Conjunction with the Committee of Civil Initiatives [CCI]), People’s Budget, and People’s Initiative in various regions of Russia.

The PPMI has been implemented in Russia since 2007 and is recognized as one of the best social programs of the World Bank. Within the framework of the program, about 4000 projects have been implemented in eight regions of the Russian Federation: the Stavropol Territory, the Kirov, Tver, Nizhny Novgorod Regions, the Republic of Bashkortostan, the Khabarovsk Territory, the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania, and the Jewish Autonomous Region.

The distinctive features of this practice are the participation of citizens in the selection of priority projects, the implementation and monitoring of projects, co-financing.

Participatory budgeting works in several municipalities of the Leningrad, Vologda, and Kirov Regions. Unlike PPMI, this practice does not imply the co-financing of projects by citizens. Members of budget commissions selected by drawing lots among interested citizens discuss which decisions have a priority to be implemented.

People’s Budget and People’s Initiative (s) are programs initiated by the All-Russian Political Party “Edinaya Rossia” (United Russia) and the National Front (ONF) during the 2010–2011 elections. Dozens of Russian regions declared their participation. More than 80 billion rubles were allocated within the framework of these practices. Unfortunately, these practices did not develop in the following years, and most of the regional programs were closed.

Currently in Russia there is an active search for new practices of initiative budgeting, first of all, the practices of involving urban citizens in initiative budgeting.

Reference

Basic Model of Involvement in the Budgetary Process

Ladder of participation:

1. Passive participation.

2. Access to information.

3. Consultations.

4. Joint decision-making.

5. Initiation and control by those who receive the result from social changes.

6. Formation of self-motivation for action (the highest form of involvement).

From country to country, from region to region, the mechanisms for involving citizens in the budget process are somewhat different. In its most general form, the algorithm provides for the following stages:

• According to the decision of the regional government body, the amount of budgetary funds for the initiative budgeting program is determined.

• The design of the IB practice, its calendar cycle is determined, appropriate orders, regulations and resolutions are adopted. In rare cases, changes are made in the regional legislation.

• Public discussions are organized where citizens formulate and discuss ideas to solve the most pressing problems for them. In these discussions, citizens exchange opinions, formulate their own proposals and learn about other proposals. It is important for everyone to have an opportunity to express their views on the priorities of spending.