Research and facilitation to co-design investments in participatory budgeting

Process

DESIGN RESEARCH

Since a significant amount of research has tracked the evolution of PB, we started by reviewing existing literature and interviewing leading PB experts, researchers, and funders to understand key trends and different PB models. We then used their insights to focus our research on the “unheard” voices of PB—the policymakers, civil servants, and resident delegates responsible for implementing established PB processes—less represented in existing research.

Reboot worked with expert advisors on PB and community researchers to conduct design research on district and municipal PB initiatives in four countries: Madagascar, Mexico, South Korea, and Spain. We selected these locations for their diversity against criteria of geographical location, political structure, state capacity, as well as PB scale, process, duration, use of technology, and innovation, among others.

Research focused on understanding the history, ecosystem, development, and challenges of each country’s PB process. We conducted about 40 individual interviews with PB champions, operational stakeholders, civil society, and participating residents in each context, held focus groups with or intercepted residents, and observed ongoing PB activities.

SYNTHESIS

Regularly throughout and between each country sprint, we reviewed and analyzed research notes for key patterns, insights, and opportunities. We identified a range of opportunities to support PB processes in more effectively reaching their desired impact. We then surveyed PB implementers globally to determine which challenges from the research contexts were commonly felt and should be focused on in co-design. We then settled on the following challenge scenarios:

1. Unclear if PB is Right. Some decision-makers may lack guidance to evaluate pros and cons of PB against other participatory processes.

2. Top-Down Mandates. Some PB processes initiated through legislation struggle to adapt to local political and institutional dynamics.

3. Limited Relevant Guidance. Implementers lack access to practical, context-specific technical guidance.

4. High Stakeholder Coordination Needs. Implementers often lack resourcing to facilitate productive collaboration.

5. Slow or stalled implementation. Complexities of project implementation are often overlooked.

These scenarios, user personas of PB implementers, and archetypes of the PB models researched were packaged into a design brief to prime co-design participants to address these challenges:

CO-DESIGN AND FACILITATION

Reboot facilitated a two-day co-design workshop in Barcelona to help the global PB field determine which resources Hewlett should invest in developing, based on the challenges surfaced in research. Ahead of this workshop, we conducted significant pre-engagement with participants through individual interviews and a survey to understand the political dynamics, arguments, and approaches of the international PB landscape. This groundwork enabled us to develop an agenda responsive to participant needs and experiences, engage the right people, and create compelling design prompts for them to tackle.

During the PB Exchange workshop, we provided dynamic, multi-language facilitation, and conducted real-time agenda adaptation and information synthesis in response to emerging group dynamics and decisions. Our agenda included a mix of plenary sessions to understand common and divergent perspectives, and break-out design exercises to build resources for implementers and the structure for a new global coordination body. Following the workshop, we produced a report synthesizing discussions and conclusions, which we shared with participants for comment before publishing.

This workshop forged new relationships and networks among a previously segmented international community. It also led to the creation of a global hub that coordinates knowledge and peer exchange across PB initiatives globally launched in mid-2019.