Representatives of Chernihiv Oblast AHs learned how to implement participatory budgeting in their communities

On October 5, a training on the topic “Implementation of public (participatory) budgeting in a local community” was held in Chernihiv. The goal of the event was to increase the capacity of representatives and activists of local communities in Chernihiv region to implement public (participatory) budgeting tools at the local level.

The trainers of the event were budget expert

Mykola Silenko

and expert of the Polish-Ukrainian Cooperation Foundation PAUCI

Iryna Stasyuk

.

Mykola Silenko

highlighted the opportunities and mechanisms for community residents to participate in the budget process at the local level, in particular within the framework of the budget regulations and the participatory public budget, as well as the procedural aspects of developing and approving provisions on the public budget by local councils.

As the expert noted, given that under decentralization, united territorial communities independently make decisions on the distribution of budget funds, decision-making and development of projects on expenditure areas should be formed with the broad involvement of community residents.

Yes, public budgeting mechanisms have already been introduced in many cities and administrative centers of Ukraine. But at the level of local communities, the process is only gaining momentum.

It is for this reason that it is necessary to assist in the training of local activists and officials who are capable and interested in implementing participatory budgets at the local level.

The training participants also learned about the idea of ​​the emergence of a participatory budget and the experience of its dissemination in the world and Ukraine.

The trainer-practitioner

Iryna Stasyuk

paid special attention to existing models of the public budget, as well as the practical components of the process of preparing, submitting and evaluating projects, and the nuances of voting processes.

According to the expert, the introduction of a participatory budget in the community will allow residents to influence the allocation of the ATC budget, and local authorities to understand what problems concern the community.

“This is a good opportunity to activate the community, raise its most active part, involve the public in the allocation of funds and solving needs,” emphasizes

Iryna Stasyuk

.

The project “Public Budget – a Dialogue Platform for Government and Community” is implemented by the Chernihiv Public Committee for the Protection of Human Rights with the support of the National Endowment for Democracy (NED)