October 7, 2015
PB portal launch
As the window closed on what could go into the Community Empowerment Act, there was concerted lobbying from various quarters to squeeze in some kind of duty on public bodies to engage in Participatory Budgeting. Rather than include it in the Bill, Scottish Government chose to set up a working group with a remit to develop this form of civic engagement across Scotland. Scottish Government has been wholly committed to this work, investing in a national training programme for local authorities. Last week a new web portal was launched.
PB Scotland is a new website for sharing and learning about the great work being done by participatory budgeting (PB) initiatives around Scotland. Funded by the Scottish Government, the website will provide updates on events, policy and resources relevant to PB in Scotland, and profile good examples of PB across the country and beyond.
In a welcome message for the new site, Minister for Local Government and Community Empowerment,Marco Biagi, said:
“In these times of unprecedented political engagement in Scotland, there are many people who want to participate, but may be uninterested or alienated by traditional consultations […] I believe that’s where PB comes into its own, as it gives people a space to contribute, while also gaining a taste of those other involvements and what they can achieve.
“I hope you find the new website useful as a source of information and a platform to showcase your PB activity, whether already underway or planned for the future. I look forward to being part of it.”
Visit PB Scotland at http://pbscotland.scot.
If you are, or have been, involved in PB, please get in touch to tell us about your PB work and help us share it more widely. Anyone interested in PB can also subscribe to our newsletter if you want us to email you with the latest updates.