Development of a Methodology for Social Participation on the Monitoring of the Pluriannual Plan (PPA) and on the Formulation of the Federal Public Budget (BR0034)

to promote, in partnership with the Ministry of Planning, Budget and Management, participation, training and dialogue with the civil society for the monitoring of the public planning cycle. The commitment aims at developing a methodology for the monitoring of transversal programs by the civil society and at fostering the debate for the reception of proposals and suggestions for improving the aforementioned cycle. Furthermore, the initiative aims at increasing the connection between social participation and government strategic decisions, thus ensuring openness, transparency and responsiveness to the process of planning public policies. The commitment shall also ensure the beginning of the participatory monitoring of the Brazilian pluriannual plan (PPA), the inclusion of the society assessments in the Federal Government Integrated Planning and Budget System (SIOP), and the improvement of virtual consultation for receiving proposals from the civil society for the formulation of the Budget Guidelines Law (LDO).

Commitment 1.10 Development of a methodology for Social Participation on the monitoring of the Pluriannual Plan (PPA) and on the formulation of the Federal Public Budget

Commitment Text: To promote, in partnership with the Ministry of Planning, Budget and Management, participation, training and dialogue with the civil society for the monitoring of the public planning cycle. The commitment aims at developing a methodology for the monitoring of transversal programs by the civil society and at fostering the debate for the reception of proposals and suggestions for improving the aforementioned cycle. Furthermore, the initiative aims at increasing the connection between social participation and government strategic decisions, thus ensuring openness, transparency and responsiveness to the process of planning public policies. The commitment shall also ensure the beginning of the participatory monitoring of the Brazilian pluriannual plan (PPA), the inclusion of the society assessments in the Federal Government Integrated Planning and Budget System (SIOP), and the improvement of virtual consultation for receiving proposals from the civil society for the formulation of the Budget Guidelines Law (LDO).

Responsible institution: General Secretariat of the Presidency of the Republic

Supporting institution: None

Start date: Not specified                          End date: 14 February 2014

Commitment aim

This commitment sought to open the Brazilian budgetary process. The budgetary model is comprised of three instruments: the Pluriannual Plan (PPA), the Law of Budgetary Guidelines (LDO), and the Annual Budgetary Law (LOA). Together, they support the planning and execution of federal public policies. The commitment’s aim was to implement a methodology to open up the process to more civil society participation, including on-site events and the use of smartphone apps and online tools.

Status

Midterm: Completed

The commitment was completed by the midterm review. The agency conducted two Inter-council Forums, which were on-site events for civil society to monitor the PPA and LDO in partnership with the government. In addition, training courses were offered to council members and social movements on municipal strategic planning and government budgets.

Finally, the government completed the “More Brazil” app, which makes policy snippets and information about the thematic programs of the PPA available to the public.^{[Note 27: PPA Mais Brasil, http://ppamaisbrasil.planejamento.gov.br/sitioPPA/. ]}

Did it open government?

Access to information: Marginal

Civic participation: Marginal

Public accountability: Marginal

Despite Brazil’s pioneering role in implementing participatory budgets at the municipal level (dating to the 1980s),^{[Note 28: Yves Sintomer et al., “Learning from the South: Participatory Budgeting Worldwide – an Invitation to Global Cooperation,” December 2010, http://bit.ly/2g0ujqw. ]} there was no similar initiative at the federal level. This commitment attempted to address this gap by opening up the largest budgetary process in Brazil to public participation, using national-level civic tools as aids. There are many challenges to increasing access to information, civic participation, and social accountability in such a highly complex budgeting system. Thus, the commitment employed different methodologies and tools to provide citizens with easier access to budget information, trained them on budgetary processes, and promoted opportunities for civil society-government interaction.

Although the “More Brazil” app gave citizens easier access to budgetary program information, the main outcome of the commitment was increased civic participation and monitoring of the federal budget. Through the Inter-council Forums, citizens were able to share budgetary proposals with the government, and debate them at public hearings. The Forums received the 2014 UN Public Service Award for “fostering participation in public policy making decisions through innovative mechanisms.”^{[Note 29: For the 2014 United Nations Public Service Award Winners, see http://bit.ly/1l2wTmC. ]} However, civil society did not view the forums favorably. According to the Brazilian Institute for Socioeconomic Studies (INESC), “the Inter-council Forums allow only for general political debates, without budgetary discussions. The time for discussions is short, leaving little time for carefully considered and planned proposals.”^{[Note 30: Raphael Georges, “PPA 2016-2019: uma avaliação do processo de construção,” June 2015, http://bit.ly/2sbhzk1 ]} In an open letter to the government,164 civil society organisations criticised the government for failing to consider their feedback at the Inter-council Forums.^{[Note 31: Open Letter to Government on Inter-council Forums, http://bit.ly/2f4mgUU.]} The Inter-council Forums were instituted prior to the OGP action plan, hence, the commitment contributed only marginally to open government.

Carried forward?

The commitment was carried forward to the next action plan. In the new form of the commitment, the government seeks to expand social participation in the PPA through the Inter-council Forums and new digital tools, such as digital thematic public audiences. Moving forward, the IRM researcher recommends: (1) Allocating enough time for civil society representatives to discuss and debate the budget; and (2) Strengthening feedback mechanisms to ensure that civil society inputs are considered in time to inform the process.