Collaborative Process for redefining the allocation of municipal support (PTLIS0002)

Commitment ID

PTLIS0002

Commitment Title

Collaborative process for redifining the allocation of municipal support

Problem

The Municipal Transparency and Corruption Prevention Strategy resulted from a broad participatory process that involved internal and external stakeholders. This participatory process allowed for the identification of areas requiring further development, which were later consolidated into 51 action measures, based on three strategic axes: people, organization, and city.
The allocation of financial and non-financial support by the Municipality of Lisbon was identified as one of the priority areas for intervention, leading to the creation of a measure aimed at its improvement: the "Revision of the Support Allocation Regulation."
Following internal diagnoses carried out at different times between 2023 and the first half of 2024, the progressive introduction of improvements began, both through preparatory internal meetings and the gathering of contributions for the regulation revision.
It was found that many subsidies granted by the Municipality of Lisbon are allocated outside the scope of the regulation, which may indicate a lack of integrated vision, a lack of standardized procedures, increased difficulties in internal control, and reduced transparency in the process. In other words, there is a tendency to regulate in a segmented and disjointed manner, in "departmental silos".
This scenario increases bureaucracy, hinders accountability, and creates barriers to modernization and dematerialization, as each department tends to work in isolation.

Status quo

The policy review process is at a pivotal stage where inputs gathered from multiple internal services are being synthesized to create a refined draft. This stage focuses on integrating diverse perspectives and ensuring all key concerns are addressed before advancing to the next phase, which includes collaborative feedback and co-creation sessions with external stakeholders. The goal is to develop a draft that reflects a unified, participatory approach, setting a strong foundation for transparent and integrated support allocation.

Action

Create a broader, integrated, and transparent support system, with the aim of improving financial and non-financial management support, ensuring that all are granted in accordance with the regulation, promoting standardized criteria, an integrated vision, internal control, and transparency in accountability.

How will the commitment contribute to solving the public problem described above?

Participation in collaborative forums that bring together services, citizens, and civil society representatives can help solve this problem, as involving the community and various services in a dialogue space, not only contributes to identifying real needs but also allows for aligning support allocation criteria and standardizing processes. This way, an integrated vision is promoted, along with strengthened control and transparency in accountability and greater coordination between the municipality and civil society.

Milestone 1: Definition of the methodology for the collaboration process.
In this first stage, a clear and inclusive methodology will be defined for the collaborative process of revising the regulation. The methodology should encompass the involvement of internal services, citizens, and civil society representatives. This stage will be concluded with the drafting of a methodological document, which will be made public to ensure transparency from the outset.
Milestone 2: Report on the data collected during the collaboration process.
With the collaborative process underway, a detailed report will be prepared with all data and contributions gathered from different stakeholders.
Milestone 3: Submission of the Regulatory Proposal to the Councilor and the Mayor.
In this stage, a proposal for the support allocation regulation will be developed. The proposal will be presented to the responsible councilor and the Mayor for review and approval.

What long-term goal as identified in your Open Government Strategy does this commitment relate to?

The long-term goal of the Open Government Strategic Vision to which this commitment relates is the strengthening of citizen participation and transparency throughout the lifecycle of public policies in Lisbon. This commitment - centered on the creation of a collaborative and standardized process for allocating municipal support - aligns with the vision of increasing organizational transparency and accountability through the involvement of stakeholders (e.g. civil society, citizens, internal services) in the co-creation and implementation of policies. This participatory and transparent approach seeks to strengthen public trust in municipal institutions, respond to identified needs through integrated support criteria, and advance the Transparency and Corruption Prevention Strategy within the framework of Lisbon's local governance.

Primary Policy Area

Audits & Controls, Legislative Openness

Primary Sector

Aid, Public Services (general)

What OGP value is this commitment relevant to?