Institucionalize the Participatory Budget of the City of Mendoza (ARCMD0004)

Commitment ID

ARCMD0004

Commitment Title

Institucionalize the Participatory Budget of the City of Mendoza

Problem

In the City of Mendoza, citizen participation mechanisms in defining budget priorities remain limited and do not always reflect the diversity of social and territorial demands. This situation hinders the equitable distribution of public resources, limits transparency in decision-making processes, and reduces opportunities for citizens to participate directly in matters of public interest. The absence of an institutionalized participatory budgeting process prevents residents and civil society organizations from effectively influencing municipal investment decisions. As a result, the needs of vulnerable or underrepresented groups are often overlooked, and opportunities for social oversight of public resource management are reduced.

Status quo

At the beginning of this action plan, the municipality did not have a formal and institutionalized participatory budgeting process. Decisions regarding the allocation of public resources were made primarily through traditional budgeting and planning mechanisms, with limited structured opportunities for citizen deliberation. In 2024, through Municipal Ordinance No. 4194, the Participatory Budgeting Program was established as an innovative mechanism to open the municipal budget to direct citizen participation. In addition, the City of Mendoza was selected by the Open and Digital Country Foundation, within the framework of a project supported by the European Union and Austral University, to receive training and technical assistance in participatory governance and the use of ICT tools. This initiative contributed to creating the institutional and technical conditions necessary to implement this commitment.

Action

This commitment consists of implementing the Participatory Budgeting Program of the City of Mendoza as an institutional mechanism that allows residents to debate, propose, and vote on projects to be funded with a portion of the annual municipal budget. The process includes public calls for participation, submission of proposals, technical evaluation, public voting, implementation of selected projects, and publication of progress updates on the Open Government portal. The overall objective is to strengthen local democracy, promote transparency in resource allocation, and ensure citizen participation in defining public investment priorities. Expected results include: the creation of an institutionalized and periodic channel for citizen participation; greater territorial equity in the distribution of public resources; increased transparency and social oversight of municipal management; and the implementation of projects with a direct impact on citizens’ quality of life.

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

This commitment addresses the current lack of effective mechanisms for citizen participation in defining the municipal budget. Through this program, citizens will have a real opportunity to influence spending decisions, ensuring a more equitable allocation of resources and a response to the concrete needs of the territory. The main expected results include: an open call for participation that ensures the inclusion of residents and civil society organizations; a digital platform and in-person participation points for the submission and voting of proposals; an Evaluation Committee responsible for verifying the technical, legal, and financial feasibility of proposals; a list of winning projects with guaranteed funding; and transparent implementation and monitoring of selected projects, with progress reports published on the Open Government portal.

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

This commitment directly contributes to the long-term objective of integrating the principles of transparency, citizen participation, and accountability throughout local administration. The implementation of the Participatory Budgeting Program seeks to make citizen participation a structural component of municipal governance, strengthening an organizational culture oriented toward open government. By ensuring that budget decisions incorporate the voices of residents and community organizations, this commitment helps build a more transparent, accountable, and inclusive government, in line with the strategic vision of the Open Government Partnership (OGP) to integrate open government practices across all areas of municipal policy and strengthen public trust in government institutions.

Primary Policy Area

Civic Space, Digital Governance, E-petitions

Primary Sector

Cross-sectoral, Public Services (general)

What OGP value is this commitment relevant to?