--- 
authors:
- lucy
redirect_from: /2012/03/participatory-budgeting-and-technology/
title: Participatory Budgeting and Technology
tags: 
- GIFT
- Working Group
---
**Last week we held our first Open Meeting on [Software for Participatory Budgeting](http://blog.openspending.org/2012/02/29/open-meeting-software-for-participatory-budgeting/). We just scratched the surface of this huge topic, but here are the first notes. A full write up in blog-post form will follow after a few more calls**

You can contribute to and edit these notes directly via this [wiki page](http://wiki.openspending.org/Meetups/Participatory_Budgeting)

If you are interested in joining the next call, **Thursday 8th March, 5pm GMT**, please add your name and Skype ID to the [etherpad](http://wdmmg.okfnpad.org/pb2). In the meantime, discussion will continue via the [Participatory Budgeting Google Group](http://groups.google.com/group/participatorybudgeting?pli=1). 

## Outline of discussion (more detailed notes on the wiki)

* We worked a lot around the PB budget software census - please continue to add examples and thoughts [here](http://bit.ly/y7uyEI)

## Topics raised

* Before examining technical approaches, what should we bear in mind? [Notes in Wiki section](http://wiki.openspending.org/Meetups/Participatory_Budgeting#Before_examining_technical_approaches.2C_what_should_we_bear_in_mind.3F)
* Personal experiences and lessons learned in using software for PB. [Notes in Wiki section](http://wiki.openspending.org/Meetups/Participatory_Budgeting#Personal_experiences_in_using_software_for_PB.)
* Classification of PB tools in the census. Please feel free to comment on and edit the classifications in the [wiki page](http://wiki.openspending.org/Meetups/Participatory_Budgeting): 
 * **Deliberation** -	*Allows user input, crowdsourcing ideas and facilitating discussion e.g. collecting ideas for projects 	*
 * **Simulation** -	*Allows participants to explore how certain spending/revenue choices impact the budget. Such applications are usually educational.*
 * **Cuts and Additions**	*Users given simple choice to prioritise a given choice more or less highly. Can be used to propose politically unpopular activities (i.e. Poison List).*
 * **Trade Offs** 	*Users given context on the impact of proposed choices and asked to assess relative benefits	*
 * **Personal Impact**	*Users shown what the impact on them personally would be (e.g. increasing spending above budget levels increasing the amount of tax they pay as an individual)*	
 * **Problem Fixing**	*Ask for allocations of more money to solve particular problems that people care about (e.g. on a Fix My Street model)*
 * **Invite to offline-participation**	*No survey conducted online, but technology used to issue invitations e.g. to town hall meetings where projects will be discussed*
 * **Kickstart/Pledgebank**	*If additional funds required to get a project off the ground - feedback and the opportunity for citizens to make in-kind or cash contributions*	
 * **Long Term**	*e.g. capital investments*	
 * **Immediate Term**	*e.g. for the next year's budget*	
* Tools to aid comprehension of the budget process: How do we ensure that people casting their vote through this system genuinely understand the choices they are about to make? [Notes in Wiki section](http://wiki.openspending.org/Meetups/Participatory_Budgeting#Educational_tools.2C_how_to_better_aid_comprehension_of_the_budget_process)
* Who are the users? [Notes in Wiki Section](http://wiki.openspending.org/Meetups/Participatory_Budgeting#Who_are_the_users.3F)
Clear feeling amongst participants that any application that is built must address the needs of the entire spectrum of users.  *I have added a key in a tab on the PB census called 'User Key' - where we briefly attempted to categorise the types of users who may be expected to interact with this system - I would be grateful to anyone who would like to add to it and also help me to complete the 'Types of user' column on the main sheet! *

## Where Do We Go From Here?  

You decide, but I would suggest:

* Planning a followup call (**5pm GMT, Thursday 8th March**, please add agenda items to the [etherpad](http://wdmmg.okfnpad.org/pb2))

And in the meanwhile: 

Please share your thoughts on the discussion (please add anything if I have forgotten) via the [Participatory Budgeting Google Group](http://groups.google.com/group/participatorybudgeting?pli=1): 

  * Categorisations and
  * User groups section of the census