The following table contains an overview of possible Participatory Budgeting (PB) capabilities. It acts as a repository of implantable features. Further, over 50 PB-initiatives around the world were analyzed regarding the implemented functions.
This repository and analysis shall enable interested municipalities to:
1. Learn from other PB-initiatives around the world
2. Select capabilities they are interested in
3. Build a PB-process based on the selected capabilities
4. Compare their implementations & planned processes with different PB-initiatives
Informing: Informing residents about the availability of participatory budgeting opportunities and their rules
Informing on PB-participation
IT/Non-IT: Non-IT
Description: Gives a location where citizens can find information on how to participate in the PB-process.
Informing on PB-rules
IT/Non-IT: Non-IT
Description: Indicates if and where the citizens can find further information on the rules for participating in the PB.
Goals for PB are available
IT/Non-IT: Non-IT
Description: There are several possible goals/desired outcomes for a PB-implementation. This item captures wheter they are available on the webpage or not
Examples of (successful) development of participatory budgeting
IT/Non-IT: Non-IT
Description: The webpages gives examples for success-stories of other municipalities
Request for Proposals: Enabling Citicens to introduce proposals
A registration is mandatory
IT/Non-IT: Non-IT
Description: To participate, one needs to register themselves to hand in and vote for ideas.
Registration requirements
IT/Non-IT: Non-IT
Description: The PB has formal requirements for the registration to the initiative.
Pre-defined categories are available
IT/Non-IT: Non-IT
Description: To further structure the submitted proposals, they are categorized (e.g. in "playground" or "landscaping")
Upload a File
IT/Non-IT: IT
Description: The PB-iniative Object Storage. It is possible to upload a picture, smaller than 5 MB
Locational Data (Locational data has to be provided. The place can be choosen on a Map. Favored here is a free Service likeOpenStreetMap)
IT/Non-IT: IT
Description: The submitted proposal can be accompanied by an information on the exact location (E.g. through showing a Map)
Validating Proposals: Ensuring the proposals are serious and not potentially harmful nor contain e.g. hatespeech.
Status management
IT/Non-IT: IT
Description: Every submitted proposal is associated with a status representing the current state of the processing (e.g. "waiting for validation", "ready for voting")
Pre-moderation
IT/Non-IT: Non-IT
Description: The administration has to validate the given cost-estimate. If the estimated costs are above the spending limit, the proposal has to be cancelled. If the costs in the proposal and the one calculated by the administration differ, but they are still
Type(s) of discussion forums
IT/Non-IT: IT
Description: Assesses where the decisions regarding feasability of the submitted proposals are handled
Administration's commenting/reasoning
IT/Non-IT: Non-IT
Description: The administration writes short statement to the proposal, especially if it's getting declined.
Notification
IT/Non-IT: IT
Description: Submitters are updated regarding comments and status updates of their proposals by E-Mail
Presentation: Listing all accepted proposals
List of Proposal on Webpage
IT/Non-IT: IT
Description: The list of published proposals is shown on the web-page.
Search-Engine
IT/Non-IT: IT
Description: The Webpage has a function to search the published list of proposals.
List Filtering
IT/Non-IT: IT
Description: The List can be filtered using predefined categories (e.g. implemention status, rating).
Export functionality
IT/Non-IT: IT
Description: The list of published proposals can be downloaded (e.g. in an Excel or PowerPoint File).
Comments in Reviewing process
IT/Non-IT: IT
Description: Users of the plattform can comment on each others submitted and published proposals.
Financial feasability audit: Ensuring the proposals are realistic and within the given limit of money spending
Estimate Costs. Altering Costs of Proposals Declining Proposals.
IT/Non-IT: Non-IT
Description:
Public discussion: Providing the opportunity to present arguments to all stakeholders
Debate tool (Discussion tool convenient for online use)
IT/Non-IT: Non-It
Description: Users of the plattform can comment on each others submitted and published proposals.
Vote: Provisioning an online and offline plattform for voting on proposals. Ensuring authentification.
Kind of voting implementation
IT/Non-IT: Non-IT
Description: Captures the different styles of voting, e.g. printed ballots or via the PB-website
Issue Codes (Create Code for every eligible voter, Link Codes to names). Code created and used
IT/Non-IT: Non-IT
Description: Identifies if the identificaiton of voter eligibility is caputred through the issue of a
Realisation: Accepted Proposals are getting implemented
Media Accompany (Updating Citizens on progress on the implementation). Informing options.
IT/Non-IT: IT
Description: The PB-website informs the citizen on the progress of the implementation of the accepted proposals
Navigation: Using the Web-Page is easy and comprehensive
Navigation Consistency
IT/Non-IT: IT
Description: The Acessing throughout the web-page stays the same for all categories
Internal Links - Open in the same tab
IT/Non-IT: IT
Description: The user is not disturbed in the browsing experience by leaving the curent web site
Internal Links - "Back" - button works
IT/Non-IT: IT
Description: The back-button works within the navigation of the web-page. Users get to the ressource they visited before, not e.g. the main-page
External Links - Open in a new Window/Tab
IT/Non-IT: IT
Description: Before the new external ressource is opened in a new window/tab, the user gets a warning
External Links - Warn before opening new Tab
IT/Non-IT: IT
Description: Before the new external ressource is opened in a new window/tab, the user gets a warning.
Functional Links
IT/Non-IT: IT
Description: All links are working properly.
Color Change - Visited Links change the color
IT/Non-IT: IT
Description: By changing the color of visisted links, users do not junintentionally revisit the same pages
Location is visible
IT/Non-IT: IT
Description: The user knows at all time where his location is on the webpage. Possiblities for doing so is breadcrumb-navigation or a clear navigational item.
Search: Searching provides an easy way to find information
Search exists
IT/Non-IT: IT
Description: The Web-Page provides a search functionality that enables the search of the whole PB-website, not only specific items like the published list of proposals.
Easy to find
IT/Non-IT: IT
Description: The Web-Search is easy to find and in a location where user expect it do be (e.g. top right)
The size of the search box is sufficient
IT/Non-IT: IT
Description: The size of the search box is sufficient. The user does not need to use short, imprecise queries because longer ones would be inconvenient to read
Always visible - The search box is on every page
IT/Non-IT: IT
Description: If the user does not find the ressource he is looking for, he wants to search regardless of the current location
Content Design: The content is well structured and easy to read
No Information Overload
IT/Non-IT: IT
Description: To much information prevents users from making decisions, especially if they are asked for information (e.g. forms). In these cases, the web-page gets split up in smaller chunks.
No capitaliziting
IT/Non-IT: IT
Description: All cap texts are hard to read. While this is feasable for small chunks of information, longer parts like headings should not be capitalized
Prioritze Content
IT/Non-IT: IT
Description: Important elements like "log-in" or navigation options stand out in comparison the rest of the website
Picture have a suffficent resolution
IT/Non-IT: IT
Description: The images on the webpage are not blurry and pixelated
Mobile Enablement: The web-page supports mobile users
Resize properly for mobile devices
IT/Non-IT: IT
Description: Depending on the device the website is accessed with, the layout and elements changes for the propper screen size.
Button Size for mobile devices
IT/Non-IT: IT
Description: The button size in the mobile design is sufficent, at least 10 x 10 milimeters wide.
Accessibility: Citizens with disabilities can use the provided service without restrictions
Optimized for poor eyesight.
IT/Non-IT: IT
Description: The design has a high contrast, thus is readabile also for people with bad eyesight. Designs with e.g. light-gray text on dark-grey background are not used
Visual feedback is not limited to colors
IT/Non-IT: IT
Description: Colorblind person can e.g. not distinguish the difference between green and red. If an input field is marked, this has to happen not only with color, but e.g. with an icon as well.
The website provides meaningful alternative text
IT/Non-IT: IT
Description: Information is not only understandable with corresponding impages, but the text alone provides enough information to use the web-page
All important elements of the web-page are accessible by keyboard
IT/Non-IT: IT
Description: People with motor impairments are not able to use a mouse. The elements therefore must be usable with a keyboard as well
Availiability: The service is reliable and fast
Pages are opened within a reasonable amount of time
IT/Non-IT: IT
Description: The User-Interface does not feel slow but responses naturally.
Norderstedt (Germany)
https://www.buergerhaushalt-norderstedt.de/
Informing
Website . There is information on the Webpage of the municipality
Yes . No additional information
Yes . The goals are on the site
No . There are no examples of best practices in other regions
Request for Proposals
Yes . Registration
Yes . e-mail
Yes . Categorities: levies and taxes, energy, education, economy and tourism, children and young people, ...
No . Information is available
only during the filing period
No . You can't select a place on the map
Validating Proposals
Yes . The status is linked
Yes . The moderator corrects obvious typing errors and writes out abbreviations so that all proposals...
Administration . Committee, online discussion
No info . No information on the site
No info . No information on the site
Presentation
Yes . There is a published List of Proposal
Yes . The Webpage allows the search within the proposals
Yes . There is filtering by different topics and categories: spending, income, cost-neutral, savings...
No . No additional information
Yes . An opportunity to comment on each proposal
Financial feasability audit
No . There is no information on the site
Public discussion
Yes . The opportunity to discuss applications on the site
Vote
No . Voting in electronic form
Yes . Each voter receives an individual code
Realisation
Yes . Can check the status of the project and its realisation at the moment
Navigation
Yes . No additional information
Yes . No additional information
Yes . No additional information
Yes . No additional information
No . No additional information
Yes . No additional information
No . No additional information
Yes . Easy navigation
Search
Yes . No additional information
Yes . No additional information
Yes . No additional information
Yes . Easy search
Content Design
Yes . No additional information
Yes . No additional information
Yes . No additional information
Yes . Picture are clear and vibrant, the image quality is high
Mobile Enablement
Yes . Layout and elements are resized to fit the screen
Yes . Comfortable button size
Accessibility
Yes . The design has a average contrast
Yes . The site has a version for the visually impaired (black and white version)
University of Rostock/Germany EmPaci(at)uni-rostock(dot)de
Dr. Ellen Haustein, +49 381 498 4421, ellen(dot)haustein(at)uni-rostock(dot)de
Prof. Dr. Peter C. Lorson, +49 381 498 4417, peter(dot)lorson(at)uni-rostock(dot)de
Project and finance management
Rotorwerk Project Services, Rostock/Germany
Dr. Kristina Koebe, +49 381 375 971 75, info(at)rotorwerk-project(dot)de