União das Freguesias de Massamá e Monte Abraão: Orçamento Participativo / Participatory Budgeting

Massamá e Monte Abraão is a civil parish in the municipality of Sintra, Lisbon District, Portugal.

The practice of Participatory Budgeting (PB) emerged in 2014 to promote more active participation by citizens over 18 years of age (residents, students, workers…) on their own behalf or on behalf of an associative movement with direct intervention in the municipality’s territory.

In this edition, approximately 3.6% of the Board's budget is allocated, equivalent to €80,000.00, for the presentation of proposals in the Board's own or delegated areas of competence: Public Spaces: intervention in green areas, urban parks and children's, sports facilities and sidewalks; Education; Culture; Sport; Social action; Civil protection; Environment and Citizenship.

The adopted model has been the deliberative one, in which citizens present proposals on the website https://www.op-massamamabraao.pt and at the Board's premises. In the voting phase, they will be able to vote on the PB website, at the Board's facilities and in the digital ballot box that has been traveling to various places in the parish, with the collaboration of young volunteers such as: urban parks, local commerce, train stations, shopping centers for parish so that infoexcluded citizens are covered.

Over the course of 9 editions of the PB, 94 proposals were voted on by around 8200 voters who favored online voting (55%). On average, bidders are female citizens, with an average age of 50 years, residing in the parish and presenting proposals on an individual basis. As for the age group of voters, the youngest (18-25 years old) are the least participatory and in the opposite direction, the age group of the population (36-45 years old), are the most participatory, representing 25% of the total number of voters.

With regard to the 22 winning projects, budgeted at around €700,000.00 over the 9 editions, 18 have already been implemented and 4 projects are in the design phase and/or under study.

In 9 years of PB, the 17 winning projects already implemented have gradually transformed citizens, whether through participation as proponents, voters or as users of the winning projects. Thus, we present some of the winning projects: Sport + project in 1st cycle schools; creation of dog park; creation of a playground; requalification of a sports ring; nutrition project for pre-school and 1st cycle children, Aldeia de Gatos (creation of 7 shelters for stray cats), Functional training park – Street Workout and offer of an Ambulance Help)

The practice of PB cannot be dissociated from other participation tools that have been promoted, which we include in the PARTICIPATION WHEEL

Virtual counter consisting of: “O Meu Bairro” – allows citizens to suggest/complain about the public space; registering dogs and requesting multiple certificates;

The “Mini Presidents Project” - covers the school community of the 1st cycle and 2nd cycle through activities (presentation and voting on ideas) that culminate in a simulation of an executive meeting;

Youth Participatory Budget aimed at young people between the 7th and 12th grade;

Monthly, public executive meetings are open to the population, allowing for active participation;

Parish Assemblies are broadcast live on social networks with sign language translators;

Biweekly, through live sessions, the president communicates with citizens on social networks.

https://op-massamamabraao.pt