2023 Award "Best Practice in Citizen Participation"

17th Edition

Phase 6 of 7

Publication Preparation 18/09/2023 - 06/11/2023

Process phases

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Santa Ana Tzacuala, Acaxochitlán: Participatory Budget: Hidalgo Blooms

Official proposal

07/06/2023 11:03

The Hidalgo Florece pilot was the first participatory budgeting (PB) exercise in Hidalgo and the first in an indigenous community. It was an exercise promoted by civil society, a process that was strengthened with the involvement of the Acaxochitlán city council, and adding other fundamental actors such as the Hidalgo State Electoral Institute (IEEH) and community representation. Through a Working Group made up of each participating institution, the pilot was designed and implemented, creating a community governance dynamic.

The pilot consisted of the following specific actions:

Training for institutions involved in pp matters in Mexico and the world.
Community and participatory diagnosis
Issuance of the call to present projects collectively and individually, with 27 projects received.
Carrying out 3 tours of successful PB projects (2 in Mexico City and 1 in Nuevo León), with which 72 people from the community learned about other PB models, as well as having innovative and successful project references.
Ruling with specialists and people from the community for a culturally appropriate evaluation.
The dissemination of projects was guided by guidelines issued by the working group, providing support to promoters.
Single day of voting: in this the projects in which $600,000.00 MXN were invested were decided; There were 5 participating projects, with only 3 winners, obtaining $200,000.00 MXN each, which were a reforestation of two hectares in burned and cleared areas of the community, a recreational park next to the community dam and the rehabilitation of a tennis court. soccer, projects promoted by a 13-year-old girl, a mother and a young man, respectively.
A Citizen Committee of people who voluntarily decided to get involved in monitoring and monitoring the execution of the winning projects was formed. This body, accompanied by a group of advisors, was in charge of making decisions on specific aspects in the selection and contracting of suppliers for each project. In addition, through the documentation of the exercise of the appeal shared with this body, the transparency and accountability of the process was promoted.

The implementation of a PB impacted the community by transforming its perspective of participation and democracy, and changing previous patterns of participation in it. By including girls, boys, young people, people without legal residence in the community, people without an economic contribution, among others; a more inclusive participation of the entire community was achieved with higher levels of equality. A co-governance model was created where the design of the PB was collaborative and culturally appropriate, with technological innovations, which allowed the socialization of new forms of participation. The active participation of the community at all stages made it possible to consolidate their ties, since new relationships were generated within the community that allowed the planning of follow-up activities for the winning projects, a sign of community appropriation of said initiatives.

#hidalgo" target="_blank">https://ollinac.org/herramientas-de-la-democracia/#hidalgo

Platform: Hidalgo Blooms

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