Participatory budgeting is a model of development planning and public budget ing that builds from community participation. It illustrates the crucial interdependence between planning and budget ing in governance and development . Called musrenbang in Indonesia, it is a practice in different levels of government, that began in 2000 and was formalized in 2004. The term compounds the Indonesian words musyawarah (consensus decision making), perencanaan (designing or planning), and pembangunan (development). It is particularly important at the village level which is the most basic political unit in the
country.
There are many advantages and benefits that can be derived from participatory budgeting. Putting people at the center of this process makes budgets more responsive and attuned to the interests and demands of the local community and the grassroots.
In full, you can read the brief prepared by Kay Suico Conales, an exchange program student from Mahidol University in Thailand who is currently studying politics and government at Gajah Mada University in Yogyakarta and doing an internship at IDEA.