Participatory Budgeting in Fife
Participatory budgeting (PB) can be defined, in simple terms, as local people deciding on how to allocate part of a public budget. It is therefore more than consultation. Between 2010 and 2017 Fife has undertaken 25 separate Participatory Budgeting processes, distributing a total of £850,460 to local groups and projects. Through this we have developed experience and capacity in and with local communities in using PB as a method of engagement. Participatory Budgeting in Fife, as with many other areas in Scotland, has mainly focused on small grant giving rather than involving the public in decisions on mainstream budgets. There is an aspiration in Scotland for 1% of a local authority’s budget to be allocated through PB.