Questions/Answers
Question 1
Please briefly describe the initiative, what issue or challenge it aims to address and specify its objectives. (300 words maximum)
The Speaks Curitiba is a program composed of several actions that aims to qualify the participation of the population during the definition of a portion of the budget proposed by the Law of Budgetary Guidelines and by the Annual Budget Law. Through active listening to the proposals and requests of the citizens, it intends to tune the dialogue with the Municipal Administration, sharing the decision-making power with the society on which priorities the municipality begins to commit.
Question 2
Please explain how the initiative is linked to the selected category. (100 words maximum)
The program presents different instruments to listen to the suggestions and to accept the demands of the citizen, in person or by electronic means, in the composition of a portion of the laws of the municipality budget. In order to guarantee access and equity in the participation process the meetings are decentralized in the city's neighborhoods, which facilitates the presence of those who do not have the conditions of dislocation or accessibility. These meetings are based on the short presentation and a lot of listening, facilitated by managers of the various public policies that allow the answers to be made promptly and without bureaucracy.
Question 3
a. Please specify which SDGs and target(s) the initiative supports and describe concretely how the initiative has contributed to their implementation. (200 words maximum)
Contributing specifically to Sustainable Development Goals 11.3 and 16.7, the program proposes to ensure responsive and inclusive decision-making, promoting social control and integrated and sustainable management. As a channel for retaining proposals, the Speaks Curitiba Program opens the possibility of suggestion in the various areas that are of interest to each citizen.
b. Please describe what makes the initiative sustainable in social, economic and environmental terms. (100 words maximum)
It has as a guideline, to provoke the collective discussion, involving a large number of people, from all parts of the city, being inevitable to involve the different themes inserted between the 17 objectives, resulting in tasks to be fulfilled that contribute to the transformations expected by the Agenda 2030.
Question 4
a. Please explain how the initiative has addressed a significant shortfall in governance, public administration or public service within the context of a given country or region. (200 words maximum)
The program has overcome the challenge for participatory management to happen in practice. It does not only involve social participation in planning part of the budget, but also in monitoring the suggestions listed. With the availability of electronic access and the holding of meetings distributed in the city's neighborhoods, it is possible to aggregate a larger number of stakeholders, taking into account all social groups. Thus, access to participation in the program is closer to the population, and there are formal channels for citizens to interact with the municipal administration. This empowerment gives voice to the citizen who wishes to express himself, creating the possibility of discussing with the group to reach a consensus of collective needs, which solve the life of the majority of the population and not only individual needs. The decision-making about the priorities that the municipality will commit to is no longer exclusive to management and is shared with society.
b. Please describe how your initiative addresses gender inequality in the country context. (100 words maximum)
Because the program caters for the entire population, regardless of gender and race.
c. Please describe who the target group(s) were, and explain how the initiative improved outcomes for these target groups. (200 words maximum)
This empowerment gives voice to the citizen who wishes to express himself, creating the possibility of discussing with the group to reach a consensus of collective needs, which solve the life of the majority of the population and not only individual needs. The decision-making about the priorities that the municipality will commit to is no longer exclusive to management and is shared with society.
Question 5
a. Please describe how the initiative was implemented including key developments and steps, monitoring and evaluation activities, and the chronology. (300 words)
Launched in May 2017, Fala Curitiba aims to broaden the debate and the perception of the will of the population in the proposed budget laws of the municipality. From it, a public consultation broadens its listening channels, with meetings in the neighborhoods as a means of decentralization and expansion, and a new portal, an uncomplicated end of participation. With this, a City Hall seeks to reach a larger number of citizens and a more effective escape from the regions of each region to a composition of the city's budget proposal.
The idea is that the participation of the population gains in quality. There will be guidance on how laws, in particular the Multiannual Plan (PPA) and the Budgetary Guidelines Law (LOA), are constructed and used as municipal resources, since, in addition to investments, or Curitiba's budget must follow such as machine expenses, debt custody and ensuring a mandatory legal reserve.
The program is divided into two stages per year, the first for the LDO, which defines the main themes and the second for the LOA, which details the analysis, in a sequence of 5 phases. In the end, as elected proposals for the city are sent for consideration by the City Council, as a suggestion for the composition of the city budget
b. Please clearly explain the obstacles encountered and how they were overcome. (100 words)
2017 - 80 public meetings were held in regional, church halls and community spaces. The meetings involved 6,574 people, which demanded 5,480 individual proposals and 978 collective proposals for the neighborhoods of Curitiba. Finally, 52 proposals were elected for execution in 2018.
2018 - The number was 66% higher than 2017. 90 meetings were held, where 10,913 people participated in the public consultation program, which demanded 6,409 individual proposals and 546 collective priorities, where 51 proposals were elected for execution in 2019.
2019 - This year's edition surpassed by 55% the year 2018 with 17,061 participants. The Fala Curitiba portal, accessed through the site fal.curitiba.pr.gov.br proposes a complete system of interaction and online participation, which allows citizens to participate in any device that has an internet connection. There were 81 meetings, with 853 collective priorities, of which 50 were elected for execution in 2020.
2020 - As set forth in Article 11 of the Municipal Organic Law, the draft Budgetary Guidelines Law must be submitted by May 15 and the Annual Municipal Budget Bill must be submitted by September 30 of the year to exercise in the year. Following.
Question 6
a. Please explain in what ways the initiative is innovative in the context of your country or region. (100 words maximum)
To ensure democratic management, the law requires municipalities to adopt the principle of cooperation in municipal planning, including holding public consultations as a mandatory condition for the City Council to approve the laws proposed by the municipality. The construction of the program in this format resulted from the analysis of different existing models, comparing different practices. In addition to striving to make the participation of the population significant, it added a larger number of participants and was able to increase the representativeness of the various social groups present in the city. The program also compromises the management with the delivery of results and accountability.
b. Please describe, if relevant, how the initiative drew inspiration from successful initiative in other regions, countries and localities. (100 words maximum)
Studies and evaluations of proposals of some municipalities were made through the reading of material released and interviews with managers. Also added to the local experiences was the construction of the program, adapted to the reality of the city and adjusted to the needs required by the current management of Curitiba.
Question 7
a. Has the initiative been transferred and/or adapted to other contexts (e.g. other cities, countries or regions) to your organization’s knowledge? If yes, please explain where and how. (200 words maximum)
The program has been gaining popularity by encouraging citizens to suggest, debate, become aware, have their doubts clarified, be involved and heard. This empowerment increased participation, and the program gained notoriety, being revealed with a tool of success. With this, many public administration bodies have shown an interest in knowing the methodology, but we are not yet aware that some other municipality has used the example to change the format of their public consultations.
b. If not yet transferred/adapted to other contexts, please describe the potential for transferability. (200 words maximum)
To ensure democratic management, the law requires municipalities to adopt the principle of cooperation in municipal planning, including holding public consultations as a mandatory condition for the City Council to approve the laws proposed by the municipality. The construction of the program in this format resulted from the analysis of different existing models, comparing different practices. In addition to striving to make the participation of the population significant, it added a larger number of participants and was able to increase the representativeness of the various social groups present in the city. The program also compromises the management with the delivery of results and accountability.
Studies and evaluations of proposals of some municipalities were made through the reading of material released and interviews with managers. Also added to the local experiences was the construction of the program, adapted to the reality of the city and adjusted to the needs required by the current management of Curitiba.
Question 8
a. What specific resources (i.e. financial, human or others) were used to implement the initiative? (100 words maximum)
The expenses incurred in carrying out the actions are embedded in the municipal public budget. In order to comply with the legal determination regarding the participation of the population in the elaboration of a portion of the budget in the municipality, there is already an operational force of the municipality destined to do so. Thus, for the execution of the program, there are investments for the dissemination, printing of graphic material, production of the digital voting system and personnel to develop the actions. The program, in its various stages during the year, is monitored by a work team with the involvement of managers from the different areas of the city.
The final mention of the whole process is to detail the municipality's budget to align the city's investment with the priorities raised by the population. For the implementation of community proposals, therefore, part of the budget should be prioritized for the delivery of these requests.
b. Please explain what makes the initiative sustainable over time, in financial and institutional terms. (100 words maximum)
The program allows the approximation of the municipal administration of the population, considering the specifics of each neighborhood and prioritizing the local needs, offering an opportunity to include all social groups in the city. This incentive to the popular participation in the process, makes the social control of these actions sustainable by the empowerment given to the citizen. From the economic point of view, in the different phases of the program, there is no need for significant investments, since, for the execution of the meetings, material and staff displacement, dissemination material is small in face of the social impact that the program generates. The environmental impact is reduced by the meetings taking place in already structured spaces such as churches, schools or associations close to the community, and also with the possibility of popular participation occurring electronically.
Question 9
a. Was the initiative formally evaluated either internally or externally?
Yes
b. Please describe how it was evaluated and by whom? (100 words maximum)
Consulting the citizen for the elaboration of the budgetary pieces of the municipality is foreseen in law, what has been happening in diverse formats since the promulgation of the Federal Constitution. As there was a change in the forms of participation of the population by the proposal of The Speaks Curitiba Program, social organizations were interested in evaluating the procedures and the receptivity of the population in relation to these changes.
In a partnership of the Municipal Administration with the Global Society, a non-governmental organization of Curitiba, conducted a Opinion Survey that sought to detect the profile of the participants and their motivations and aspirations about the Speaks Curitiba Program. The research was done through a questionnaire printed during the execution of official public consultations, regarding the final stage of the Annual Budget Law elaboration process.
c. Please describe the indicators and tools used. (100 words maximum)
The research was conducted during the meetings of the last stage of the program. Questionnaires were applied to those present at the events. Although identification was not mandatory, it was possible to obtain information about the "profile of the respondents", identifying the participating public. The "frequency of participation" in the various stages and, consequently, the "feeling of effectiveness" of the program was investigated. He also mentioned the "motivation" to participate in the event, besides listing questions regarding "Representativeness, Return, Disclosure and Facilitating Factors". At the end, there was room for "Suggestions and comments".
d. What were the main findings of the evaluation (e.g. adequacy of resources mobilized for the initiative, quality of implementation and challenges faced, main outcomes, sustainability of the initiative, impacts) and how this information is being used to inform the initiative’s implementation. (200 words maximum)
The results were satisfactory: 35% of those present (the last phase of the program) also participated in previous meetings; 85% felt that their participation was important; 71% participated in supporting a class action; 68% thought that the projects approved serve the community; 64% considered that the explanations as to why some proposals were considered unfeasible were sufficient; 86% believe that the process will have some impact on your neighborhood or your life; 96% would be willing to participate more often in these meetings to discuss the city; and 45% considered that having more knowledge about the subjects discussed could facilitate their participation.
Question 10
Please describe how the initiative strives to work in an integrated manner within its institutional landscape – for example, how does the initiative work horizontally and/or vertically across different levels of government? (200 words maximum)
The format of the program is dynamic and, because it is composed of several actors, it is necessary to evaluate the development at each stage. To ensure inclusive and participatory decision-making, stakeholders have now worked together, now on separate fronts.
In order to elaborate a proposal appropriate to the need for innovation, a team of managers analyzed different models of public consultations and proposed the discussion with those involved in the execution of the process steps. Work meetings were held with the purpose of increasing the participation of those involved in the adequacy process, considering the relevant proposals, the proposal has been modified. Therefore, this program presented here results from the collective effort of analysis and creation, which demanded special care to reconcile different visions and perspectives.
The population, as an interested party to be met in their demands, was motivated to participate in the phases of implementation and evaluation of the results, feeling included and empowered in the decision making.
Question 11
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development puts emphasis on collaboration, engagement, partnerships, and inclusion. Please describe which stakeholders were engaged in designing, implementing and evaluating the initiative and how this engagement took place. (200 words maximum)
To institute the program, it was necessary to train those involved - Regional Administration, Core Chiefs, Managers - for the events to be successful.
desired, achieving a pattern of these meetings and a more responsive response to community participation.
To implement the Fala Curitiba Program, routine actions are performed that involve values such as basic inputs (telephone, paper, printing and gasoline, for example).
human resources, and it is not possible to measure the amounts spent, as they contribute to the realization of the program.
the City Hall of Curitiba, as well as the 10 Regional of the city, who work together for the perfect execution of the program, each contributing in the most effective way. In addition, the spaces in which the meetings happen are given, having not spent on values.
Question 12
Please describe the key lessons learned, and how your organization plans to improve the initiative. (200 words maximum)
The Municipal Administration has the responsibility of listening to the demands of the community, in order to contribute to efficiency in serving the population. The increase in citizen participation demonstrates the credibility of the Program's qualified listening model. It became clear that participation in this format enables and encourages a greater number of citizens to contribute, as a result of increased meetings for the decentralization of meetings. It was possible to perceive among the participants that collective statements have taken the place of individual desires and needs. The proposed changes to the conduct of the second edition of the process were effective in consolidating the program, enhancing the community's dialogue with the Public Power. It is noticed, in particular, that opportune to every citizen to manifest, by different means, implies that the effort of the Municipal Administration is aimed at meeting the real needs of the citizens of Curitiba.