Urban governance, accountability and poverty: the politics of particpatory budgeting in Recife, Braz

This report presents the findings of a case study on participatory budgeting (PB) for urban governance in Recife, Brazil. It focuses on the political and institutional processes, systems and mechanisms (informal as well as formal) that result in inclusive and pro-poor decisions and outcomes in urban settings. It provides some context and background to PB in Recife, its underlying political and institutional dynamics, and its implementation by sector. Chapter 6 reports citizen feedback on PB, local governance and poverty, and Chapter 7 situates the Recife experience in the wider context of PB in Brazil, especially Porto Alegre and Belo Horizonte, and finds that distinct political cultures and institutional designs matter. Chapter 8 concludes that the case of Recife demonstrates that PB can work in administrations not ruled by the Workers' Party, and in municipalities with higher poverty indicators. Participatory 'arrangements' are considered justified on normative democratic grounds, for the sake of efficiency and to improve government responsiveness. Despite the institutional and procedural challenges and bureaucratic resistance it faces, PB increases the capacity of excluded social groups to influence the decision-making process, and the access of the poor to basic services.