Позитивные изменения. Том 2, №4 (2022). Positive changes. Volume 2, Issue 4 (2022)

Recently, a new Initiative Budgeting Development Strategy until 2030 was presented at the 4th All-Russian Conference on Initiative Budgeting held on September 29–30, 2022[38]. The draft strategy developed by NIFI includes five main directions for the development of initiative budgeting:

• integration of IB into state programs and national projects;

• development of territorial public self-governance, including with the help of IB;

• co-financing of IB with taxes;

• development of school and youth IB;

• financial integration and budget literacy.

Figure 1. Indicators of initiative budgeting development in Russia

Based on the monitoring data of the initiative budgeting development in the subjects of the Russian Federation and municipalities for 2018–2021

Source: Financial Research Institute of the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation

Natalia Shapovalova also notes a possible territorial vector for the development of this tool. “It is impossible for a single IB practice, no matter how convenient and effective it is, to cover all of the people's needs. Especially if we view them not as an abstract mass of population, but as a combination of communities or target audiences, which makes it necessary to build comprehensive systems of territorial public involvement, building participatory ecosystems at the city, region and country level.”

“Along with the possible prospects of scaling up to the whole of Russia, there is also an objective risk of discrediting the very idea of initiative budgeting,” Mikhail Shevelev warns.

“Our country is set up in such a way that when an order is given top down, and the people on the ground have no understanding of what to do about it, they tend to imitate frenzied activity. For example, the president says that 5 % of the local budget must be spent on interactive practices like initiative budgeting, with direct consideration of the public opinions. So practices began to appear in many regions, for which funds began to be allocated. However, this allocation of funds is not accompanied by proper education, training, and responsible involvement of the residents in the process. In some practices, there are both money and residents' initiatives, but no one has actually seen them,” Shevelev adds.

According to the expert, what is happening is the so-called “dreaming up” of projects within the administration and wishful thinking. Cases like these may be “seriously discrediting the very idea of initiative budgeting, the basic principle of which is that if there is no initiative, there is nothing to support.”

“It is also worth remembering that this tool only works if the authorities are willing to trust people,” says Nikolai Plyusnin.

“After all, what is the most global essence of this process? People themselves choose what they want to do, they choose how they want to do it, they themselves participate in implementing the project, in acceptance of the project, and in its operation. Initiative budgeting only has a great future when the citizens are ready to trust each other and the officials, and when the government is also ready for this.”

Экспертные статьи / Expert Publications

Меняющие мир на «Планете»: возможности краудфандинга для развития территорий

Наталия Игнатенко

DOI 10.55140/2782–5817–2022–2–4–36–41

Один из современных инструментов развития территорий — краудфандинг, народное финансирование. На крупнейшей в России краудфандинговой платформе Planeta.ru значительную часть проектов составляют кампании региональных активистов, которые объединяют людей и сообща реализуют инициативы на местах: благоустраивают парки, открывают новые удобные городские пространства, развивают сельские территории. Как работает краудфандинг и чем он может быть полезен?

Наталия Игнатенко

PR-директор краудфандинговой платформы Planeta.ru

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