The Participatory Budget of Cologne Experiences and Challenges City of Cologne E-Government und Online-Dienste Inspiring Innovations to Tackle 21st Century Challenges: a Creative Councils Learning Exchange

Background The City Council decided to have a participatory budget and to introduce an e-participation-platform The City Council authorized the administration to realize the project stakeholders in the adminstration: Department of eGovernment and Online-Services Finance Department with the help of Fraunhofer Institute of Intelligent Analysis and Information Systems IAIS

Aims of the participatory budget information inform about the budget comprehensively and understandably; conscientise the population about the complex topic consultation produce good ideas and suggestions the citizens are evaluated as a “bearer of knowledge” political consultancy and decision making enrich budget consultancies by additional input from the citizens (suggestions, opinions, expectations) decisions accountability create transparency in the municipal council by responding after the decision-making process 3 3

Overview: three Cologne participatory budgets Online-Phase 2007 1. PB for the budget 2008 streets/ passes/ open places, sports, green spaces Volume of these topics in the budget: 311 Mio. Euro 3 Produktbereiche Straßen, Wege, Plätze Grünflächen Sport Online-Phase 2009 2. PB for the budget 2010 school/education, environmental protection Volume of these topics in the budget : 257 Mio. Euro Online-Phase 2011 3. PB for the budget 2012 children/youth, culture, business development, savings Volume of these topics in the budget : 466 Mio. Euro without savings)

The „Cologne“ model based on proposals, consultative method proposals for spending an saving money, no budget calculator rotation of topics each PB with new topics internet is the main chanel but participation is also possible via letters and Call-Center low-threshold method, easy handling e.g for a registration only username und password are required promise of guaranty of the politics the city council decised on the top ranked proposals

Participation in 4 steps submit proposals ranking (Top 100 lists) discuss and vote     decision in the city council & accountability 6

PB 2008: monetary impact Result of the 1. PB: 17 Mio. Euro additional for 2008 - 2011 Streets, passes green sports sum 3,1 Mio. 13,3 Mio. 0,6 Mio. 17,0 Mio. 397 top-ranked proposals: about 70 % implemented, 23 % rejected, 7 % to be closer examined e.g. change traffic crossing e.g. football fields e.g. bicycle tracks e.g. playgrounds 7

topics school/education, environmental protection PB 2010 – hardly any scope topics school/education, environmental protection 200 top-proposals have gone into political consultation 30 proposals have been considered in the new budget additional 1 Mio. Euro in the budget

development / tendencies (1) decline in participation

development / tendencies (2) rise in the use of dialog functions

development / tendencies (3) many proposals for „other topics“ Key aspects 2012: - trafic - waste, tidyness - green,open spaces - control - schools =

Résumé and possible consequences The PB according to the „Cologne model“ was the right concept in 2007 for starting with e-participation. The scope for political decisions in budget term got limited which puts the acceptance of the PB to a risk. The approach of the PB should change towards a city political dialog about sustainable budget consolidation und setting the focus on budget planing. Citizens should be involved into discussions about infrastructure planing, urban development etc with technical solutions which meet the needs The citizens‘ existing need to submit „every day problems“ can be caught by suitable dialog formats (e.g. request and complaint management system).

For further questions please contact: Stadt Köln E-Goverment und Online-Dienste Gülichplatz 1-3 50667 Köln Ansprechpartner: Dirk Blauhut, Ute Dreiocker Tel.: (+49) 221 221 33999 E-Mail: e-government@stadt-koeln.de www.stadt-koeln.de