Innovation: Senior Citizens Participatory Budget

Portugal (Alfandeza da Fe)

AAI Domain: Participation in society (political participation)

In 2014 the municipality of Alfandega da Fe, a small area in north east Portugal with a population of just over 5,000 people, introduced provisions for senior citizens (defined as being aged 60 years and over) to propose initiatives to better meet the needs of older people in the locality. Alfandega da Fe has seen its population decline from nearly 8,000 people in 1981 and with approximately one third of people in the locality aged 65 or over there is a pressing need to ensure that older people have the opportunity to develop solutions to the challenges that they face in a predominantly rural area. The provisions for participatory budgeting for senior citizens that the municipality adopted are aligned with the Dublin Declaration on age-friendly local government and the promotion of healthy ageing.

Older people can make proposals either individually or as a group in May and June that are broadly defined as being relevant to the social action sector and health. The proposals are then analysed by administrators of the municipality for technical feasibility and cost before going forward to the Senior Citizens’ Council for consideration in October or November.

The municipality allocated a €10,000 budget for innovative projects that are selected by the Senior Citizens’ Council and they are then included in the municipality’s annual plan and budget for the following year. Although this innovation is in its infancy in Portugal it follows the example established for participatory budgeting that has been operating in Porto Alegre in Brazil since 1989 that has spread to approximately 1,500 municipalities in Latin America, North America, Asia and Europe.

In terms of active ageing, the participatory budgeting model adopted in Alfandega da Fe belongs to the political participation domain. There are potential benefits for older people from participating in the political process as well as from the initiatives that the innovation will develop as a result of their ideas and input.