1. 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

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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)

5. 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

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

7. PB 2008: monetary impact
Result of the 1. PB: 17 Mio. Euro additional for
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

8. 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

9. development / tendencies (1) decline in participation

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

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

12. 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).

13. For further questions please contact:
Stadt Köln
E-Goverment und Online-Dienste Gülichplatz 1-3
50667 Köln
Ansprechpartner: Dirk Blauhut, Ute Dreiocker
Tel.: (+49)