Canny wi' Cash

A distributed
participatory
budgeting exemplar
Case Study

EVOC’s first PARTICIPATory BUDGETING
Exemplar, Canny wi’ Cash, opened for business
in September 2013
EVOC’s Canny wi’ Cash Participatory
Budgeting project was all about
direct democracy – reaching out
to Older People across the city,
giving them the power to make
spending decisions on a smallgrants
programme to fund work
with, by and for Older People.
Participatory Budgeting is a
form of Coproduction (equal &
respectful, trusting & purposeful
relationships) between budget
decision-makers and people
affected by these budget decisions.
The project adopted a distributed
approach to Participatory
Budgeting, with paid facilitators
going to where Older People
gathered – rather than inviting
the Older People to come to
some central location at a prearranged
date and time.
This case study takes the reader
through this exemplar, stage by
stage. It could be read with ‘Our
Voice is Being Heard at Last,’ the
Canny wi’ Cash project report.
We announced and promoted
the scheme, inviting groups
of Older People to put
forward their project
proposals
2

GROUPS PUT THEIR HEADS TOGETHER TO PLAN WHAT THEY WANTED
TO BID FOR FUNDING FOR, THEN SENT IN THEIR PROPOSALS
MINIBUS
OUTINGS
ART
CLASSES
CHRISTMAS
LUNCH
3

A MULTI-AGENCY PANEL SCREENED ALL 101 APPLICATIONS, TO MAKE
SURE THAT THEY WERE SUITABLE TO FUND AND THAT THEY SUPPORTED
OLDER PEOPLE’S CHANGE FUND OUTCOMES
WE RECRUITED AND SUPPORTED
A TEAM OF FACILITATORS
WE INVITED ORGANISATIONS
WORKING WITH OLDER PEOPLE
TO SIGN UP AS VOTING VENUES
4

DURING THE VOTING FORTNIGHT
(EARLY OCTOBER 2013) OUR SEVEN
FACILITATORS VISITED 40 VOTING
VENUES ACROSS EDINBURGH.
ACROSS THE FORTNIGHT 312 OLDER
PEOPLE VOTED ON WHICH PROJECTS
THEY WANTED TO SUPPORT.
AT THE END OF EACH VISIT THE
FACILITATORS PHONED OR EMAILED
WITH THE NUMBERS OF VOTES CAST
FOR EACH PROJECT BID DURING THAT
PARTICULAR VISIT.
THE CWC PROJECT TEAM GATHERED ALL
THESE RESULTS, ENTERING THEM INTO
A SPREADSHEET.
THE PARTICIPANTS WERE KEY TO CWC.
IT WAS THEY WHO MADE TIME TO
LISTEN TO OUR FACILITATORS, TOOK
CARE TO CONSIDER THE OPTIONS,
ASSESSED THE ANONYMISED PROJECT
IDEAS AND, THOUGHTFULLY, ‘SPENT’
THEIR VOTES WITH CARE AND
CONSIDERATION.
5

ALL RESPONSES WERE
ENTERED INTO A
SPREADSHEET
PROJECT TEAM DELIGHTED
TO ANNOUNCE RESULTS
SUCCESSFUL PROJECTS
EXCITED TO...
... RECEIVE FUNDING
6

“IT’S DEMOCRATIC
THIS WAY”
“IT’S GOOD TO BE
ASKED OUR OPINIONS
ON THINGS”
“OUR VOICE IS
BEING HEARD
AT LAST”
7

“Our Voice is
Being Heard
at Last”
A report on “Canny
wi’ Cash”
a Participatory
Budgeting exercise
Jan 2013 - Jan 2014
Milind Kolhatkar &
Dianne Morrison
Edinburgh Voluntary Organisations’ Council is a company limited by guarantee
No SC 173582 and is a registered Scottish charity No. SC 009944
Registered Office: 14 Ashley Place, Edinburgh EH6 5PX