Participatory Democracy and Public Administration: A Study of the Budget Experience of the State of Piauí

Abstract

This article analyses the experience of participatory planningin Piaui, an instrument created in 2007 to increase the participation ofcivil society in defining the state’s public policies. The study has twocentral arguments. First, the great dependence of Piaui on the resourcesof the federal government leaves little room for the formulation ofspecific public policies, hindering the implementation of policiesconsidered to be priorities by the civil society, which participates inassemblies and councils that compose the participatory planning of thestate. Second, despite the creation of the participatory institution withinthe state’s executive branch, we observed a lack of planning by thegovernment in accommodating the demands of the population. Thestate’s departmentalised administrative structure inhibitscommunication between departments for the implementation ofintegrated policies.