Participatory budgeting as an e-democracy practice: The "Neighborhood Council" model

The main goal in this research is to identify how we can create powerful e-democracy at the local government using latest participation tools in participatory budget implemantions. For the purpose of this study we decided to this question: What are the obstacles that e-participatory budgeting, which appears as an e-participation application at the local level, faces in the way of strengthening participatory democracy and what are the methods that can be used to overcome these obstacles? Whereas, the study is based on Turkey's first e-participatory budgeting project called "Komşu Meclisi", which was launched by Antalya Muratpaşa Municipality. Using the document analysis method, the website of the Komşu Meclisi implemantions was analyzed, and it was tried to learn and understand what functions the platform has and how the process works. In addition, semi-structured interviews were held with the employees of Muratpaşa Municipality, who are the implementers of the project, in order to identify the obstacles encountered in the operation of the application and to determine the requirements for the development of the application. The findings obtained from the interviews were analyzed by applying the descriptive analysis method. As a result of the study, the Komşu Meclisi implemantion was interpreted by comparing it with other examples of participatory budgeting in the world, and a hybrid participatory budgeting model that could be applied both online and physically in Turkey was reached through the suggestions regarding the application. In this context, it has been concluded that the preparation of the proposals and projects by discussing them in face-to-face meetings and the more intensive use of information and communication technologies in the following stages will improve the practice. In addition, ideas for the establishment of a multi-stakeholder organizational structure were produced and a consensus participatory budgeting was tried to be designed. The most important contribution of the study is that it aims to bring the potential of online participatory budgeting as an innovative way of participation to the literature focused on traditional ways of participation in ensuring local democracy, and to present a participatory budgeting model that can be applied in Turkey in order to strengthen local democracy. Considering that hybrid participatory budgeting implemantions, which have been used by important cities in the world for the last 10 years, have only recently been reflected in academic studies, this study is expected to guide future researchers and projects to be carried out on the subject.