In 2019, Uzbekistan implemented the mechanism of participatory budgeting. Over the past years, millions of citizens have learned about new opportunities, and public interest and engagement has continued to grow.

The numbers speak for themselves. Over the past three years, funding for the Participatory Budgeting processes has increased eightfold – from 530 billion soums to 4.115 trillion soums.

The "Participatory Budget" project acts as a social bridge between the state and society in solving social problems at the local level. According to analysis, in 2019, 87,755 people participated in the competitions, voting for 28,704 projects. By 2023, these processes involved 18 million citizens who cast their votes for 49,464 projects.

The "Yuksalish" movement conducted public monitoring of the implementation status of the winning projects from the "Initiative Budget" competitions in 2023.

The monitoring examined the funding processes for the initiative projects, the timeliness and quality of work execution, as well as local public opinion on these matters.

For reference: In 2023, 2,985 initiatives were recognized as winners in the first season of the "Participatory Budget," 1,192 initiatives in the second season, and 514 initiatives in the "My Road" program. A total of 4.7197 trillion soums was allocated from the budget for the implementation of these projects.

As part of the monitoring, the implementation of 433 projects was studied, and anonymous social surveys were conducted among 1,408 respondents. Among the projects, 201 were related to education, 89 to healthcare, 106 to roads, 27 to infrastructure improvements, 5 to drinking water, and 5 to electricity and natural gas.

The majority of mahalla residents expressed support for the "Participatory Budget," which received positive feedback from the general public.

Shortcomings in the implementation of the projects

During the review, it was found that on 121 of the studied sites (28%), projects were not completed within the established deadlines, the work was of poor quality, or had not been finished by the present time. Additionally, violations such as redirecting allocated funds to other purposes were identified. These shortcomings negatively affect the perception of 520,000 people who voted for these projects.

Poor quality of construction and repair works

A total of 88 projects had deficiencies. Specifically, work on 24 sites in Namangan region, 13 in Jizzakh region, 10 in Samarkand region, 7 in Andijan and Kashkadarya regions each, 6 in Syrdarya and Fergana regions each, 4 in Navoi and Tashkent regions each, 3 in Surkhandarya and Bukhara regions each, and 1 in the Republic of Karakalpakstan were of poor quality.

For example, the project for constructing a new school building with 80 seats at School No. 44 in Shafirkan district, Bukhara region, was completed, but due to premature interior wall finishing, the walls began to crumble. The flooring and concrete coatings were poorly and unevenly executed, leading to improper linoleum installation. Moreover, the project envisaged the installation of solar panels, video surveillance cameras, and fire safety equipment, which has not been implemented.

The project for constructing an artificial field and purchasing sports equipment at School No. 1 in Sherabad district, Surkhandarya region, was completed, but the artificial turf did not meet standards and is unsuitable for use due to insufficient compacting of the construction site, and the soil around the sewage well has shifted. Despite these shortcomings, an act was drawn up stating the project was fully completed.

Delays in commissioning

During monitoring, it was determined that facilities for 24 projects have still not been put into operation. In particular, 4 projects in Tashkent region, 3 projects in the Republic of Karakalpakstan, Bukhara, Namangan, Jizzakh, and Kashkadarya regions each, 2 in Andijan region, and 1 project each in Samarkand, Fergana, and Khorezm regions have not been implemented as part of the "Participatory Budget" - 2023.

For example, in the Andijan district of Andijan region, the project to equip School No. 43 with necessary equipment has not been completed. Of the 41 types of equipment listed in the project, seven were not delivered, and five types were delivered in smaller quantities than specified in the estimate documentation.

The project for laying a gas pipeline in the "Obod turmush" village in Peshkun district, Bukhara region, was not implemented. According to a statement by "Hududgazta'minot" JSC dated March 15, 2024, additional funding of 1,580 million soums was required to complete the project, which made its implementation impossible. Based on the corresponding decision of the Peshkun District Council of People's Representatives dated April 23, 2024, the allocated funds were returned to the "Participatory Budget" fund.

Unfinished projects being put into operation

Work on 68 projects that have been put into operation has not been fully completed.

For example, the project for the construction of a new sports hall at School No. 44 in Jalakuduk district, Andijan region, which began in November 2023, is still not finished: the changing rooms for students and restrooms are not ready, and the sewage system remains incomplete.

Another example is the project for the major renovation of School No. 41 in Tashlak district, Fergana region, which included the installation of a 20 kW solar panel. Out of the planned 27 new windows, only 15 have been installed, and the paving of the surrounding area is still not completed.

Funds allocated to three projects were misused. For example, instead of repairing buildings and installing equipment at Boarding School No. 5 in Chartak district, a fence was constructed. At School No. 4 in Yangikurgan district, solar panels were installed instead of building a dining hall. In Kindergarten No. 37 in Chirchik, funds that were meant for repairing the interior and restrooms were spent on other expenses.

Other challenges

Public monitoring revealed that funds allocated to three projects were used for purposes not specified in the original applications. Additionally, discrepancies were found between the quality of work described on the Open Budget portal and the actual conditions of 49 inspected sites.

In particular, an analysis of open data from tenders for project implementation in Kashkadarya region showed that while different contractors won various tenders, the same two or three organizations were chosen for design work. As part of public oversight activities, an anonymous survey of 1,408 respondents across the republic was conducted to gather public opinion on the "Participatory Budget" competitions and the implementation of projects.

Findings of the anonymous survey

As part of public oversight activities, an anonymous survey of 1,408 respondents across the republic was conducted to gather public opinion on the "Participatory Budget" competitions and the implementation of projects.

50% of respondents reported that "Participatory Budget" projects were implemented in their mahallas, while 36% noted that no such projects were present. 84% stated they were not forced to collect votes, 11% said their relatives were pressured, and 5% reported being personally forced to do so at their workplace. 65% said projects were completed on time, 60% believe the work was done well, 28% rated it as average, and 12% as poor. Additionally, 18% of respondents said that the projects were developed unfairly.

In view of public and expert opinions, the "Yuksalish" Movement, proposes as follows:

• Align the project and cost documentation with "Initiative Groups" to ensure that funds allocated for winning projects are used appropriately.
• Create groups of active district residents to oversee the quality of repair work and equipment at social facilities.
• Add an additional clause requiring the contractor to provide detailed information on the work stipulated in the project documentation when contracts are signed by customers.
• Require contractors to display project information, including planned activities, on the object exterior.
• Ensure public participation in the process of commissioning objects.
• To ensure fairness in the "Participatory Budget" process, dedicate separate seasons for social facilities and mahalla infrastructure projects, excluding projects from financially independent higher education institutions and other self-financing budget organizations from the competitions.
• Create opportunities for mahallas with small populations by recognizing projects as winners based on the number of residents in the mahalla.
• Address server issues to ensure stable operation of the openbudget.uz website and reduce the load during the voting process.
• Improve the system for assigning status to projects on the portal based on the results of public monitoring.