A Citizen’s budget is a short document that shows the budget of local government in a way that is easy to understand by any citizen.
This toolbox provides support to local governments that are interested in creating a Citizens Budget. It contains the basic steps in the process and inspiring examples, which fully equips the reader to start developing their own Citizen Budget.
The toolbox is rooted in research findings from an ICLD research project concluding that public support for local governments increases when citizens are involved and aware of the local budget process. The project also comprises a Research Report, a Policy Brief and a short video brief on how to improve local budget processes.
After studying the implementation of a Citizen Budget in three African local governments – summarized in Research Report 31 – the Toolbox is updated in 2025 with insights for application particularly in Sub-Saharan African contexts.