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different modes of interaction for the purpose of achieving an agreement within a given decision-making context” (Dente and Subirats, 2014: 70).

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD, 2001) establishes some basic principles so that the consultation is effective and its design is aligned with good governance: it should offer alternative solutions to a common problem, be defined within a time frame, facilitate the exchange of quality public information, and be part of successive public policy drafts.

In the multi-dimensional typology of Diamond and Morlino (2004), the procedures secure the quality of democracy and institutions together with the content of the measures and the results obtained. At the procedural level, it requires the publication of participation rules, selection criteria, governance mechanisms, and all measures that lead to a lessening of arbitrary decisions. The content aspect is specified in the cognitive and budgetary capacity of the proposals. These have to be ordered and qualified in a framework of a strategic development plan of public policies in order to avoid their becoming mere enumerations of actions.

Finally, the results are measured according to the metrics and variables used to evaluate public policies. There can be no aseptic measurement without a prior study of what the objectives were, the cost of the action, and the consequence on the life of citizens.

In the case of citizen consultation on budgets, according to Bellver (2007: 20), value is created for the citizen when the consultation scrutinizes public money and focuses on “monitoring the process through which they make their budgetary decisions and spend their income. As a major element of economic policy, transparency and participation in budgeting are particularly important in assessing the extent to which a government is financially accountable”.

1.4. Participatory budgets, a proving ground

In Spain, participatory budgets have become a standard for the development of active citizenship and the restoration of social trust (Planchuelo, 2018). At the municipal level, consultation and participation has a more practical purpose that is more linked to the action and repertoire of activities of the municipality or subsequent unit (district or neighbourhood). Compared to the European or national levels, municipal consultation does not focus on interest groups, citizens, lobbies, organisations and civil society, experts, think tanks or universities. Neither the legislative process nor a model of binary participation (Yes/No) is at stake. In a municipality, the flow of data is fed, ideas are shaped, and alliances are forged. The genuine interests represented have an impact on the closest political activity.

The aim is for the citizen to participate in the municipal accounts and determine the way in which certain, very limited budget allocations are spent. These are small sums, which do not affect the general budgetary orientation. The rules are publicized, explained in municipally-owned spaces, and made available to interested parties with the aim of making administrative procedures transparent at pre-established intervals. Ex post, this process is held accountable through the same means.

According to Ganuza and Gómez (2008), participatory budgets were created with two objectives in mind: The first goal is the rationalization of public expenditure in a more equitable way, oriented toward favouring those who are most in need.