About this Report
Officially launched by the Ontario government in February 2015 to inform the pre-budget consultation process, Budget Talks is a program centered on an online platform that allows the public to submit, vote on, and discuss policy ideas.
Originally designed to perform the first of those three functions – idea generation – it has since evolved to incorporate elements of deliberative democracy by including an explicit link between citizen participation and government decision-making. The following report examines the evolution of Budget Talks, identifies impacts to date, examines internal visions for the future of the program, and speculates on three plausible scenarios for the next iteration of the initiative.
This analysis is rounded out by a series of recommendations and guiding design principles that internal stakeholders can use to inform strategic decision-making going forward. The insights arrived at in this report are informed by stakeholder interviews, a literature review, a co-creation workshop, and an analysis of internal documents.
Read this report to help you:
- Review the impact of Budget Talks to date
- Understand how policymakers are grappling with a host of interconnected social, economic, and environmental challenges that require new tools and input from a larger pool of stakeholders
- Explore best practices and learn how technology can bring citizens closer to the policymaking process