Sharing Power to Improve Population Health: Participatory Budgeting and Policy Making

Abstract

In Pierce County, Washington, 6 Communities of Focus face tough health disparities. To engage members of communities that have been marginalized for generations, Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department piloted participatory budgeting. Through this 5-step process, the health department and its partners make investments significant enough to bring community members to the table, codesign solutions, and put the final decision-making power to fund programs and services in their hands. Sharing power through this process is an innovative approach and has been adapted during the COVID-19 pandemic to build trust essential to resilience and recovery. After a series of successful projects bringing participatory budgeting to scale, the Public Health Centers for Excellence is piloting participatory policy making and disseminating both practices broadly.