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Over the last years, the Centre for Social Studies (CES) at the University of Coimbra has been doing consistent and recognised work in the area of participatory governance, with a special focus on studying, monitoring, and innovating in the field of Participatory Budgeting (PB). This line of research has continuously sought to strengthen mechanisms for citizen inclusion and participation, with an impact at both national and international levels.

A recent example of this work is CES’s participation in the Project to Support Civil Society and Local Administration in Angola (PASCAL), which has been running in Angola since 2021 with funding from the European Union. The project aims to foster a more inclusive society by promoting the active participation of traditionally underrepresented groups, such as women, young people, and individuals with functional diversity, in public decision-making processes. In this regard, CES researcher Giovanni Allegretti joined a multidisciplinary team of Portuguese consultants, who worked closely with the Angolan NGO Development Workshop to define regulatory and methodological proposals aimed at consolidating and improving the regulatory framework for Participatory Budgeting in Angola.

This contribution culminated in the organisation of the ‘International Workshop on Participatory Budgeting’, which took place in July 2025 in Luanda, bringing together almost two hundred participants and attended by Angolan government entities, including the Secretary of State for Local Authorities. The event provided an opportunity to present concrete proposals, some of which were inspired by the innovative methodologies developed in the European research project PHOENIX – The Rise of Citizens Voices for a Greener Europe, in which CES participates. Among these proposals, the introduction of environmental and socio-environmental vulnerability criteria in the distribution of PB resources stands out, seeking to ensure greater equity and territorial justice.

Institutional recognition of this work was evident in the invitation extended to the project’s researchers and partners to present their proposals to the Angolan Ministry of Territorial Administration, reinforcing the dialogue with the decentralisation reform dynamics underway in the country.

Cooperation with international organisations, such as UCLG, the General Secretariat of the Presidency of the Republic of Brazil, and the International Observatory of Participatory Democracy (OIDP), further highlights the transnational impact of these initiatives.

This trajectory clearly illustrates how CES has established itself as a centre of reference in the study and promotion of democratic innovations, with concrete effects on the transformation of public policies and the strengthening of active citizenship. The work carried out in the context of Participatory Budgeting, which combines academic knowledge, collaborative action, and social impact, is a clear example of science committed to a more just, inclusive, and participatory society.