Agencia de Gobierno Electrónico y Sociedad de la Información y del Conocimiento

8 - Integrated public budget platform

Brief description of the commitment: This commitment aims to promote and consolidate budget transparency and accountability of public funds through an institutional platform that integrates national and subnational budget information; details of decentralization projects financed by the central government; and financial indicators of public enterprises and non-governmental public entities. This tool will facilitate public access to budget information and promote participation and monitoring of public resource management.

Organization leading the commitment: Planning and Budget Office (OPP).

Responsible for the commitment: Daniel Greif, Director of the Planning Area. Contact: daniel.greif@opp.gub.uy

Technical Manager: Paula Manera. Technical Team. Contact: paula.manera@opp.gub.uy 

Stakeholders:

1. Government: Central Administration and Subnational Governments.
2. Civil Society: Civil society organizations: Center for Archives and Access to Public Information (Cainfo), Data UY, Open Government Network (RGA), National Association of NGOs Oriented towards Development (ANONG).
3. Other actors: Legislative Branch, public companies and non-governmental public entities, academia, international organizations, press and researchers.

Implementation period: September 2025 – July 2029.

Problem definition

What problem does the commitment intend to address?

Currently, detailed and accessible information on public budgets is scattered, and in some cases, in a format that is difficult to understand, which hinders its analysis.

Since the launch of the Budget Transparency Portal in 2017, efforts have been made to increase the availability of information on public budgets, as well as to provide resources to promote their understanding and comprehension. However, the lack of updates and integration of new content requires a redesign of the tool to reflect its evolution, broaden the scope of the information presented, and ensure its sustainability.

What are the causes of the problem?

Insufficient and scattered publication of public budget data. Non-standardized update processes for some items. Outdated technology that hinders progress. Lack of integration between different data sources.

Description of the commitment

What has been done so far to solve the problem?

The Planning and Budget Office has made progress in terms of budget transparency by publishing data concerning the execution and credit of the National Budget and Strategic Planning of the agencies that comprise it. As a result of the 3rd National Open Government Plan, the Budget Transparency Portal was produced. Subsequently, its development was further strengthened during the 4th Open Government Plan, incorporating visualization tools and improving the content of its sections.

These advances were not accompanied by the necessary technological development, making it imperative to work on its update, incorporation of new information that raises the current quality and making it accessible and understandable to a variety of audiences with different levels of specialization.

What solution does it propose?

To redesign and implement an institutional platform that integrates public budget information from all levels of government, incorporating subnational budget data. This platform will detail the projects within the OPP's decentralization area, financed by the central government, and will gather input through dialogue with target audiences across the country. It will also incorporate budget information from non-governmental public entities and improve the financial reporting of public enterprises. This will consolidate the efforts made to date, resulting in a leading institutional platform for budget transparency and public spending monitoring.

What results do we want to achieve by implementing this commitment?

The goal is to create a comprehensive and up-to-date institutional platform that centralizes budget data from all levels of government. This platform will feature information organized clearly and easily across various dimensions (temporal, territorial, institutional, program, etc.). It will improve public access to budget information, fostering transparency and serving as a reliable source for journalists, civil society, academics, and oversight bodies. Furthermore, it is expected that users will develop a better understanding of the budget cycle, its stages, and the implications of spending decisions. The platform will also promote the ability to analyze and compare budget data using visual tools (tables, graphs, maps).

Commitment analysis

How will the commitment promote transparency?

It will offer open data for analysis by researchers, journalists, and organizations. It will include methodological and explanatory notes, as well as frequently asked questions. It will be accessible (meeting accessibility standards), including options for people with visual or hearing impairments. It will present clear and dynamic visualizations (graphs, maps, comparison charts) that facilitate understanding, even for non-experts. It will allow searches using multiple criteria based on the user's interests (territory, institution, year, program, projects, progress status).

How will the commitment help foster accountability?

By publishing budget information during legally mandated accountability periods, showing initial allocations, modifications, and expenditure execution. Enabling the monitoring of how public resources are used and invested, as well as the tracking of projects at the local level.

How will the commitment improve citizen participation in defining, implementing, and monitoring solutions?

Creating spaces for exchange with Civil Society, journalists, academia and users in general to define what data to prioritize and how to present it (in the design stage).

Generating channels for participation, such as encouraging the submission of suggestions within the site and also promoting the use of data in exchange with civil society organizations.

Conducting virtual seminars (webinars) and workshops that teach how to use the site and interpret budget data, and disseminating information through social networks and media.