Priority Based Budgeting, Local Government, Resource Reallocation

A Strategic Approach to Implementing PBB in the City of Riverside, CA

The City of Riverside, CA started implementing Priority Based Budgeting (PBB) in July 2020. They intentionally designed their implementation to last approximately six months.

The City is strategically implementing PBB to address the following challenges:

  • Identify all programs and services that the City provides;
  • Understand where the City is allocating its resources and how that aligns with the City’s strategic plan;
  • Take initial steps to realign resources to support City Council’s priorities
  • Enhance transparency on allocation of resources based on the who, what, where, and why;
  • Understand what we do, why we do it, and how much it costs;
  • Identify how to fiscally adjust as needed while minimizing the impact on the most critical programs and services;
  • Improve efficiencies in city operations; cross-departmental functions; elimination of duplicate programs and services; partnerships in program delivery;
  • Instill a culture that embraces the interconnectivity of strategic planning, organizational performance and resource alignment

Riverside is still working to institutionalize the use of PBB in their organization, and has made great strides with respect to how to use their insights to transform their financial position.  

Where Riverside has truly excelled is with their executive sponsorship and leadership out of the city manager's office. They have a great, diverse project management team with representatives from all over their organization, who have been effective at communicating the why, where they are going, and their specific and strategic goals.

The following is from the city's priority based budgeting page of their municipal website:

Erik Fabian
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