In what conditions is it not advisable to undertake participatory budgeting?

It is not advisable to implement a PB when the preconditions mentioned in the answer to 'what are the basic conditions necessary to implement participatory budgeting?' are not present. Additionally, it is not advisable if one or both of the parties, either the government or the citizenry, are not open to change and shared management of public resources. It is also better to avoid participatory budgeting if honesty and transparency are lacking in the local administration. To implement a PB in that context would provide legitimacy to, or hide, practices that are contrary to the basic principles of participatory budgeting.

When the local conditions are not ideal at a given moment, this does not mean that the interested people or institutions should abandon the idea of Participatory Budgeting.  More limited initiatives can be undertaken, such as attempting to introduce more transparency into the budgeting process.  The organization of Forums or other activities, with the presence of legitimate representatives of civil society can be a mechanism to press for the opening of a public discussion of the budget and citizen control of it. Many cities are right now undergoing a preparatory stage for Participatory
Budgeting.