As políticas públicas de proteção social e a gestão participativa: a experiência do orçamento democrático do Estado da Paraíba (2011-2018)

Abstract

This dissertation deals with the theme of participatory management of the public budget for social protection policies in particular the public policy of Social Assistance through the experience of the democratic budget in the State of Paraíba. In particular, it is an exploratory study through which it seeks to unveil the impacts of the Paraíba State Democratic Budget practice on the allocation of budgetary resources destined to public social protection policies based on the actions developed by the Secretariat of State for Human Development from 2011 to 2018. To achieve this goal this research is methodologically supported in the form of bibliographic and documentary research comprising the interaction between qualitative and quantitative approaches. The apex of the research is found in the analysis of the relationship between popular demands presented by the Secretariat of State for Human Development through the actions demarcated in the Annual Budget Law (LOA) identified as “demand from the OD” and the effectively spent. Understanding the limits of documentary analysis, through the documents made available by the State Government through the Transparency Portal, the present study demonstrates that the State Government presented a low capacity to respond to the demands arising from the practice of the Democratic Budget exposing the gaps between the actions demarcated in the LOA and those presented in the State Management Balance. Despite this observation we believe that this social participation policy is an instrument that must be strengthened in the current situation of attack on democratic institutions and the social rights that are linked to them. Thus, the practice of Democratic Budgeting should not be reduced to a process limited only to the hierarchical definition of the priorities and demands of the population, but its original role must be considered: involving citizens and direct and indirect public administration bodies in order to achieve an effective process of social transformation.