What would a good Administrative Reform in Brazil look like?
Translated from the original.
A good administrative reform in Brazil should address several crucial issues to improve the efficiency, transparency, and fiscal responsibility of the public sector, both in the direct administration and in state-owned enterprises. Here are some of the main elements that could make up an effective administrative reform:
Rationalization of the Organizational Structure • Reduction of Commissioned Posts: Reduce the number of freely appointed posts to avoid political use and increase the professionalization of public administration. The Federal Government alone has almost 30,000 commissioned posts, which cost more than R$ 33 million per month. They must be progressively replaced by civil servants admitted through public examination.
• Merger and Abolition of Agencies: Unify agencies with redundant functions and abolish those that are no longer needed, to reduce costs and improve coordination between sectors. This, to tell the truth, is a process that has been under way since the 1990s, but it needs to be deepened.
Professionalization of the Public Service • Meritocracy and Training: Implement selection processes based on merit and technical qualification, in addition to offering continuous training and development programs for civil servants. Valuing civil servants is not only a matter of pay, but also of offering continuing education.
• Performance Evaluation: Establish regular and transparent performance evaluation systems, with clear and fair criteria, that encourage productivity and efficiency. Evaluation, provided for in the 1988 Federal Constitution, still lacks adequate regulation to this day. There must be no room for political persecution, but productivity must be measured, as in any workplace.
Modernization and Digitalization • Digital Government: Invest in the digitalization of processes and services to increase efficiency, reduce costs, and improve service to citizens.
• Transparency and Open Data: Adopt active transparency practices, making public data and information available in an accessible and understandable way. The Transparency Portal and the proceedings linked to the SEI are important advances in this regard.
Fiscal Sustainability • Spending Control: Implement rigorous expenditure control mechanisms, avoiding waste and diversion of public funds. The Fiscal Responsibility Law demands it: the State cannot cost more than it collects, and the tax-collecting zeal stifles the productive sector with excessive taxes.
• Pension Reform: Adjust the pension regimes to ensure long-term fiscal sustainability, taking into account the specificities of public service. Successive changes have been made in this direction since the 1990s, and civil servants admitted in recent years have a pension regime analogous to that of private-sector workers.
Incentives and Recognition • Incentive Policies: Create incentive policies that reward good performance and innovation within the public service.
• Career Plans: Develop clear and attractive career plans that offer opportunities for advancement based on merit and results. There are still entire ministries (such as Culture) without a career plan.
Participation and Social Oversight • Strengthening of Councils and Oversight Bodies: Reinforce the role of public policy councils and internal and external oversight bodies, such as Courts of Accounts and Comptroller Offices.
• Citizen Engagement: Promote the active participation of citizens in the oversight and development of public policies. Public hearings, important post-1988 achievements, must be safeguarded.
Decentralization and Autonomy • Managerial Autonomy: Give public managers greater autonomy in decision-making, tied to results and performance targets.
• Administrative Decentralization: Transfer powers and resources to states and municipalities, strengthening local management and bringing public service closer to citizens. The spirit of the Constitution is federalist, not centralizing.
Examples and Reference Models
• United Kingdom Model: The United Kingdom implemented administrative reforms focused on efficiency, with the creation of the Office for Budget Responsibility to monitor public finances and reforms in the civil service to increase accountability.
• Singapore Model: Singapore is often cited for its highly professionalized and efficient public service, with a strong focus on meritocracy and the continuous training of civil servants.
These are some guidelines that can steer an administrative reform in Brazil, always taking into account the country's particular features and specific challenges. The implementation of a comprehensive and well-planned reform can bring great benefits to public administration, improving the delivery of services and the management of public resources.