Participatory institutions: management councils and public policy conferences - dialogues and reflections

Abstract

The Brazilian Federal Constitution of 1988, by ensuring, among its principles and guidelines, "the participation of the population through representative organizations in the formulation of policies and the control of actions at all levels" (Art. 204), certainly instituted a new practice to be implemented within public management which, in turn, transcended the perception and experience of a highly centralizing state organization and averse to alternative, complex and modern forms of participation by Brazilian civil society. In this sense, this work allows for a reflection on the historicity and importance of Participatory Institutions (IPs) for Brazilian democracy, specifically with regard to Management Councils and Public Policy Conferences, reflecting on how these institutions are capable of establishing new links between the different actors present in both the public and private spheres, through the power relations existing in the institutional political scenario. In summary, it can be seen that the IPs in Brazil have become important instruments of representation and participation for the strengthening of democracy, especially for the new public management, in which democratic management is one of the main principles, resulting, in turn, in discussions on how these institutions have reversed the centralising logic of public management and implemented new channels of dialogue between the government, social institutions and society. Qualitative research techniques have been used as a methodology for bibliographic and documental production analyses.