Encourage States and Municipalities to Endorse the OGP Four Principles (BR0037)

to ensure that the programs within the Ministry of Social Development and Fight against Hunger (MDS) which are executed by resources transferred in the modality between funds include mechanisms to encourage states and municipalities to endorse the OGP four principles. This strategy shall be achieved by the incorporation of the OGP principles to the agreement of priorities and goals for the new Operational Basic Ruling of the Unique Social Assistance System (SUAS). Furthermore, successful and innovative practices within the SUAS related to the OGP principles shall be identified, recognized and disseminated. Studies on how to incorporate the principles to the expansion and division of resources for other initiatives shall be conducted, considering that encouraging the dissemination of the Open Government Partnership principles is crucial for improving program managing and for increasing public integrity.

Commitment 1.13 Encourage states and municipalities to endorse the OGP four principles

Commitment Text: To ensure that the programs within the Ministry of Social Development and Fight against Hunger (MDS) which are executed by resources transferred in the modality between funds include mechanisms to encourage states and municipalities to endorse the OGP four principles. This strategy shall be achieved by the incorporation of the OGP principles to the agreement of priorities and goals for the new Operational Basic Ruling of the Unique Social Assistance System (SUAS). Furthermore, successful and innovative practices within the SUAS related to the OGP principles shall be identified, recognized and disseminated. Studies on how to incorporate the principles to the expansion and division of resources for other initiatives shall be conducted, considering that encouraging the dissemination of the Open Government Partnership principles is crucial for improving program managing and for increasing public integrity.

Responsible institution: Ministry of Social Development and Fight against Hunger

Supporting institution: None

Start date: Not specified                          End date: 14 December 2014

Commitment aim

The commitment sought to expand activities related to transparency, participation, and accountability that were agreed upon with states and municipalities in the Unified System of Social Assistance (SUAS). SUAS organises several major welfare programs in Brazil, and is based on the cooperation of federal, state, and municipal social assistance institutions.

Status

Midterm: Completed

During the second action plan, open government values were integrated into agreements between the SUAS and municipalities. For example, municipalities vowed to increase the participation of users and workers in Local Social Assistance Councils; to make local councils an integral part of the Bolsa-Familia program; and to ensure that all local councils have proportional representation among users, workers, and civil society representatives. The government also gave new awards to institutions that displayed transparent management and effective social oversight of SUAS funds.

Did it open government?

Access to information: Marginal

Civic participation: Marginal

Public accountability: Marginal

The commitment directly advanced OGP values by instituting the principles of open government in the Local Social Assistance Councils of the SUAS. The councils are active mechanisms of participation, and a sizeable share of their representatives come from civil society, including from vulnerable groups, such as the homeless. These councils facilitated access to information requests, and are responsible for monitoring the disbursement of social assistance funds.

As part of the commitment, the government linked fund distributions to the level of representation and participation in these councils. Councils must now answer questions on their presence and role in funding requests. The commitment is also important because municipalities made concrete commitments to open government objectives, though there is no evidence of tangible results as yet. The other aspects of the commitment did not improve open government significantly. While new government awards for innovative participatory mechanisms of social control are positive, they are incremental steps toward open government. Consequently, the IRM researcher believes that the overall commitment opened government in a marginal way.

Carried forward?

This commitment was not carried forward to Brazil’s third action plan. Nonetheless, the IRM researcher believes documenting how councils promote better public services and improve civic engagement would be useful case studies in best practices.