Organizational models of public administration: a study of some aspects of the reality derived from Ceara State reform

Abstract

The new public management is a much-debated issue in Brazil and in many other countries worldwide. Its origin is historically dated in the 80´s, attributed to State economic and fiscal crises that had reached many countries in that decade and was also a response to State Welfare deterioration. The answer given prescribed a set of policies that proclaimed the application of market principles and private sector logic to the Public Administration. The study has as the objective to analyze the relation between the new public model practices and the modernization and efficiency of the State administration. The specific objectives are concentrated on presenting the models of Public Administration; on identifying reforms carried through in Brazilian Public Administration until the current days; on analyzing managerial practices of the new model applied to state administration. This is an exploratory, qualitative and documentary research. Interviews had been carried out, and then, the study made use of the technique of content analysis. To choose the respondents in the field research, the study considered the criterion of linking the interviewee to the process of modernization of the Public Administration. Thus, managers, former-managers of the main state secretariats involved with modernization of public administration, and researchers who had previously taken part in this process were selected. The contribution of this work results in a better evaluation of the modernization of the state Administration and also of its consequences.