Professionalization of Minas Gerais Public Managers: a reflection on the limits and potencials of the “Transforma Minas” Program
Professionalization; Public Management; Minas Gerais Public Managers; Transforma Minas Program
This work has as its general objective to reflect on the limits and potentials of the “Transforma Minas” Program regarding the professionalization of Minas Gerais public managers. To this end, it will be analyzed how the process of recruitment and selection of professionals to fill positions in committee of the State High Administration of Minas Gerais, as well as to raise the perceptions of the actors involved in the selection process regarding the operationalization and effectiveness of the work. program. Professionalization in Brazil gained prominence in post-1990 governments as a way of curbing patrimonial and clientelistic practices in the appointment of political positions, as well as being a measure of legitimacy by ensuring compliance with the principles of transparency, equality and efficiency and prioritizing meritocracy. in the process of recruitment and selection of public agents (BRESSER PEREIRA, 1996). In the state of Minas Gerais, the emphasis on the professionalization of public managers was motivated by the management shock in 2003, which transformed the management of people in the state by instituting results-oriented management. In 2007, in the second generation of the Management shock, the global implementation of the Structuring Project for the Professionalization of Public Managers began, which sought, through occupational certification, training and development, to improve the effectiveness of public managers, in addition to maintaining actions that sustained quality and innovation in long-term public management.
Currently, the Government of Minas Gerais to continue the trend of professionalizing public managers has been implementing the Transforma Minas Program, which consists of a new form of attraction, selection and development of high-level professionals, inspired by the models of countries such as Chile, Australia and the United Kingdom. The goal is to attract and select high performing professionals based on merit and skills. Because it is an innovative program recently established in the State, the purpose of this paper will be to examine, through the information collected, the limits and potential arising from the Program regarding the professionalization of public managers. For this, the methodology used will be qualitative / descriptive / exploratory research, outlined in the case study of the Transforma Minas Program. Data collected through documents and interviews with actors involved in the selection process will be analyzed by the content analysis method. The expectation is to reflect how the program reinforces the professionalization of Minas Gerais public managers, reducing the politicization of positions and improving the effectiveness of public administration in providing services to society.