Marco regulatório das organizações da sociedade civil e assistência social: a gestão de parcerias da rede socioassistencial de um município do Campo das Vertentes

Abstract

Social assistance in Brazil has followed a long path before being consolidated as a public policy and a social right. Historically marked by philanthropic and religious practices, its structuring as a citizenship right was driven by the Federal Constitution of 1988 and consolidated through the creation of the Law of Social Assistance (LOAS, 1993), the National Social Assistance Policy (PNAS, 2004), and the Unified Social Assistance System (SUAS) in 2005. The participation of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in the provision of social assistance services has always been significant but characterized by fragile partnerships, lacking regulation and transparency. The enactment of Law No. 13.019/2014, known as the Regulatory Framework for Civil Society Organizations (MROSC), brought significant innovations by establishing specific legal instruments (terms of promotion, collaboration, and cooperation agreements), mandating public calls for proposals, emphasizing results, and strengthening social control. Given this context, this study aims to analyze the implementation process of the MROSC in the social assistance network of a municipality in the Campo das Vertentes region, seeking to understand the transformations, challenges, and continuities in partnerships between the State and CSOs at the local level. This is a qualitative and descriptive research study, with data collected through semi-structured interviews with representatives of CSOs, the partnership management sector of the Municipal Department of Social Development and Citizenship (SMDSC), and the Municipal Council of Social Assistance (CMAS). Data analysis was conducted using Braun and Clarke’s (2006) thematic analysis methodology, allowing the identification of five major themes and seventeen analytical codes. The results reveal important advances, such as the formalization of partnerships, greater legal security, transparency in financial transfers, and improvements in accountability. On the other hand, limitations were identified, such as the technical fragility of CSOs, operational difficulties in adapting to new procedures, lack of systematic training, political-party influence in partnership definitions, and institutional resistance to change. It was also observed that the network-based approach envisioned by the legislation faces obstacles in everyday practice, marked by asymmetrical relationships and discontinuities in interorganizational cooperation. It is concluded that, despite the advances promoted by the MROSC, its full implementation in medium-sized municipalities, like the one studied, requires ongoing investment in training, institutional structures, political commitment, and more horizontal and participatory coordination mechanisms.