Análise da implementação do Portal Nacional das Contratações Públicas no município de Campo Belo-MG a partir da abordagem de capacidades estatais

Abstract

Although the federative pact has sought to guarantee autonomy to subnational entities, in Brazil a top-down process of public policy implementation still prevails, often disregarding the municipalities’ level of preparedness. In this context, considering the requirements of Law No. 14,133/2021 for the adoption of an open data model in the management of public procurement and contracting procedures, the objective of this research was to analyze the challenges faced by the municipality of Campo Belo–MG in implementing the National Public Procurement Portal (PNCP), seeking to understand the main elements of state capacity—within its technicaladministrative, fiscal, and political-relational dimensions—that must be considered in this process. More specifically, the study aims to describe how the PNCP implementation process has unfolded in Campo Belo–MG; to identify, from the perspective of local managers, the main factors that either hinder or facilitate the implementation of the PNCP in the municipality; and to assess the municipality’s level of preparedness in terms of technical-administrative, fiscal, and political-relational capacities for the implementation process. This research is a descriptive and exploratory case study that employed document analysis, participant observation, and semistructured interviews as data collection instruments. After content analysis, the results revealed that, from a technical-administrative standpoint, the municipality has qualified and proactive civil servants whose technical skills, experience, training, and level of autonomy are adequate for handling the demands of the new Public Procurement Law (NLLC). However, technological challenges and shortcomings in the internal management system’s support still hinder the full operationalization of the PNCP. Regarding the political-relational dimension, inconsistencies were detected in data entry on the Portal and a lack of integration between the internal system and technical-legal recommendations, which resulted in delays in data publication. Accessibility issues were also reported, particularly with the use of information filters, a functionality perceived by public servants as confusing. Finally, from a fiscal perspective, it was found that the increase in municipal revenues was not proportional to the investment in training and technological support during the legal transition period. In summary, although the municipality has a qualified and experienced technical staff, this alone is not sufficient. Investment in capacity building and technological infrastructure does not depend solely on revenue growth. This leads to the conclusion that the implementation of the Portal still requires the strengthening of local state capacities and a more coordinated federative action to achieve the intended goals of transparency and modernization. Although the Brazilian federative pact seeks to ensure autonomy for subnational entities, the predominantly vertical form of policy implementation still poses challenges to the effectiveness of municipal actions, especially in light of the demands introduced by Law No. 14,133/2021.