Minipúblicos como possibilidade de participação e deliberação em compras públicas: um estudo no Observatório Social do Brasil de Piumhi

Abstract

Objective of the research: the research aims to identify and to understand how the accomplishment process of qualified groups is structured to act in the monitoring of public procurement in a municipality in Minas Gerais (Brazilian state) under the perspective of the concept of mini-public. theoretical framework: Mini-public according to the approach of Fung (2004). Methodology: the methodology used is qualitative, exploratory and descriptive, represented by the development of bibliographic and documentary research, on-site visits and interviews. the content analysis technique has been used to approach the data. Results: the analyzed mini-public is characterized as a democratic space for participation and deliberation with significant and positive consequences for the quality of democratic governance, such as the increased accountability of public agents, the expansion of citizenship, the improvement of public policies and the widening of participation of citizens in public decisions. Originality: Studies focusing on social observatories belonging to the Brazilian Social Observatory System (OSB) are still incipient. In the case of OSB-Piumhi, the research stands out as the first academic study carried out. Regarding the theoretical framework used, no similar study was identified that analyzed the characteristics and consequences of the institutional design of a social observatory of the OSB System. theoretical and practical contributions: the study provides the means for further research within the scope of OSB-Piumhi to be carried out, once its institutional design has been identified, in addition to being supporting material for other observatories to have the choices of their training processes known. this research also contributes to the improvement of democratic social control, since citizens will be able to perceive the importance of organizing themselves in mini-publics for certain subjects and of participating in the decision making of their municipalities.