Spatial analysis of social assistance bureaucracy in Brazilian municipalities: notes for reflection on the implementation capacity of social-assistance policy

Abstract

This paper presents and describes data related to the implementation capacity of social-assistance policy and its spatial distribution. It seeks to understand whether—and to what extent— certain characteristics of municipal bureaucracy can influence results. This paper relies on the Taxa de Execução Financeira Ajustada do Fundo de Assistência Social to present a spatial analysis of variation in the profile of social assistance bureaucracy, according to its roles, types of connections, and educational levels, as well as its implementation capacity and policy management. We use Suas Census indicators from 2010 to 2014, as well as data from the Annual Report on Social Information (Rais) of 2013 and from the Research on the Municipalities of IBGE (Munic). Analysis shows the existence of distinct regional and state patterns concerning employment relationships, as well as the professionalization of bureaucracy, which reveals important variations in bureaucratic capacity. However, the data indicate that the capacity of implementation and management of social assistance policies in municipalities is not related to the type of connections that the bureaucracy's personnel have to stability and professionalization. Rather, these capacities seem to be more directly connected to demands for social assistance than to bureaucratic capacity.

bureaucracy; social assistance; municipalities; implementation capacity