OBJECTIVES: to develop an intervention methodology and apply it to the State Health Department teams, as a way of introducing monitoring and evaluation of primary health care by way of training and carrying out a real health planning activity. METHODS: learning and working practices were developed that included training and a health planning activity. The quality of both of these processes was ensured by establishing the principles and criteria for organizing training, drawing up a monitoring and evaluation methodology proposal and teaching practices. RESULTS: the methodology was applied in the Brazilian States of Mato Grosso do Sul (MS), Tocantins (TO) and Amazonas (AM), paying due respect to the specific features of each locality's State Health Department and the qualifications and training of technical staff responsible for primary health care. Methodological proposals were drawn up that were structurally similar but had differing priorities and development proposals. Two years after conclusion of this intervention, the effects could still be identified. CONCLUSIONS: the results obtained in MS, TO and AM reveal the capacity of an approach based on teaching, learning and work to introduce new working practices in health services throughout the institution.
Health services evaluation; Primary health care; Institutionalization