This paper reflects on the institutional mechanisms that are employed for passing on federal funds to non-governmental organizations (NGOs) on a regular basis, when they are considered as being the executors of public policies. Starting from a theoretical reference point that analyses the relationship between the Government and NGOs in the provision of public services and the creation of the Single Health System (SUS) the contractual system of the national policy for fighting HIV/Aids, which was implemented by the initially centralized National STD/Aids Program and which over the last few years has involved states and municipalities in a more intense way, is described. The paper compares the centralized and decentralized systems and indicates the difficulties encountered in this transition. Documents were analyzed that set out the rules for the passing on of funds to NGOs under the Government's HIV/Aids policy and federal managers and members of NGOs were interviewed. The conclusion reached is that the federal model has institutionalized the support for NGO projects and that this system entered a new phase that started with decentralization.
HIV/Aids; non-governmental organizations; grants; public funding; decentralization
