This article presents a study of a process of popular participation in the management of a Family Health Program in two communities in the municipality of Campina Grande, Paraíba. It examines the perspective of three segments: community health councils, users of educational groups and professionals in the Family Health Program. It strives to identify the level of participation of users of the educational groups in the activities undertaken in the Family Health Program and to analyze the participation of the community healthcare council members in proposing, enacting and evaluating the actions of the Family Health Program. A number of limitations were identified: the non-participation of the community council members in the planning of actions undertaken by the staff; the difficulty of the Local Healthcare Council in establishing interlocution with the communities; and the lack of on-going training for the professionals in methodologies to encourage popular participation.
management; popular participation; Family Health Program