Práticas de avaliação na gestão descentralizada de saúde: a experiência de Vitória da Conquista 1998-2001

Abstract

The present study aims to identify and analyse the evaluation practice that has been used by the municipal health officials, using the debate on the evolution of the evaluation concept as reference. This analysis focuses on the identification of the evolutive level of the evalution practices in the public administration, specially in the cities that are responsible for the health management, after the descentralization process. The evaluation practices that were used in the health department in Vitória da Conquista from 1998-2001 will be the empirical object. After researching the meaning of the term evaluation, it was chosen the concept evolutive approach. According to this approach, there is not only one definition for this term, as this concept has been evolving and changing over the time, incorporation new trends an keeping old characteristics. Following these ideas, it was noticed that the evaluation functions and purposes have also evolved over the time. At first, the evaluation was used to control and appraise the goals (traditional vision), then it evolved to an improving instrument in the management (management vision) and also to a popular participation possibility (democratic vision). From this theoretical reference, Vitória da Conquista’s experience was analyzed, in order to determine its evolutive level. This study is organized as follow: firstly, the characteristics and peculiarities of the health services are presented and the health descentralization process from the Constituição Brasileira de 1988. Afterwards, the evaluation concept is analyzed, as well as its importance for the public administration. In the health area, the changes in the evaluation use are appreciated, particularly in the recent health legislation and, finally, the results of the empirical research are presented. The conclusion indicates that not only in the health legislation but also in Vitória da Conquista’s experience there is a predominance of the traditional vision, as a control and appreciation instrument of the goals and objectives. This fact evidences the lack of evaluation practices that could be assisting the local officials in the health services improvement.