Management in times of lean cows

Brazilian mayors search solutions to make the infrastructure projects of their cities come true using interchange of experiences and partnership with private initiative

“In a scenario of missing resources, public managers always do tragic choices. Managers must have a lot of responsibility in their choices.” This statement of Paulo Miotta, Coordinator of Projects and Institutional Articulation of the Frente Nacional de Prefeitos (FNP – National Front of Mayors), summarizes quite well the drama faced by the serious mayors of the entire country. Pressed on one hand by a huge volume of population demands—all urgent and necessary to improve the quality of life in their cities—and on the other by the lack of resources for investment in infrastructure, they live continuously with a routine of difficult choices.

According to data of the FNP—non-partisan entity which gathers 26 Brazilian capitals and more than 100 cities of medium and small size—municipalities increased their portion of the total revenue available in the country from 17.9 to 18.4 percent between 2000 and 2013. But the expenses rose from 7.9 to 13.7 percent of the total of expenses of federate entities. In other words, the balance is unfeasible.

Which is the impact of this scenario in the investment capacity of municipalities? Where alternatives to finance infrastructure may be found? How does the FNP offer subsidies and support to municipalities?

These and other points were discussed by Miotta in this interview, given at the end of his participation in the Construction Summit 2016, event carried out by Sobratema in June at São Paulo. In the event, the representative of the FNP talked about public-private partnerships (PPPs) and about the interest of public administration on this mode of financing public works, mainly due to the current financial difficulties of the public area.

BOXE

Sobratema takes part in the Advisory Board of the 4th Meeting of Municipalities with Sustainable Development

Sobratema was invited by the FNP to take part in the Advisory Board of the 4th Meeting of Municipalities with Sustainable Development (IV EMDS)—the largest event about urban sustainability in Brazil—to be carried out between April 24 and 28, 2017 at the National Stadium Mané Garrincha (Brasília/DF).

Sobratema’s director of Institutional Relations Carlos Alberto Laurito will be the representative of the association in this board, contributing with contents and organization and taking part in the mobilization to the event. In its last edition it received 9458 participants from 1507 Brazilian municipalities including mayors, governors, ministries and foreign delegations of the five continents.

According to Laurito, this invitation was due to the strong and assertive action of Sobratema for the development of engineering, infrastructure, construction and mining in the country through the diffusion of knowledge, the encouragement for professional qualification and training and the spreading of new technologies on materials, equipment, management solutions, monitoring and constructive systems. “I highlight also the assertive institutional relationships that we have with main related entities, associates (companies and engineers), government organs and professionals of the industry”, adds him.

The 4th EMDS has as its main approach “Reinventing city governance and financing“. It is an opportunity to promote debate, reflection and interchange of experiences to improve population’s quality of life. The event will include Forums TED-alike, Dialogue Arenas, Thematic Rooms and the Good Practice Square. It will also include an exhibition of solutions for the municipalities, the “Expo Cidades” and a space for presentation of successful practices carried out by local governments, the “Caminho das Cidades”.