Public governance in Brazil: identification, analysis, and consolidation of a reference framework for the Union, States, and Federal District

Abstract

This extended abstract outlines the research design of a doctoral thesis aimed at structuring and validating a Reference Framework for Public Governance with maturity levels, tailored to the Brazilian federative scenario (Union, States, and Federal District). Despite the topic's prominence in normative discourse, its adoption in Brazil remains inconsistent and fragmented, a situation exacerbated by deep institutional, financial, and technical asymmetries among federative entities. Imported models from the private sector or international bodies often fail to account for these structural inequalities and the political co-production dynamics required for policy implementation (Torfing, 2022). Therefore, the research problem investigates how to identify, analyse, and validate a framework capable of guiding the gradual development of institutional maturity in Public Sector agencies. Methodologically, a sequential mixed-methods approach is adopted, divided into four stages: (1) Systematic Literature Review (SLR) using the PRISMA 2020 protocol), using high-impact databases and grey literature (TCU, IFAC, OECD); (2) national and international normative analysis; (3) multiple case study covering 28 federative entities, through in-depth documentary analysis and requests supported by the Access to Information Law (LAI); and (4) validation via the Delphi Method with experts. The theoretical framework draws upon Agency Theory, State Capacity Theory, Institutional Theory, and Resource-Based View (RBV), expanded by perspectives on collaborative and network governance (Agranoff & McGuire, 2003; Newman et al., 2004) and data-driven analytical frameworks for public administration diagnosis and monitoring (Rogger & Schuster, 2023). The thesis will culminate in a statistically and qualitatively validated model incorporating maturity scales (levels 1 to 5). Unlike rigid constructs, the final instrument is expected to be responsive to the fiscal and technical capacity differences across Brazilian regions, bridging the gap between normative discourse and operational practice through adaptable managerial indicators and robust analytical evidence.