National school meal program and municipal administration: management efficiency, social participation and local development

Abstract

Objective
The objective was to assess the municipal public management profile of the National School Meal Program in 670 municipalities enrolled in the Efficient Manager of School Meals Prize between 2004 and 2005.

Methods
This study was based on the enrollment of municipalities throughout Brazil in the Efficient Manager of School Meals Prize, organized by the non-governmental organization Ação Fome Zero (Zero Hunger Action). Enrollment is voluntary and the municipalities supply information regarding the financial aspects and ways to administer the Program, purchase of produce, participation in the School Food Council and other activities associated with the National School Meal Program. The non-governmental organization then checks the data by comparing it with official reports done during visits.

Results
The National School Meal Program is mainly administered in a centralized manner as declared by more than 80% of the city halls enrolled during those two years. Most of the municipalities enrolled in 2004 (90.1%) and 2005 (84.0%) added funds to those received from the federal government. The average cost of the meal was R$0.31 for the municipalities enrolled in 2004 and R$0.34 for those enrolled in 2005. Regarding produce purchase, 26.1% of the city halls enrolled in 2004 and 30.4% of those enrolled in 2005 declared having bought straight from producers.

Conclusion
Each Brazilian municipality has its own way of carrying out the National School Meal Program. Identifying the profile of the public administration as well as the city halls that performed well in the Prize allows for the implementation of actions that improve the execution of the Program.