Sugestões de diretrizes para formulação e avaliação de programas sociais

Abstract

This paper is adressed to the discussion of the proper methodology to deal with the design and implementation of social programs. The analysis is based on the recognition that social programs may attend multiple irreducible objectives. Those are in other words, criteria without a common denominator and ordered according to a hierarchy that ought to be made explicit by public authorities. Given the inadequacy of the CostBenefit method to deal with the problem of the allocation of public resources among social programs, an alternative sequence of proceedings is suggested which may lead to an efficient solution. It is shown that an optimum composition can be obtained given the listing and ordering of social objectives and given the definition of an adequate mechanism for the specification of a set of programes designed to attend each objective. An optimum budget allocation may be secured by the knowledge of the cost-effectiveness ratios that relate alternative programs with each objective and by a precise redefinition of priorities along the process of satisfaction of social needs.