| 4. In which ways is the initiative creative and innovative?
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To solve the problems described in item 1, a general action plan (attached) was elaborated, being replicated in a particular way by all departments of the organ (four in total).
1 - adoption of measures on the payroll of serving personnel: payments made to the servants got along under the breach of constitutional principles and even of municipal legislation. This fact occasioned damage the public exchequer, judging by improper expenditure of amounts. Legal measures adjustments needed to be made. Nevertheless, there were no routines for granting benefits and preparation of the payroll, resulting in time-consuming and often erroneous concessions; delay in making payments and recurrently payments made in error, causing damage to municipal servants.
2 - Adoption of actions and policies of qualification of personnel: there were no incentive and qualification of human capital programs. Fact which caused generated discontent by the servants, low self-esteem, unproductive service and low quality. Carrying out activities aimed at physical, mental activities and professional well-being, as well as the the range of activities for training of employees is substantial for providing a quality and effective public service.
3 - Revision of the procedural flow and processing of documents: the quest for breaking the culture of "it has always been that way" is essential so that significant changes can be brought to the cape. The lack of flow control of processes and documents massive delays occasioned unnecessary considering ways they roamed, not to mention the constant loss of processes and documents, causing damage to the applicants. Therefore, the normalization of the flow and the adoption of effective control mechanisms, as well as the daily guidance of those involved in the process is primordial to provide a service of quality.
4 - Adoption of sustainable practices: the adoption of a culture of conscious and regimented use of materials hadn’t existed. This fact entailed in unnecessary expenditure of various materials, impacting negatively and significantly in the budget and, most important, the environment. Thus, reversing this scenario is essential to preserve the environment and also to reduce costs.
5 - Restructuring the infrastructure, procedures and activities: the rooms of the organ were found in a state of abandonment and precariousness. In this sense, the Municipal Administration acted as centralizer organ for various demands, creating problems for the definition of tasks and responsibilities and, anyway, to achieve the ascertainment of them. The completion of infrastructure works and a review of activities and their subsequent normalization were more than necessary for the proper achievement of the organ activities.
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| 5. Who implemented the initiative and what is the size of the population affected by this initiative?
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In order to qualify servants and reverse the situation here presented, a partnership with the School of Management Accounts and the Audit Court of the State of Rio de Janeiro, responsible for external control of the activities of the municipality was held. The goal was to offer the skilled workers essential to the performance of their duties within the public administration areas. Among the activities, we highlight those related to the improvement in text production, application of the Fiscal Responsibility Law in designing public budget, thereby aiming to improve the efficiency of the accounts of the municipality and the ongoing management of people, this particularly directly linked to innovative proposals practiced by the current municipal administration.
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| 6. How was the strategy implemented and what resources were mobilized?
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In order to achieve the settled goals, we started to make a study of the human capital of the Municipal Administration. As explained in item 3, the initiatives have zero cost to public funds. With motivation of staff, the servants were relocated, efficiently, at which time the organ began to develop efficiently results presented here.
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| 7. Who were the stakeholders involved in the design of the initiative and in its implementation?
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As already explained, the situation in the city was, in general, a chaos. Several measures were taken in order to reverse the scenario previously presented under the Municipal Administration, among them, the adequacy of the salaries to the constitutional limit, when the “super salaries” were removed from the payroll of the municipality as well as was reviewed the salaries of values incorporation, once there were illegal cases. The rules for granting benefits were also revised, such as extra classes, pays for double shifts works and payment of liabilities, which led to decreased these liabilities and therefore turned into a satisfaction factor for the municipal servant. Noteworthy is that such measures have generated savings of around R$ 12 million. The savings brought through the actions of austerity could be reversed in public services to citizens, such as paving of streets, the reconstruction and opening of hospitals, reconstruction and opening of day nurseries and schools. Such measures brought Duque de Caxias as an example to be followed at national and international level, such as in the V Congreso Internacional en Gobierno, Administración and Políticas Públicas and in the XIX Congreso Internacional del Centro Latino Americano de Administración para el Desarrollo.
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| 8. What were the most successful outputs and why was the initiative effective?
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In order to monitor and ensure the full effectiveness of the measures put in motion, the use of action plans by the departments of the organ, with particular coadunated measures was needed. Thus, the presentation of evolutionary monthly reports are prepared by the department and forwarded to the discretion of the City Department of Administration which, in turn, verifies if the actions were initiated and are in progress according to the general plan.
After this analysis, specific meetings are held on the matter, at which time department directors can explain clearly their goals and results, and share experiences with other directors to keep all departments guided toward the same goals. It is worth clarifying that the departments, although possess specific skills, are harmonious with each other and interact during the development of all administrative activity. Soon, meetings and dissemination of results are essential for adaptations, even made by other departments not the developer's goal.
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| 9. What were the main obstacles encountered and how were they overcome?
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Changes to be implemented generate, at first, negative reaction in most of people that will be affected. The main obstacles observed during the transformation process fit to those related to human capital and the lack of proper care of the infrastructure of the organ. This can be evidenced by the disbelief and also the lack of faith in a promising scenario. The total abandonment that has been perpetuated for years became part of everyday life of the servants. The initial impression was of a lifeless place where people worked in repetitive and mechanical manner, without any stimulus. Another factor presented as an obstacle was the need to implement new work routines. As already mentioned, the municipal servants performed their daily tasks repetitively, mechanically and somewhat archaic. It required the deconstruction of what is presented and the implementation of a new working methodology based on the human capital. New methods and tools began to be used, the analysis of potential talent began to be performed, allowing the servants that were previously ignored to raise their voice and opinion and propose changes. Regarding to the organ infrastructure, several works and repairs had been hired by previous managers, but had never been implemented. Immediately, the analysis of such situation was realized and needed repair to improve the quality of work and life of public servants were initiated.
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