Programa Esporte e Lazer da Cidade: uma política pública analisada sob a perspectiva daqueles que a executam

Abstract

Over the last ten years, Brazilian Government has emphasized the promotion of public policies that favor the citizens` social rights guarantee. The access to sport and leisure`s increase as social rights, integrates the scope of that State`s intervention in order to reach effectively the Brazilian population as a whole, especially the most vulnerable citizens in terms of access to public services and possessions. One of these intervention proposals is the City`s Sport and Leisure Program (PELC), an initiative of the Ministry of Sports. This study analyzed this public policy considering the social agents` approach, perspective and performance during its implementation and development. This research has adopted a qualitative approach methodology and involved a literature review and semi-structured interviews. Interviews were made with nine leisure and sport social agents who were hired for the program signed by the Ministry of Sports and a third sector organization, which represents a set of affiliated counties in the Steel Valley Greater Metropolitan Area, in the State of Minas Gerais. Among respondents, the results indicate the recurrence of the understanding that leisure as compensatory recreational practices are: disconnected from reality, developed in non-working time, and that they enable to get off the daily routine. Respondents had difficulty to qualify the PELC as a sectorial public policy, but recognize its relevance to the beneficiary communities, particularly in the context of small and medium size municipalities. Although there is no doubt on the agents role importance in the process of development and implementation of the program, volunteers have difficulties to qualify themselves as implementing agents of this public policy, even due to poor understanding of this expression. For social agents surveyed, the program`s biggest weaknesses are: the precariousness of local infrastructure, the absence of a local sectorial public policy, the program`s short term, the total dependence of municipalities in terms of the Brazilian Government funding, and the personnel hire process and remuneration policy. The PELC`s positive and supportive recognized points are: acceptability and adhesion by the beneficiary communities, the enhancement of existing activities and local culture, the intergenerational approach, the use of different types of spaces, the diversification of activities and the concern to involve community leaders in the program`s implementation and development process.