Resumo O objetivo deste trabalho é identificar e avaliar comparativamente iniciativas de definição e mensuração de governança pública. Para tanto, foi realizada uma metanálise de artigos voltados à construção ou crítica aos índices de governança pública. O conteúdo dos artigos foi analisado por meio da técnica de análise categorial, com base em três dimensões de governança: conceitual, mensural e democrática. Os resultados indicam grande diversidade de conceitos de governança pública, de instrumentos utilizados para a sua mensuração e de atores institucionais que a exercem. Observou-se também dissonância entre os indicadores e os conceitos de governança pública. Por fim, propõe-se uma definição para governança pública a partir da identificação e análise dos conceitos apresentados nos artigos.

ACCOUNTABILITY NOS ATOS DA ADMINISTRAÇÃO PÚBLICA FEDERAL

Purpose: In most Latin American countries, the provision of legal assistance to the vulnerable population is carried out by public defender's offices (PDOs), agencies composed of state-paid career lawyers. The aim of this paper is to explain the cross-country variation in regarding the autonomy levels of Latin American PDOs.Design/methodology/approach: A scale to measure autonomy was built allowing access to the autonomy of sixteen different PDOs. Data were gathered through content analysis of the statutes that organize the PDOs and analyzed through qualitative comparative analysis (QCA).Findings: The results demonstrate different levels of autonomy among Latin American PDOs. Furthermore, conditions related to institutional and social contexts, such as levels of income, human development, democracy, and the complexity of the political systems, presented sufficient relationships for high levels of autonomy.Research limitations/implications: It was not possible to interview representatives of the PDOs analyzed. This could help the interpretation of the legislation applied to PDOs, as well as the observation of regulations that may not have come to the knowledge of researchers. Thus, analyses were made according to what was observed in the legislation of each country. It is also noteworthy that this research covered only nationwide PDOs, not involving subnational PDOs. In addition, the data have only internal validity, and cannot be extrapolated to the population.Practical implications: The creation of a scale to measure the autonomy of public agencies stands out as an original comparative data set of PDOs covering a large amount of Latin American countries.Social implications: This study was able to characterize the institutional arrangements of sixteen national PDOs, allowing broad comparison between legal aid agencies for the vulnerable population in a region of the world that still suffers from high levels of poverty.Originality/value: The article presents possible explanations on the variations of PDOs' level of autonomy, showing PDOs' idiosyncrasies, whose autonomy is influenced also by social context variables, in view of the nature of their mission. It should be noted that factors related to the social context are not widely considered by the literature on autonomy of public agencies.

Resumo As Defensorias Públicas (DPs) são responsáveis por prover assistência jurídica a cidadãos em situação de vulnerabilidade social e econômica. Essas organizações litigam diretamente contra o Estado para garantir a prestação de serviços públicos e evitar abusos ou desvios por parte do governo. Portanto, autonomia tende a ser relevante para que essas organizações cumpram sua missão. O trabalho tem como objetivo analisar a relação entre autonomia e desempenho nas DPs brasileiras. O trabalho testa a percepção de impacto entre autonomia e desempenho das DPs brasileiras. Para tanto, foi realizada uma pesquisa com burocratas de 27 DPs brasileiras e a análise dos dados foi realizada por meio de modelagem de equações estruturais. As variáveis observadas incluem, além de desempenho e autonomia, disponibilidade de recursos, competências e responsabilização. Os resultados indicam que a percepção nessas organizações é de que elas devem operar de forma autônoma, longe de influências políticas, para que possam desempenhar sua missão da melhor forma. As capacidades dos burocratas também são um fator relevante no desempenho dessas organizações, assim como a accountability. No entanto, não houve relação significativa entre a disponibilidade de recursos e o desempenho percebido. As contribuições deste estudo incluem a obtenção de evidências de validade empírica para mensurar os construtos autonomia, disponibilidade de recursos, capacidades e accountability e seu impacto no desempenho das DPs.

Although mental disorders are common in the workplace, they often go unnoticed. There is frequently a gap in the recognition and effective management of these disorders, leading to delayed recovery and worsening conditions. This study evaluates the level of Mental Health Literacy (MHL) among employees of the Finance and Planning Departments in the Federal District, Brazil, and proposes preventive measures and de-stigmatization strategies for mental health in the workplace. MHL among active employees was assessed using the Mental Health Literacy Scale (MHLS), developed by O’Connor and Casey (2015) and validated for Brazilian Portuguese by Buta et al. (2024). The data analysis included descriptive and inferential statistics, with nonparametric tests used to compare MHL across different groups. The results showed that 27.6% of participants had adequate literacy, 67.9% had problematic levels, and 4.5% had inadequate levels. Women were observed to have higher literacy levels than men. Additionally, significant variations in literacy levels were noted among individuals with different health conditions; those diagnosed with cancer, depression, or other illnesses had higher literacy than those without diagnosed conditions. To address MHL challenges, educational actions such as awareness campaigns, training, and consultancy programs are essential.

Environmental Health Literacy (EHL) focuses on significant impact of environmental factors on human health and emphasizes the importance of public awareness and engagement in identifying and mitigating environmental health risks. This paper presents a study in the Distrito Federal, Brazil, aimed at evaluating EHL and identify the main socioeconomic characteristics capable of predicting EHL levels. Using the EHL Scale, which assesses knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors toward environmental health, this research applies a questionnaire to 397 respondents. Through descriptive statistics and confirmatory and exploratory factor analyses, the study validates the scale for the Brazilian context and offers structural adjustments for the air scale. Using the socioeconomic data we implemented a predictive Random Forest algorithm to forecast EHL levels on each of the scales. By extracting the Shapley values from the model, we established the most relevant variables to predict EHL, offering valuable insights for policymakers, health and environmental professionals to enhance public engagement with environmental health issues. The results indicate that social vulnerability features are predictive of EHL, including education, income, age, ethnicity, presence of disability and use of continuous medication. This study identifies factors that bolster policy strategies to communicate environmental health risks and promote behavior change regarding the environment and self-care.