Public development plan based on coproduction and slow principles: an analytical scheme by action research

Emmendoerfer, Magnus Luiz; Fraga, Brendow de Oliveira; Ashton, Mary Sandra Guerra

doi:10.1590/2175-3369.013.e20210020

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Scientific article • urbe, Rev. Bras. Gest. Urbana 13 • 2021 • https://doi.org/10.1590/2175-3369.013.e20210020 copy

Public development plan based on coproduction and slow principles: an analytical scheme by action research

Coprodução do plano público de desenvolvimento com base em princípios slow: um esquema analítico por meio da pesquisa-ação

Authorship SCIMAGO INSTITUTIONS RANKINGS

Abstract

This study aims to investigate and reflect on the evidence of a development plan based on the coproduction the population and the government of a small municipality, based on the principles of the Slow City Movement (SCM). A descriptive exploratory research was conducted with a qualitative approach. The main guiding strategy of the research, consisted of the action research method carried out in the municipality of Rio Doce, in Minas Gerais, Brazil. The results show that the space for dialogue between the population and the government was relevant and allowed the coproduction of a municipal planning with micro and macro elements and within the slow city principles. Also, traditional practices linked to culture with the use of local environmental resources were included, involving popular knowledge, technologies of social origin and the knowledge of the daily life of the community in a project of future desired by the population.

Keywords:
Coproduction; Public Planning; Slow City; Action Research Method; Local Sustainable Development

Coproduction
Analytical categories	Empirical evidence
Voluntary efforts Brandsen and Honingh (2016)	All members of the committee contributed with individual efforts in the planning and implementation of actions, within their own possibilities, on a voluntary basis, aiming at the construction of the common good. Those involved organized themselves for the distribution of suggestion boxes in the city, for the distribution of pamphlets, in order to prospect people for the initiative, as well as giving their contribution in the process of building the plan, with interventions, opinions, analyzes and information.
Planning process Flyvbjerg (1998Flyvbjerg, B. (1998). Rationality and power: Democracy in practice. Chicago: University of Chicago.) Forester (2018Forester, J. (2018). Planning in the Face of Power. In J. Stein (Ed.), Classic Readings in Urban Planning (p. 165-179). New York: Routledge.) Matus (1993Matus, C. (1993). Política, planejamento & governo. Brasília: IPEA.)	Although the planning process was mostly conducted and written by the author of the present work, for technical reasons, the information and the richness of the analyzes were due to the perceptions and propositions of the members of society who presented the real vision of the users public services, pointing out the most relevant problems and the most urgent issues. This type of sharing makes public actions and policies much more effective, as they base the plan's orientation on the citizen's perspective.
Communication Forester (2018Forester, J. (2018). Planning in the Face of Power. In J. Stein (Ed.), Classic Readings in Urban Planning (p. 165-179). New York: Routledge.) Thiollent (2011)	As described in the methodological procedures of the present work, there is a strong influence of argumentation theory in action research, a fact that allows a more dialogical approach in the placement of problems and research themes. In this sense, throughout the process, asymmetries in the communication process had to be mitigated constantly, since many of the limitations of popular adherence to the project, were initially pointed out as an effect of the inefficiency of the communicative process, whether in the message in itself, inaccessible to the interlocutors, or in the choices of channels, as in the use of the internet, since the citizens of the rural area, as well as older citizens are indifferent to this media in the analyzed municipality.
Sharing power and responsibilities Flyvbjerg (1998Flyvbjerg, B. (1998). Rationality and power: Democracy in practice. Chicago: University of Chicago.) Salm (2014Salm, J. F. (2014). Coprodução de bens e serviços públicos. In R. Boullosa (Org.). Dicionário para a formação em gestão social (p. 48-50). Salvador: CIAGS/UFBA.)	The government, when opening its doors to an initiative of this magnitude, shared with the citizens, the responsibility to project a desired future for the city, as well as the power of decision on courses of action to be followed. It is recognized, however, that there is a public agenda to be respected, which can often differ with the objectives of the research. However, by giving citizens the opportunity to use an institutional space of speech of this nature, democracy is strengthened.

Criterion	Verification in the research applied
It enables significant level of involvement.	The social mobilization meetings were public, in an open space accessible to the entire population and previously published in the local media. This allowed people who were interested to volunteer for the initiative and compose the working group.
It empowers people in performing tasks.	All coproduced documents, analysis techniques such as the Tree of Problems and analyses of the local context, had a previous training session, an explanation of how to do and lessons on the benefit of the initiative for public administration and the community. In addition, several training sessions were held to explain the Slow movement as a development model.
It supports people to learn to act with autonomy.	Long-term autonomy and self-management capacity was one of the initiative's main objectives. In this regard, the importance of institutionalizing the group to maintain the practices developed is emphasized.
It strengthens plans and activities that people are able to carry out on their own.	Any citizen could individually analyze public problems and refer them to the city hall. However, when this analysis is collective, systematized and shared in a group movement, the voice of users of public goods and services is amplified.
It deals more directly with people than through representatives or agents.	The statements that through the committee, a more spontaneous and more authentic participation was experienced by those involved, evidence that the researcher was able to create the conditions for direct involvement and interaction with the project volunteers.

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E-mail: urbe@pucpr.br

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[1] Editor:

Rodrigo Firmino

		Locus of coproduction		Towards cocreation (or codestruction) of value
		Individual service	Service System
Nature of coproduction	Involuntary	I. coproduction	III. coconstruction
Nature of coproduction	Voluntary	II. codesign	IV. coinnovation