A formulação da Política Nacional de Resíduos Sólidos: uma análise orientada pela complexidade

Abstract

Traditional models of policy analysis have been criticized due to the fact that their explanations have been marked by the duality between agency and structure, and also to its linear character. Scholars have emphasized the potential of complexity theory to the area of public policy, but there are still few studies in this regard. This work contributed to the area by proposing an analytical tool for the analysis of public policies based on complexity theory and that can help in understanding the policy-making process from a holistic view. By applying the fitness landscape to the analysis of the formulation process of the National Solid Waste Policy, I tried to understand how the structural aspects (resources owned by the actors) and aspects of agency (capacity to align to defend their interests) dynamically relate to each other and to what extent, they help explain the policy that was formulated. The database was primarily composed of shorthand notes of public hearings in 10 years, from 2000 to 2010. It was built a code analysis seeking to identify the resources of the actors and the topics of discussion, and which actors shared similar positions. Additional interviews were conducted in order that they could solve ambiguities arising from the documentary analysis. It was found that the most influential actors (with the most important resources and that could establish relations with other actors) got their goals expressed in policy and could also sometimes affect the dynamics of negotiation. The resulting policy was largely a reflection of the demands of the actors with the highest fitness in each period. The case analysis trought the lens of complexity, resulted different outputs from those provided by traditional theories, allowing the time could be incorporated in the analysis, providing a holistic explanation of the process.