Fragmentation, overlap and duplication: opportunities for engagement between citizens and TCU in the oversight of public policies

Abstract

Public policies should be implemented in an integrated and coordinated manner. However, the lack of full coordination (fragmentation), the existence of multiple public policies addressing the same problem (overlap), or different policies delivering the same services to society (duplication) have the potential to undermine the effectiveness of government intervention, thus requiring improvements aimed at ensuring the provision of adequate public services. Although the Brazilian Federal Court of Accounts (TCU) regularly conducts oversight activities using the FSD method, negative effects could be assessed through citizen participation. Based on qualitative research and documentary and content analysis, this study seeks to examine the origins of the application of the FSD method within the United States supreme audit institution, the Government Accountability Office (GAO), identify TCU audits addressing this issue across various public policy areas, assess whether there is concern for services delivered to citizens, and highlight potential opportunities for methodological improvement in order to incorporate citizen participation. The investigation confirmed a lack of interaction between the TCU and citizens during audits in areas such as civil defense, information technology, digital transformation, transport infrastructure, regional development in the Northeast, basic sanitation, national civil identification, primary education, and digital judicial processes. It is therefore understood that the Federal Court of Accounts of Brazil can formally incorporate citizen participation into the FSD audit cycle, identifying potential and actual negative effects, assessing improvements in service delivery, and enabling effective and appropriate communication with society.