Three public policies that almost went wrong - institutional arrangements and historical contexts as explanatory factors of the different effects of co-production policies in Brazil in the 2000s

In recent years there was a complexification of governments actions, especially in countries with state reforms and services expansion. The last decades have shown a change in the State´s preponderance, expanding the... [ view full abstract ]

In recent years there was a complexification of governments actions, especially in countries with state reforms and services expansion. The last decades have shown a change in the State´s preponderance, expanding the importance of non-state actors. In addition, accountability growth led to the creation of participation and social control mechanisms, increasing involvement of society. The role of regulatory agencies, the establishment of multi-level arrangements and the involvement of federal actors are also evidences of these changes.
The literature shows that this new context brought the need for wide range of state organizations to produce policies, forming a phenomenon classified as a co-production by part of literature. The same literature shows that this articulation is not sufficient for the success of policies. The co-production generates different results depending on the type of actors involved, the coordination mechanisms built and the nature of policies. The results of policies that require co-production depend, then, on how articulations and institutional arrangements are designed to produce the desired results.
This paper aims to contribute to the literature that seeks to analyze these factors and their role in the success and failure of co-produced policies. Analyzing three emblematic cases of Brazilian 2000s policies, it seeks to observe the factors that led to different and incomplete results of these policies. They are: Citizenship Territories Program (PTC) - aimed to coordinate policies for low HDI regions within Brazil; National Program for Production and Use of Biodiesel (PNPB) - aimed to expand the supply of renewable fuel using production of raw materials from poor farmers and linking environmental and social objectives in energy policy; and the Brazilian Industry Revitalization Policy Naval (PRIN) - aimed to restructure this sector from strengthening of domestic industry. These policies were based on previous successful initiatives in different contexts and times but had only partial results and, after a decade, are in crisis.
Based on the literature of state capacities and institutional arrangements for co-production, we analyze the cases trying to identify what were the factors that influenced the limited success of them. The hypothesis is that, although the policies have tried to adapt the arrangements to the new context, they were not able to adjust to the demands of current context regarding the complexity of coordination mechanisms. More specifically, two additional issues appear. The first is the anachronism found in policy design. They have a strong adherence to present aspects in inspiring experiences ignoring the requirements of the current context, in particular the need to mobilize capabilities by other agents in addition to the central state. The second is the overestimation of the state´s capacities. Although the arrangements provided actors participation, there is looseness in the constitution of coordination mechanisms. The co-producers are incorporated in the design, but institutional arrangements were not strong enough to generate commitments and mobilize the capabilities needed to achieve the strategic policies objectives and its sustainability. As a result, the actor adhesion turned only to capture the immediate incentives, limiting the iniciatives success to the short-term goals.