E-gov in Brazil and the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic

Abstract

This article aims to describe, through bibliographic review and analysis of official documents, the genesis of the implementation of the Brazilian “Electronic Government Program” and its current status; present the profile of users and discuss, vis-à-vis the demands of citizens, what would be the possible contribution of e-gov, in the pandemic scenario of Covid-19, underway in 2020 in the country. In order to face the pandemic, it became necessary to adopt quarantine measures, concomitant with initiatives of an economic nature, such as the granting of business credit and microcredit under different conditions, and measures to encourage the maintenance of employment bonds and the preservation of basic income, among others. In this sense, the operating capacity consolidated in the Brazilian e-gov program, in theory, would offer the appropriate logistical and operational infrastructure, including computerized channels for meeting emergency demands. However, when we analyze the logic in force since the origins of e-gov in the country, we find a mismatch between the socioeconomic priorities of citizens; represented here by mapping the user profile and the demands of public services via digital channels; and governmental managerial efficiency, focused on the inspection, collection and control processes. In the final remarks, we suggest the need to implement a “reverse engineering”, namely: “reverse the signal”, from the collection to the distribution, trying to mitigate in a timely manner the countless shortages who now present themselves