The second session of the “Training Course for Trainers on Strengthening Collegial Bodies and Councils” took place on Wednesday, September 17, in Brasília. The event was organized by the General Secretariat of the Presidency of the Republic (SGPR) as part of the Training Program for the Strengthening of Collegial Bodies and Councils.
This session addressed topics such as the composition, representativeness, structure, and budget of national collegial bodies and councils. Participants discussed how the effectiveness of these bodies is closely linked to the balanced distribution of power among their members, ensuring that no dominant interest prevails.
To broaden participation, recommendations included establishing quotas of at least 50% women (from both government and civil society), ensuring gender alternation between full and alternate members, and at least 30% Black and Brown people among both government and civil society representatives.
Regarding management and operation, the course emphasized the need for a specific budget plan and financial and administrative autonomy for each collegial body. Additionally, it recommended the creation of a permanent collegial instance (such as a commission or committee) to monitor the implementation of public policies and to evaluate the effectiveness of social participation within the body’s scope of action.
Participants engaged in group activities to deepen the discussion on successful practices within collegial bodies and on ways to implement the proposed recommendations. The next session will take place on October 1 and will focus on Councils and Conferences in the Brasil Participativo Platform.
Researchers Monika Dowbor and Lizandra Serafim, from INCT Participa, are part of the pedagogical committee responsible for designing and structuring the Program, alongside members of the National Secretariat for Social Participation (SNPS).
This initiative is part of the Training Policy for the Strengthening of Social Participation Bodies and follows the Recommendations for National Collegial Bodies, Councils, and Conferences published by the SNPS in July 2024. The program aims to strengthen national participatory bodies and their training strategies, expand their reach to subnational levels, and foster the development and coordination of sectoral training strategies.
Segunda Session of the Training Course for Trainers on Strengthening Collegial Bodies and Councils, in Brasília
