Evaluation of municipal management of the Brazilian National School Nutrition Program in the largest cities of Santa Catarina State, Brazil

Abstract

This article reports on an evaluative study of municipal management of the Brazilian National School Nutrition Program in the largest cities in Santa Catarina State, Brazil. The matrix of indicators included two dimensions: political- organizational, with the sub-dimensions resources, inter-sector action, and social control, and operational-technical, organized in nutritional and feeding efficacy, nutritional monitoring, and educational activities for a healthy diet. A total of 22 indicators were determined, and data were collected through interviews with nutritionists. The political-organizational dimension showed 60% of fair cases and 40% of poor cases, while the operational-technical dimension showed 90% of poor cases, resulting from low performance in monitoring and educational activities. Although the cases showed unsatisfactory results, the evaluation provides important data on the management of the Brazilian National School Nutrition Program. The study emphasizes the importance of evaluation for alerting managers to the relevance of reviewing and upgrading activities.