The public policy implementation stage is a dynamic moment, in which many actors can
participate in the process. The Brazilian experience in implementing public solid waste policies
has demonstrated that many municipalities have encountered challenges in implementing this
stage of the policy. The situation is more complex when looking at rural areas, since in a
considerable part of these areas the public solid waste management service is not even provided,
which leads to the adoption of alternative practices by the population, which are not always
adequate. Furthermore, these are diverse, heterogeneous areas, in which the inherent ruralities
can generate specific demands in sanitation. Therefore, the general objective of this dissertation
was to analyze the implementation of public solid waste policies in rural areas of Palmas,
Tocantins, from the perspective of a specific actor, the recipients of the public policy. To this
end, the Ribeirão Taquaruçu Grande Hydrographic Basin was used as the study area, and the
Municipal Plan for Integrated Solid Waste Management of Palmas, TO, was analyzed as the
main public policy, specifically the respective goals, in order to observe its implementation in
practice in rural areas. For data collection, non-participant observations, document collection
and semi-structured interviews were used, and for analysis, document analysis and content
analysis. Regarding the practices and perceptions verified, there was a predominance of the
organic fraction of the waste generated intended for animal feeding, use in plants and
composting, regardless of the existence of public collection; burning of residues, predominantly
observed for pruning and antlers. As aspects linked to ruralities that influence the collection
service in the locality, cultural, economic and social aspects stood out, as well as those linked
to the land issue. It was also found that public solid waste policies have been implemented in
the rural area studied, however, not always as expected in planning, as in the case of Plan targets
not implemented, or those not fully achieved. As for the actors, in addition to the role of
government officials (politicians, bureaucrats, politically appointed) in the implementation
process, the role of interest groups stood out. Despite having limitations, the analysis focused
on the recipients of public policies made it possible to observe several important aspects, such
as the relevant role played by actors outside the sphere of government. Finally, it is understood
that the empirical findings made can offer support for improving the public policy studied,
whether at times of revisions or at times of monitoring and monitoring the evaluation of the
objectives and goals planned and implemented.
|
