The decentralization of the SUS requires state health departments to assume new powers as the monitoring and evaluation of Basic Care. This article aims to evaluate the "capacity for governance" of a State Health Northeastern Brazilian Department in monitoring and evaluation of Basic Care. From the technical cooperation held via component III of Proesf, key health care managers were interviewed, strategical documents were analyzed, and participatory observation of activities was carried out at a training centre, with a "contend analysis" procedure. Among the results, are: absence of "government project", problems of physical infrastructure, human resources and material, with low professional qualification in the use of information systems, monitoring and evaluation, and strategic planning, promoting and fragile bureaucratic work use of epidemiological data. In 2006, the Department used federal resources to strengthen the monitoring and evaluation of primary care by expanding its physical infrastructure, acquiring equipment and training for staff, without investing its own resource. To conclude, the Health Department has experienced difficulties in adjusting to decentralization, with the introduction of new working procedures into the institution
Primary Care; Monitoring and evaluation; Capacity for governance
