A study with authorities monitoring the Electronic System of the Citizen Information Service (e-SIC) profile of managers

ABSTRACT

Introduction:

Considered an attribute of a more democratic, egalitarian and fair contemporary society, access to information is a constitutionally guaranteed right for every citizen.

Objective:

Therefore, this study was conducted with professionals linked to the Electronic System of the Citizen Information Service (e-SIC), with the purpose of knowing the profile of the manager of this service, as well as his/her satisfaction in relation to the performance of his/her professional duties in this work environment.

Methodology:

As for the methodological procedures, the research is characterized by its nature, predominantly qualitative of the descriptive type. The data were collected by means of questionnaires.

Results:

Among the objectives achieved in the survey, the profile of the professionals responsible for the management of e-SIC stands out: most of them are between 41 and 50 years old, are female, belong to different professions, such as lawyer and delegate, and work from one to two years in this work environment.

Conclusion:

It has also been found that, despite the barriers encountered, the e-SIC managers perform their functions satisfactorily and consider the System as a power tool between society and the public sector, which enables more control and social communication and contributes significantly to the population.

KEYWORDS:
Electronic System of the Citizen Information Service (e-SIC); User studies; Citizen Information System Manager Profile; Access to Information Act

RESUMO

Introdução:

Considerado atributo de uma sociedade contemporânea mais democrática, igualitária e justa, o acesso à informação é um direito constitucionalmente garantido a todo cidadão.

Objetivo:

Assim, este estudo foi realizado com profissionais vinculados ao Sistema Eletrônico do Serviço de Informação ao Cidadão (e-SIC), objetivando conhecer o perfil do (a) gestor (a) desse serviço, bem como sua satisfação em relação ao desempenho de suas funções profissionais nesse ambiente de trabalho.

Metodologia:

Quanto aos procedimentos metodológicos, a pesquisa caracteriza-se por sua natureza, predominantemente, qualitativa do tipo descritiva. Os dados foram coletados por meio de questionários.

Resultados:

Entre os objetivos alcançados na pesquisa, destaca-se o perfil dos profissionais responsáveis pelo gerenciamento do e-SIC: a maioria tem entre 41 e 50 anos, é do sexo feminino, pertence a diferentes profissões, como, por exemplo, advogado e delegado, e atua de um a dois anos nesse ambiente de trabalho.

Conclusão:

Verificou-se, também, que, apesar das barreiras encontradas, os (as) gestores (as) do e-SIC desempenham suas funções satisfatoriamente e consideram o Sistema como uma ferramenta de poder entre a sociedade e o setor público, o que possibilita mais controle e comunicação social e contribui significativamente com a população.

PALAVRAS-CHAVE:
Sistema Eletrônico do Serviço de Informação ao Cidadão (e-SIC); Estudos de usuários; Perfil do gestor do Sistema de Informação ao Cidadão; Lei de Acesso à Informação

INTRODUCTION

The Electronic System of the Citizen Information Service (e-SIC) is a virtual space that specifically covers passive transparency in public management. This means that the information is only transparent when motivated by the user. Supported by Law 12. 527, of November 18, 2011, this communication channel aims to facilitate access to public information produced by Federal Executive Branches and their member entities and state companies (BRAZIL, 2011). The e-SIC is a channel of interaction between society and public power that contributes, positively, to democratize information in a more just and equal way.

Nowadays, the theme of 'information transparency' is widely evoked and alluded to as a right and guarantee of a modern society, which has been transforming the activities of the public sphere in order to meet and satisfy the information needs / gaps of users who seek the e-SIC to obtain clarification of public interest, individual or collective.

Considering the importance of this system, which has information as the foundation of its construction and social function, the development of user study in this context contributes significantly to professionals in this area, to Information Science and to society in general, serving as an instrument to broaden the understanding of the relational aspects between Information Systems, access to information, its sharing and the demands of users, whether internal or external.

According to Cunha, Amaral and Dantas (2015, p. 60), "the provision of information services with quality presupposes regular investigations using the techniques of user study, especially if we consider the accelerated mutations of the information environment from the evolution of Information Technology. The information and communication technologies,

besides modernizing the organizations of the society and of the diverse segments, facilitate the access and the dissemination of information in virtual network. Therefore, it is a constructive element of interaction and socialization of information.

Choo (2003) clarifies that information systems and services are not limited to answering questions, because they are conceived as activities that add value to information and help users make better decisions and have a clearer perception of situations. From this perspective, we emphasize information as a central element of power in the development process of a modern society and as "[...] an integral part of all human activities, individual and collective, which tend to be directly affected by new technologies" (FREIRE; FREIRE, 2015, p. 97).

It is in this context, in which we reflect on information access, that we emphasize the importance of professionals who carry out their activities as managers of information services in two dimensions: that which intermediates communication between the various agencies and the population and which, in the exercise of its professional function, fulfills the duties of the position as manager or monitoring authority and mediator between the agency and the population, or can be considered, in the execution of private life, as potential or actual user of the system.

From this perception, one wonders who is the user who manages the access to public information through the Electronic Citizen Information System in Brazil? The main objective of the research is to know the profile of the manager of this service, as well as to know his satisfaction in relation to his professional performance in this work environment. The adoption of the research theme is justified because when carrying out a survey on Information Science literature some studies on the e-SIC user were located (ANGELI, 2016; MACIEL; FONSECA; DUARTE; SANTOS, 2019; SILVA; MENEZES, 2019). However, none of them refers to the user managing that system.

METHODOLOGICAL STRATEGY

As far as methodology is concerned, this research is descriptive and predominantly qualitative in nature. To develop it, the information was collected with the application of a questionnaire composed of 17 closed and open questions, which was forwarded to federal agencies selected through the e-SIC. The questionnaire is a data collection tool that presents several advantages, among them, "[...] it makes it possible to reach a large number of people; it allows people to answer it at the moment they think it is most convenient and does not expose those surveyed to the influence of the opinions and personal aspect of the interviewee" (GIL, 2008, p. 121).

Descriptive studies are based on the "[...] premise that social problems can be better understood and solved, and related practices can be improved if a detailed description of their characteristics, properties, causes and consequences is made" (MICHEL, 2015, p.54). The research started from the theme 'Study of Users of Information' and adopted as a parameter of investigation the authorities monitoring the Citizen Information Systems. The main criterion used to select the studied universe was the 'Access to Information Law Panel', launched in July 2019 by the Comptroller General's Office (CGU). Developed by CGU, the tool, made available on the web to be consulted by the general public, presents an overview of the implementation of Law 12. 527/2011 (Access to Information Law) in the Federal Executive Branch, in which various information can be consulted, such as: number of requests and resources, compliance with deadlines, profile of applicants, active transparency, among other indicators extracted from the Electronic System of the Citizen Information Service.

In the data cutting process, we chose the period until 2019, in order to collect the most recent data at the time of the survey, and the 20 best ranked agencies by the highest number of demands. This ranking has a total of 301 public agencies classified in the categories 'most demanded', 'average response time' and 'with most omissions'. Data were collected between January 4 and 28, 2020.

Regarding the analysis of the data collected, the survey was organized into two categories: 'Professional profile' and 'Manager satisfaction'. To compose the profile of the e-SIC manager of the group investigated, we defined the following subcategories of analysis: gender, age group, level of education, position, time as manager of the system, knowledge about Law 12.527/2011, specific training for the performance of e-SIC activities and previous experience in the use of e-SIC.

Regarding 'Manager Satisfaction', the following subcategories are considered: rewarded position, if the role of manager of the e-SIC System is accumulated with other activities in the agency, number of servers working in the access to information of the agency/institution, sufficient number of servers to meet the demand of the system, if the system is considered effective, difficulty(s) in using the system, difficulty experienced in the last time they responded or received a request for information, and means of obtaining responses within the agency.

THE CITIZEN INFORMATION SYSTEM AND USER STUDY

The concept of public information is related to the objectives of the Citizen Information System, which is perceived by users seeking to solve their information gaps. This system represents the passive transparency of the Federal Government, guaranteed by Article 9 of Decree No. 7,724 of May 16, 2012 (BRAZIL, 2012), which provides the Public Administration with a new form of management driven mainly by the principle of advertising.

Nowadays, the connectivity between information and technologies is a great challenge for organizations. When we think about these two variables, we soon evoke the indispensable need to guarantee safe and reliable access and guarantee the legal requirements of authentic and good quality information. However, technologies also allow a fast, flexible and easy interaction, which can bring individuals together from far away places, because, in the current social situation, all individuals should have access to the Internet and know about the benefits that the tool can provide to the personal and professional environment.

The Electronic System of the Citizen Information Service is a tool that contributes significantly to society and aims to democratize public information, according to the basic principles of the public sphere. For Carli and Fachin (2016, apud, MACIEL, et al., 2019, p. 145), the e-SIC is an "online system that integrates, gathers and systematizes public data to subsidize information management, even more so regarding strategies or the definition of public policies that promote the advantages for the whole society and institution".

To understand the importance of this system in the social and organizational context, it is essential to know the professional who manages it. Araújo (2014) clarifies that user studies are one of the theoretical currents or sub-areas that make up Information Science. At first, it was developed within the scope of research in scientific communication and later, at the end of the 1970s, specifically for users. In the author's perception, when the user "[...] verifies a lack, an absence of certain information, the process of searching for the information begins, there the information enters as that capable of filling a gap, satisfying an absence" (ARAÚJO, 2014, p. 62). This area of knowledge or branch of Information Science has been following the evolution of social transformations as an investigative element to know much more about the individual inserted in its various contexts.

In the evolution of this field, Araújo (2014) also emphasizes the approaches focused on the concept of information practice and its relationship with technological changes. In this context of interaction, we have the central triad of this reflection: the user, information and technology.

User studies should be conducted to monitor the relationship of individuals with the information in this evolving context of technology, coming to understand how new technology is used, its interface problems and the level of satisfaction of its users. (CUNHA; AMARAL; DANTAS, 2015, p. 60-61)

From the perspective of the authors, there is an efficient interaction between Information Technology and the study of users, which is presented during its evolution. The technological systems are, therefore, shaped to meet the needs of users in the process of search and use of information, which is interfered with by the social, cultural and political context of individuals.

DATA ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION

The results obtained in this research are presented based on the relationship between the e-SIC and the profile of the managers of this system. In this sense, we point out that out of the total of 20 agencies selected to participate in this study, we obtained answers from 16, who answered the questions. To preserve the anonymity of the respondents, each participant subject was called 'Participant', followed by the numeral to facilitate the reference to the lines, when necessary. The sequence of data is presented in the order in which the questionnaires were answered.

Professional profile of e-SIC managers

According to the respondents' responses, 56.25% of e-SIC managers are female, and 43.75% are male. The majority of the managers of this system are between 31 and 40 years of age (43.75%), 37.5%, between 41 and 50 years of age, and 18.75%, between 51 and 59 years of age.

Regarding academic education, most of the respondents (68.75%) have completed a graduate degree, 25% have completed a higher education degree, and 6.25% have completed an incomplete graduate degree (in course). Table 1 shows the distribution of these data.

Table 1
Gender, age range and level of education

Gender	Nº	%	Age range	Nº	%	Level of instruction	Nº	%
Female Male	09 07	56,25 43,75	31 - 40 years 41 - 50 years 51 - 59 years	07 06 03	43,75 37,50 18,75	Completed higher education Complete post-graduation Incomplete post-graduation	04 11 01	25,00 68,75 6,25
Total	16	100%	Total	16	100%	Total	16	100%

• Source: Research data - 2019

Regarding the position held in the Organ, the study showed that the majority (43.75%) of the professionals who manage the Citizen Information Service are administrative analysts, 31.25% are administrative technicians (Table 2), and 25% are other types of positions. It is important to point out that each position has a specific characteristic linked to professional training and to the function that the server performs in the exercise of his/her activities, which reflects the specificity of the context of the organizational environment. In this sense, the positions of delegate, lawyer, sector chief and ombudsman¹ were mentioned.

Table 2
Position

Position	Nº	%
Analyst Administrative Technician Other	0 7 0 5 0 4	43,75 31,25 25,00
Total	16	100%

• Source: Research data - 2019

Regarding the time of acting as system manager, 56.25% of the investigated servers act in the e-SIC between one and two years; 18.75%, between two and three years; 12.5%, between three and four years, and the others, between six and seven years (6.25%) or more than seven years (6.25%), as represented in Table 3.

Table 3
Time to act as system manager

Working time as system manager	Nº	%
Between 1 and 2 years Between 2 and 3 years Between 3 and 4 years Between 6 and 7 years More than 7 years	0 9 0 3 0 2 0 1 0 1	56,25 18,75 12,50 6,25 6,25
Total	16	100%

• Source: Research data - 2019

The research sought to know how professionals who manage e-SIC consider their level of understanding/knowledge in relation to the Access to Information Law. The results showed that 56.25% consider that they have an advanced level of knowledge of the LAI; 37.5%, intermediate; and 6.25%, sufficient to perform the role of manager of the system. About the time of the last training directed to the activities of the system, half (50%) of those surveyed claim to have conducted training in the last six months; 25%, one year ago; 12.5%, two years ago; and 12.5% never participated in training on the subject. Table 4 shows the figures on these issues.

Table 4
Knowledge of Law 12.527/2011 and specific training

As considered your level of knowledge in relation to Law 12.527/2011	Nº	%	Specific training to perform e-SIC activities	Nº	%
Advanced Intermediate Sufficient	09 06 01	56,25 37,50 6,25	6 months ago 1 year ago 2 years ago Did not participate in training on the subject	08 04 02 02	50,00 25,00 12,50 12,50
Total	16	100%	Total	16	100%

• Source: Research data - 2019

Through data related to previous experience in the use of e-SIC (Table 5) by the group of users surveyed, we found that about 68.75% of those surveyed had never worked with activities related to this area; 25% said they already had experience in this area of knowledge; and 6.25% did not answer this question.

Table 5
Previous experience in using e-SIC

Previous experience in using e-SIC	Nº	%
Yes No Did not answer	04 11 01	25,00 68,75 6,25
Total	16	100%

• Source: Research data - 2019

It is interesting to note that of the users who answered that they have previous experience, they have more than seven years of performance as manager of the e-SIC or between 3 and 4 years or even between 1 and 2 years of performance. Most of those who do not have previous experience are among the group of participants in the study who work in the most recent e-SIC, between one and two years. In addition, it was observed that the age group of research participants who claimed to have previous experience at the time of the research was between 51 and 59 years of age or between 41 and 50 years of age. This indication may justify the previous experience of those who are older and those in the younger age groups, in their majority, having characteristics related to the short time they have worked in this area, as well as the absence of previous experience in the system.

Based on the survey presented, we observed that, in a preliminary way, for example, the professionals who make up the management of this service, within their agencies, are women with a higher academic level, position of analyst, in the average age range of 40 years. Regarding the work environment, most of them have between one and two years of management in the e-SIC, consider having in-depth knowledge of the LAI and have already undergone some training with emphasis on this topic.

Satisfaction of e-SIC managers in relation to the assignments developed in the system.

In order to fulfill one of the objectives of the survey, at this stage, we present the data regarding the satisfaction of the e-SIC manager.

As for the professional manager (a) of the e-SIC, 68.75% of the managers working in the citizen information system receive a rewarded position, and 25% do not. The other interviewees (6.25%) did not answer this question, as shown in Table 6.

Table 6
Gratified function

Gratified function	Nº	%
Yes No Did not answer	11 04 0 1	68,75 25,00 6,25
Total	16	100%

• Source: Research data - 2019

According to the group that receives the gratified function, the revenues received by the manager (a) of the e-SIC are not exclusively due to the performance of that function. This can be evidenced in the following comments:

• Participant 05: There is the receipt of a position gratified by the Head of the Compliance Division, but not by the management of the Citizen Information Service-SIC at the moment.

• Participant 11: The rewarded position is not specifically linked to the position of manager of the e-SIC, considering that the employee performs other activities in the sector.

• Participant 20: The management of the Citizen Information Service - SIC is one of the activities under the responsibility of the Ombudsman's Analysis and Information Management. Therefore, the rewarded function is not exclusively due to the activities of SIC.

The activities performed concomitantly with the role of manager (a) of the e-SIC are linked, mainly, to the attributions of the Ombudsman's Office of the Organization/Institution. The following functions were cited: Coordination of the Ombudsman's Office, Substitute Transparency Coordinator, Head of the Ombudsman's Office, Substitute Head of the Division, Ombudsman, Information Access Coordinator, Substitute General Secretary and Ombudsman's Analysis and Information Activities. Thus, 56.25% of the e-SIC managers accumulate this function with another function of the agency, and 43.75% are exclusive to meet the demands of the System, as shown in Table 7.

Table 7
The role of e-SIC System manager is accumulated with other activities in the

If accumulates function	Nº	%
Yes No	09 07	56,25 43,75
Total	16	100%

• Source: Research data - 2019

It is important to register that, although several years have passed since the origin and evolution of the current system that today presents itself as an ombudsman, its main function, as well as that of the e-SIC is to act as a direct intermediary channel of communication, evaluation and inspection between citizens and the public administration that offers the service. According to Law nº 13.460/2017, art. 13, the ombudsmen will have attributions, among others, to "analyze and forward to the competent authorities the manifestations, following the treatment and effective conclusion of the user manifestations before the organ or entity to which it is linked" (BRAZIL, 2017). It is, therefore, under this purpose that the ombudsman's office and the e-SIC can be configured in an interconnected space, both in the scope of the organizational structure and in the functions performed by the servers of these units.

As for the number of people who make up the specific work environment for access to information, most agencies have four or more employees (62.5%) who work in this area, 25%, two people, and 12.5%, up to three people. When asked if the number of people working in the access to information of their agency/institution is sufficient to meet the demand, 81.25% stated that it is sufficient, and 18.75%, that it is not sufficient. The data regarding these two categories can be seen in Table 8.

Table 8
Number of servers working on access to information and sufficient number of servers to meet the demands of the system

Number of people working in the access to information of the body/institution	Nº	%	Number of servers working on access to enough information to meet system demand	Nº	%
02 people 03 people 04 people or more	04 02 10	25,00 12,50 62,50	Yes, it is enough. Nor enough.	13 03	81,25 18,75
Total	16	100%	Total	16	100%

• Source: Research data - 2019

In addition, it was mentioned by Participant 05 that "the number of people to respond to requests for access to information is sufficient, but for the control of active transparency, it is still necessary to increase". It is worth noting that, although Participant 05 considers the number of persons responding to requests for access to information to be sufficient, he recognizes that in order to meet the minimum requirements for active transparency, it is necessary to increase the number of agents working in this area, in order to efficiently and expertly meet the service provided. Such circumstance can be evidenced in the statistical data of the organ of the referred participant, which is made available in the Panel Law of Access to Information. In a consultation held on January 12, 2021, considering the current period, the status of the requests for information received and answered by the agency corresponds to 99, 98% while those in progress represent 0.02%. As for active transparency, the average percentage of fulfillment of items corresponds to 85.7% and 14.3% represent the status of what the institution partially fulfills or does not fulfill.

At this delimitation stage, respondents were asked whether e-SIC is an effective service. This question aimed to know about the relevance of the work developed by the e-SIC manager in contributing to the exercise of the right of access to information, besides being the direct channel between society and the public entity. The results revealed that 100% of those surveyed consider the Citizen Information Service to be effective. The main justifications are presented below and are related to the access, monitoring of deadlines, control of society and the effectiveness of Law 12. 527/2011.

• Participant 02: Easy access, good functionality and well managed by CGU.

• Participant 04: Allows monitoring and follow-up of the demands registered by citizens in an organized manner; provides citizens with the required public information on time.

• Participant 05: It is a form of public power control by society.

• Participant 06: Because it allows the citizen to obtain access to public information, in a fast, secure, simplified and totally free of charge.

• Participant 11: The e-SIC system guarantees protocol registration, demand opening date, deadline for response and the possibility of impetration of resources. All these factors expand the commitment to service. There is no demand in our institution that has remained unanswered.

• Participant 14: Because it reflects all the work developed in the institution.

• Participant 15: It is a direct channel between the population/regulated sector and the agency. The agency as a whole, has already incorporated the importance of active/passive transparency, resulting in a response time in the e-SIC well below that allowed by law.

• Participant 16: Because it systematizes the demands for access to information, in spite of the fact that there are situations that could be better handled in a broader manner, including the very restricted interpretation that is made of the LAI.

• Participant 17: In view of all the discipline brought about by the current regulations, especially with the hierarchy of resources at the citizen's disposal, involving instances external to the bodies demanded, they guarantee that the information is provided, which makes the Law effective.

• Participant 20: System that is always available, presents no flaws and has the necessary information for dealing with demands

In attention to the speech of Participant 11, it was evident that the statistical data regarding the passive transparency of the body to which it is integrated corresponds to 100% in responded status. Similarly, to Participant 5, not all items related to the active transparency of this body are met²: 32.7% have the status they meet, 55.1% do not meet and 12.2% partially meet. Regarding the survey's collaborators feeling some difficulty in using/man using the system, 87.5% affirmed that they do not, and 12.5% that they do. The difficulty is related at the time of the manager responding to the request for information, i.e. not finding a category in the System that corresponds to the subject addressed in the citizen's request for information and the need for a more modern interface that facilitates the work of the manager, as can be seen in Table 9 and its comments:

Table 9
Difficulty in using e-SIC

Difficulty using e-SIC	Nº	%
Yes No	02 14	12,50 87,50
Total	16	100%

• Source: Research data - 2019

• Participant 11: Considering that the system establishes subjects for the categorization of demands, we do not always find options of subjects that contemplate the subject approached in the information request.

Considering the hypothesis that it is difficult to use/manage the e-SIC and based on the Critical Incident technique (FLANAGAN, 1973), we asked the survey participants about the difficulties they experienced the last time they answered or received a request for information, which are: to handle and understand the content and read the description of the request in order to identify the citizen's need and forward it to the department/sector or other type of difficulty. Table 10 shows the data obtained:

Table 10
Difficulty experienced the last time they responded or received a request for information

Difficulty identified	Nº	%
Difficulty in handling the system and understanding the content or other specific case. Difficulty in reading the description of the request in order to identify the citizen's need and forward it to the competent department/sector. Another difficulty.	01 01 04	16,67 16,67 66,66
Total	06*	100%

• Source: Research data - 2019
• *Only a part of the respondents reported having difficulties.

• Participant 05: Sometimes applicants confuse requests for access to information with typical Ombudsman manifestations (request, complaint, denunciation, etc.), as well as use them for the presentation of consultations on topics, i.e., to receive a statement about a hypothetical or concrete condition not evaluated by the body.

• Participant 10: Quality/incoherence in the answers sent for insertion in the system.

• Participant 11: A relatively recent modification made to the e-SIC system was the possibility for citizens to request a restriction on their identification. Due to the nature of the Institution's responsible activities, we received many demands of a personal nature. Without access to the citizen's identification, it is not feasible to proceed with certain services.

• Participant 17: Framework of the type of response to the options given by the e-SIC System.

It is important to mention that, in order to comply with Law no. 13. 460 of June 26, 2017, which provides for participation, protection and defense of the rights of users of public administration services, art. 10, § 7, the citizen now chooses to preserve or not his/her identification (BRAZIL, 2017) at the time of requesting a request for information, as stated by Participant 11. This normative guideline is justified due to the constitutional principle of impersonality.

Among the tools used by those surveyed internally, in the Body, as a means of managing and obtaining answers to requests for information received by the e-SIC, 62.5% stated that they use the Internal System, 25%, e-mail, and 12.5%, another type of resource not specified by the participant of the study. Among the types of internal system mentioned, we highlight SEI (Electronic Information System), RDR (Citizen Demand Registration System), Siate and SIMEC (Integrated System for Monitoring Execution and Control).

Table 11
Resource to obtain answers in the organ

Resource used to obtain the answers to the requests for information in the agency	Nº	%
Internal system E-mail Other	10 04 02	62,50 25,00 12,50
Total	16	100%

• Source: Research data - 2019

Finally, we highlight the comments field provided at the end of the questionnaire, which aimed to enable research collaborators to expose their perception and feelings about the work developed in this environment. We verified that 62.5% of the participants (10) did not answer to this field, and 37.5% (06) commented on it. The reports can be observed below:

• Participant 09: It would be useful for the system to have the function of complementing the information required, just like the e-OUV System (also under the management of the CGU), in view of the fact that some citizens do not clearly and precisely specify the information requested, and it is necessary to close the request for the applicant to register a new application.

• Participant 11: From the citizen's point of view, I consider the system to be very effective in guaranteeing access to all types of information produced and/or held in custody by Public Administration bodies and entities. Regarding the body, I work for, I consider that the system could facilitate communication between the entity and the citizen, in order to obtain information that allows a better understanding of the object of the request, in certain cases. Currently, when necessary, we contact the citizen via e-mail or telephone. However, this contact is not registered in the e-SIC, which I consider a weakness.

• Participant 14: The e-SIC System is very welcome for transparency of the activities developed by the institution;

• Participant 15: The LAI represents an advance in public management and social control, but despite the advance, it is still necessary to improve the training of servers, quality control of responses and enforcement of sanctions provided by law. I say this in general, in relation to all the agencies that use the system. For this reason, here (in the Institution) we value the time and quality of the response to the citizen.

• Participant 16: The E-SIC should already be integrated to FALA.BR and both should be more simplified and modernized, as well as there should be the availability of a demand processing module within the agencies, in order to obtain answers to demands.

• Participant 19: The only fault with the e-SIC is that it does not allow intermediate communications between citizens and public administration. The system only allows the sending of requests, responses and resources. It should allow the exchange of intermediate communications.

Analyzing the statements of the research collaborators, we see the importance of e-SIC today as a contribution to transparency and democratization of information for society. However, the need to improve the System is a consequence so that e-SIC increasingly meets the needs of its various users and facilitates the work of the professional who manages it. This can be observed in the speech of the managers who collaborated with this research, which, besides recognizing e-SIC as a guarantee of rights and a means of providing more transparency, identify needs that can bring about improvements and improvement for its greater efficiency. In the opinion of the professionals participating in the survey, the e-SIC needs to have a function that facilitates the intermediary communication between the users requesting the information and the entity/body competent for the answer and a function in the e-SIC that registers the contact made with the user and a way of processing the demand. In addition, the collaborators of this study understand that the agency/institution should encourage much more the qualification of professionals, control the quality of responses and observe the sanctions provided for by law for those who do not comply with the normative guidelines of the Law on Access to Information.

FINAL CONSIDERATIONS

Considering the above and what we observed in the analysis of the data obtained through the application of the questionnaires, the study indicated that a large part of the public agents of the agency/entity that act in the management of e-SIC are female, with ages above 41 years, perform their activities in this environment between one and two years and have attended a complete post-graduate course. A significant percentage occupy the position of administrative analyst and come from different professions, such as lawyer and delegate.

With regard to the Law on Access to Information, considered a possibility in guaranteeing the right to publicize information to citizens, most managers consider that they have an advanced level of knowledge of the LAI, despite the fact that the data investigated shows the short time of service performed in this area of knowledge and that most of them reveal that they have not had any previous work experience in this area. However, it is important to emphasize the training practice directed to this environment in most of the respondents of the survey questionnaire and the need to develop and seek more qualification in this area.

The results show the existence of a gratified function for most managers who perform their duties in the citizen information system, motivated by performance concomitantly with the other activity related to the sector, especially those directed to the Ombudsman's sector. In 62.5% of the cases, the team of these sectors is made up of four or more employees. Most of the participants of the research affirm that the number of servers that work in the access to the information of its organ/institution is enough to attend the demand, however it is necessary, to increase public agents to control the active transparency.

The study also showed that, although unanimous satisfaction of managers with the effectiveness of e-SIC has been demonstrated in the design of the research collaborators, some improvements are necessary, such as a more modern interface and a restructuring of the subjects to better categorize the description of the demands received at the time the request for information is answered. This way, the identification and classification of the received demand would be more precise.

It has caught our attention that most managers say they have no difficulty in using/man using the system. However, their statements revealed that there are some barriers in communication between the external user and the research collaborator, such as, for example, reports on the typical manifestations of the Ombudsman's sector which are wrongly directed to the e-SIC; the quality or incoherence of the responses sent by the entity to the citizen; the restriction of citizen identification (supported by Law 13. 460/2017); the lack of a complementary function that can intermediate the communication between the respondent and the citizen, in case of doubts, besides the final answer option; the training of the servers; the quality control of the answers, more modern interface and application of the sanctions foreseen in the Law and integration of the e-SIC to Fala.BR (Integrated Ombudsman Platform and Access to Information).

In view of the above and considering the initial objectives of the survey, we highlight access to public information as an element of high relevance in this century, both in the social and organizational spheres. Knowing the characteristics of the professional and the means explored to disseminate and favor informational advertising adds positively to the development of practices and actions for improvement in the information unit and in the social scenario and allows reflections that are necessary in the improvement of the System.

It is worth emphasizing that, although delimited by a sample, the participating group significantly attributes to e-SIC a power tool between society and the public sector of control and social communication. Despite some barriers, the managers demonstrate that they can exercise their duties in this work environment in a satisfactory manner. e-SIC is a considerably quick and simplified means of interaction, although some improvements are needed to enable more efficient work and more reliable information. Furthermore, it is important to note that in August 2020 the e-SIC was integrated into Fala-BR through the Access to Information Module. With this transition the whole e-SIC base migrated to Fala.BR, aiming to improve its performance and functionality. The Speech. BR centralizes the reception and treatment of different demands directed to the Federal Executive Branch, related entities and state companies, and contemplates the following types of manifestations: access to information, denunciation, complaint, request, suggestion, praise and simplification. Therefore, this transition may be the object of a new study, in order to monitor and identify results of the improvement of the system.

REFERÊNCIAS

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• 4
  JITA: CB. User studies

• ACKNOWLEDGMENTS:

  Not applicable.

• FUNDING:

  This study was partly financed by Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - Brasil (CAPES), with na incentive scholarship to the qualification of PIQ-IFPB Pos-graduate.

• ETHICAL APPROVAL:

  Not applicable.

• AVAILABILITY OF DATA ANDE MATERIAL:

  Not applicable.

• 1
  The nomenclature of these positions was the one presented by the survey employees when answering the data collection instrument.
• 2
  Statistics based on the Panel Access to Information Law, consulted on January 12, 2021. Available at: http://paineis.cgu.gov.br/lai/index.htm.

Data availability

Not applicable.

Publication Dates

• Publication in this collection
  09 June 2023
• Date of issue
  2021

History

• Received
  06 Oct 2020
• Accepted
  25 Dec 2020
• Published
  23 Jan 2021