PARTICIPATORY PLANNING IN CEARÁ (PPA 2024-2027): DELIBERATION AND REDISTRIBUTION IN THE CARIRI METROPOLITAN REGION
Multi-Year Plan. Participation. Deliberative Democracy. Government Planning.
This study analyzes participatory processes in the cycles of the Multi-Year Plan (PPA) of the State of Ceará, with an emphasis on the Cariri Metropolitan Region (2024–2027). Although the state has adopted participatory methodologies such as regional hearings, territorial workshops, and digital consultations since 2012, the effectiveness of these mechanisms remains poorly evaluated, especially in intermediate territories. The premise is that social participation can express deliberative advances and redistributive inequalities, requiring a critical analysis of its materialization in institutional practices and budgetary results. The research is based on two main analytical axes: deliberation and redistribution. The deliberative dimension allows us to investigate the quality of spaces for listening and argumentation, such as public hearings, considering criteria such as equity, mutual influence, and the production of legitimate consensus. The redistributive dimension focuses on the concrete impacts of participation in resource allocation and the reduction of territorial inequalities, analyzing whether and how civil society contributions influence public policy decisions. The overall objective is to understand how participatory mechanisms and practices are configured in the 2024–2027 Ceará State Multi-Year Plan cycle, with an emphasis on the Cariri Metropolitan Region, and to what extent these practices favor deliberation processes, redistribution of public priorities, and the promotion of metropolitan development. Methodologically, this dissertation adopts a qualitative approach of documentary analysis, with a multi-paper design, structured into three interconnected scientific articles: (i) an integrative literature review on participation in public planning; (ii) a case study of the Cariri Metropolitan Region's experience in the 2024–2027 PPA; and (iii) a propositional analysis to strengthen the development of the Cariri Metropolitan Region, based on mapping the priorities and investments planned in the 2024–2027 PPA, linking these actions to local demands and aligning them with the SDGs. The results will be compiled into a booklet, written in accessible language. Its preparation is not mandatory for the dissertation; it was chosen by the author as a social feedback strategy, bridging the gap between the university, the state, and civil society. Finally, the study is directly related to SDGs 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions) and 10 (Reduced Inequalities), contributing to the analysis of public policies by highlighting the limits and potential of participation in state planning. It also reinforces the understanding of the PPA as a space for political and democratic debate, broadening the debate on social justice and public planning.