Created as a central management body and established by Decree No. 7974 of April 1, 2013, the General Secretariat (SG) of the Ministry of Defense (MD) completes, this April, its first decade of existence. According to the Secretary General, Luiz Henrique Pochyly, there are many reasons to celebrate and the goals set for the coming years are clear and well defined.
Responsibilities – Responsible for the management of the Department, the SG is responsible for advising the Minister of Defense in the definition of guidelines; coordinating and planning the activities of the Secretariats of Budget and Institutional Organization (SEORI); Defense Products (SEPROD); Personnel, Health, Sports and Social Projects (SEPESD); as well as the Management and Operational Center of the Amazon Protection System (CENSIPAM) and the Department of the Northern Border Program (DPCN).
Encouraged by the good perspectives of the secretariats of excellence that he coordinates, Pochyly says what he intends to promote starting this year: “Of the priorities, the first, obviously, is to ensure the availability of budgetary resources that allow all sectors of the MD to achieve their institutional goals, especially the continuity of the strategic projects of the Armed Forces. The second is to increase the interaction of the SG with the Defense Industrial Base. Finally, we want to improve the relationship with the control organs, especially with the Federal Audit Court. The creation of a civilian technical career for the MD is also on our radar”, he informs.
Dynamism – The Secretary General emphasizes that he intends to further dynamize the performance of the secretariats subordinated to the SG. This is the case of SEORI, which develops guidelines for the modernization of the MD’s organizational structures; of SEPROD, which plays a fundamental role in reorganizing the national defense material industry; and of SEPESD, responsible for the implementation of important social projects such as the Second Half Program – Forces in Sports (Profesp), the João do Pulo Pilot Project, and the Rondon Project.
According to Pochyly, also worth mentioning are CENSIPAM, through which the SG carries out actions in the Amazon, working in the areas of remote sensing, intelligence, environmental protection, technological infrastructure, and meteorology; and the Northern Border Program (PCN). Created in 1985 and covering 783 municipalities in 10 states, where civil and military actions are carried out, the NCP, throughout its 37 years, has delivered, through agreements with municipalities and states, thousands of works and improvements for the benefit of society.
Relevance – The Chief of the SG’s Special Strategic Management Advisory, Oswaldo Reis, a member of the agency since its creation, highlights that the SG plays a relevant role in coordination and articulation, both internally and externally, being the main point of dialogue with other public agencies. “The SG is the civilian pillar of the Ministry of Defense; it is the gateway to the demands of the Ministry of Planning, of public and private institutions, and of society in general. It is characterized by an important diversity of actions and is responsible for the interface with structural systems of the Federal Executive and other agencies. It plays a fundamental role in the execution of Defense actions and goals, besides being in constant process improvement aiming at the efficiency, efficacy, and effectiveness of its actions”, observes the advisor.
For the achievements made during this first decade of work, the Secretary General Luiz Henrique Pochyly and his entire team of servers and assistants ensure that the SG mission will continue on track: “provide, with opportunity, the means and the legal framework for the MD and the Armed Forces to fulfill their missions; and contribute to the perception of the country’s defense is felt by all Brazilians.
Secretaries of the SG since its creation
1) Ari Matos Cardoso
2) Eva Chiavon
3) Army General R/1 Joaquim Silva e Luna
4) Air Lieutenant Brigadier Carlos Augusto Amaral
5) Admiral of Fleet Almir Garnier
6) Brigadier General R/1 Sérgio José Pereira
7) Luiz Henrique Pochyly