Good corporate governance practices mark the 11th anniversary of the creation of the General Secretariat of the Brazilian Ministry of Defense
By Helena L’acosta
Brasília – In the month that marks the 11th anniversary of the creation of the General Secretariat (SG) of the Ministry of Defense (MD), the cultivation of an organizational culture with good corporate governance practices is highlighted. The approval of the Organizational Strategic Plan (PEO-MD) for the four-year period 2024 to 2027 and the regulation of military para-sports are some examples of transparency, responsibility, integrity and inclusion, values that have received great attention.
“I see corporate governance very much from the perspective of responsibility for the public good. Complying with the law and adhering to the rules is not enough. We need to be sensitive to what impacts on people’s lives and on the world. It is with this in mind that the SG has designed the Defense management model and achieved real milestones. Good examples of this are the regulation of military sports; the publication of an organizational strategic plan that defines goals, deadlines and indicators for all sectors; and the Censipam public tender. This is inclusion, transparency and responsibility, values that have been given great attention in the planning of future actions,” said Cinara Wagner Fredo, the SG’s Deputy Secretary, who is the first official to occupy the new position.
Created in 2013 as Defense’s central management body, the General Secretariat must be concerned with the means necessary for the MD and the Armed Forces to carry out their missions, without losing sight of all the necessary legal framework. In addition, the GS is responsible for assisting society in understanding what Brazilian Defense is. Some actions over the last year are a good example of the scope of the department’s management, such as the PEO-MD, military para-sports and the public tender for the Management and Operational Center of the Amazon Protection System (Censipam), an entity directly linked to the SG.
“Talking about good corporate governance practices means expressing concern about the proper use of public resources, as well as sharing with citizens the paths we intend to take,” emphasized Assistant Secretary Cinara. With this in mind, the SG coordinated the drafting of the PEO-MD for the four-year period 2024 to 2027, an activity that included the synergistic participation of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Armed Forces (Emcfa). The regulations establish priorities, targets, deadlines and indicators for all sectors of the MD.
Published on the MD’s official website, it is easy for anyone to consult the strategic identity of Defense (mission, vision of the future and values), which was recently updated, as well as to find out more about the strategic objectives defined, such as “Cooperating for National Development”, like the training of disadvantaged communities through the Rondon project. Checking out the ADEFESA 2023 magazine is an excellent way to see the main actions that have benefited society over the last year.
Another initiative is the regulation of military para-sports, through an ordinance signed by the Minister of Defense, José Mucio Monteiro, in 2023, on the National Day of Struggle for People with Disabilities (21/09). The document made it possible for the Ministry of Defense and the Armed Forces to fund the training and participation of military athletes in national and international events, representing the institutions.
The activity, which currently has 120 members, benefits pensioners who are unfit for active military service as a result of injuries or illnesses. The results are already visible, for example at the 1st World Military Parathletics Championship of the International Military Sports Council (Cism), in Jesolo, Italy. The Brazilian delegation won 15 medals and secured second place overall. Among Team Brazil’s participants were three military personnel from the Armed Forces.
Finally, Censipam’s public competition, which was launched in September 2023 to fill vacancies for Science and Technology Analysts, is an achievement for the SG in terms of career planning – Management, Planning and Infrastructure in Science and Technology – and staffing, with transparency and fairness. The result of the exam granted the appointment of 32 new civil servants, who will work in Brasília (DF), Manaus (AM) and Belém (PA), among other cities.
Defense careers – According to Assistant Secretary Cinara, the SG has been improving, optimizing and expanding programs within the scope of Defense, strategically and with greater appreciation of people, transparency in processes and assertive decisions. An example of this is the progress made in the study of public policies for specialization in a defence career. The idea is to create a permanent cadre of federal civil servants capable of deciding and formulating programs and projects related to national defense, who can contribute to the implementation of state measures and actions, with an emphasis on military expression.
“As a good management practice, building this organizational culture and institutional memory in the MD, forming a technical staff that speaks with propriety with other sectors and ministries to deal with and articulate within the General Secretariat is fundamental, but still a great challenge,” he explained. In addition to the ongoing incentives for a career in defense, the GS has also sought to value its civil servants. On the last Public Servants’ Day, in October 2023, 45 employees – with 25 years or more in the ministry – were recognized and honored.
Defense Products – The strengthening of the national Defense Industrial Base (BID) is also an assignment of the SG that deserves to be highlighted. The sector represents around 5% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and generates 2.9 million direct and indirect jobs. Effective and responsible management with a close eye on generating jobs and income shows results that benefit the whole country, as in the case of exports of products from the sector. In 2023, compared to 2022, there was an increase of almost 125% in validated export authorizations, from US$ 648.5 million to around US$ 1.451 billion. With figures like these, Brazil is now the largest exporter of defense products in South America.
Responsibilities – Responsible for managing the portfolio, the SG’s competencies include advising the Minister of Defense on defining guidelines, and coordinating and planning the activities of the Secretariats of Budget and Institutional Organization (Seori); Defense Products (Seprod); and 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 Calha Norte Program (DPCN). Also under its responsibility, as a linked body, is the Armed Forces Hospital (HFA).
*** Translated by DEFCONPress FYI Team ***