Acordos de cooperação como instrumentos democráticos nas práticas educacionais do Instituto Federal do Espírito Santo

Abstract

This research project is part of the Professional Master's in Education at the Federal University of Bahia (UFBA) and constitutes the completion of the course. It focuses on an Intervention Project concerning partnership practices through Cooperation Agreements at the Federal Institute of Espírito Santo (IFES). The general objective is to assess how Cooperation Agreements meet development objectives in the areas of Teaching, Research, and Extension, aligning with the administrative management demands of IFES. Additionally, it seeks to identify and understand the main challenges faced during the stimulation and development of these partnerships. The bibliographic research explored the evolution of budget cuts in educational institutions and provided an updated review of legislation on public administration partnerships. This was linked to IFES' institutional objectives through a document analysis of how cooperation-based partnerships can help overcome exposed problems. By administering questionnaires to partnership participants, the research also analyzed the perceptions and experiences of those involved, revealing diverse profiles and opinions. The methodological approach combined qualitative methods to explore the nuances, complexities, and meanings associated with the study. The results, analyzed through content analysis, highlighted the importance of Cooperation Agreements for the development of activities in teaching, research, extension, and administrative management, as well as for the interests of the external community at IFES. However, challenges were identified, particularly related to a lack of instruction and the complexity of obtaining relevant legislation. Based on these findings, strategies were proposed to democratize Cooperation Agreements at IFES, including updating legislation and partnership models and using interactive communication to disseminate partnership information. The guiding material developed from these suggestions represents an important step towards democratizing partnerships at IFES, providing a practical and accessible guide for applying Cooperation Agreements. This research aims to contribute to a change in the established professional culture, fostering greater participation and collaboration in the process of developing and implementing Cooperation Agreements. It is hoped that the suggestions presented will help build more democratic, effective partnerships aligned with IFES' institutional objectives.