After the elections, Brazil is preparing for a new cycle in the Three Powers.
On January 1, 2023, a new mandate begins in the Federal Government and state governments.
On February 1, 2023, a new composition of the National Congress takes office - the renewal rate in the Chamber of Deputies is 39.38%, while the Federal Senate will have 22 new ones out of the 27 seats in dispute.
The cycle should also bring changes in the Judiciary and regulatory agencies, with nominations and hearings, starting with the Supreme Federal Court.
To talk about this new stage, Sigalei sought experts in the area of Institutional and Government Relations.
We asked them how they need to reassess their strategy whenever changes occur in the configuration of the political environment?
We also questioned what they take into account when setting up their strategies. And how their priorities change.
The first part of this interview series is with Cynthia Cury, analyst and advisor for Institutional and Government Relations at the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa) – a reference in the generation of knowledge and technologies for Brazilian agriculture.
Embrapa has a permanent dialogue with producers, scientific organizations, and leaders of the State and civil society, in addition to being guided by scientific excellence in agricultural research, quality and productive efficiency in crops and breeding, environmental sustainability, social aspects, and partnerships with the productive sector.
Check out the summary of the interview:
‘Transition period is always challenging’, says Cynthia Cury, GovRel analyst and advisor at Embrapa
1. Sigalei – Why, for Embrapa, is it important to maintain an Institutional and Government Relations (IGR) area? And how does your area view this transition period in government?
Cynthia Cury, GovRel analyst and advisor at Embrapa: Embrapa is a company dependent on the Treasury, which also works in public policies and needs to build an efficient relationship with the National Congress and the government. Therefore, the end of a legislative period is always a challenge. New actors arrive, the context changes, the situation and the correlation of forces are different. Thus, shortly after the elections, we need to get to know the new parliamentarians and also analyze the re-elected ones.
2. Sigalei – Regarding the Legislative branch, what actions should be taken by the IGR area during this transition period?
Cynthia Cury, GovRel analyst and advisor at Embrapa: We analyzed the new composition of the National Congress as a whole and created a classification. Among the re-elected ones, we verified if they were authors of bills or rapporteurs; if they articulated topics of interest in Congress; how they acted in important votes; if they have already directed budget and efforts in support of the organization or visited Embrapa units. We observe which of the new parliamentarians already have interaction with Embrapa. We examine whether they possibly have an interest in topics sensitive to the organization, as well as which ones have no relation to the topic or correlation with Embrapa. There are those who have no relationship with Embrapa, but eventually signal that they know our work in a state well.
3. Sigalei – And in the Executive Branch?
Cynthia Cury, GovRel analyst and advisor at Embrapa: In the transition process, we also started to know who will be in charge of the ministries and secretariats with which Embrapa has relationships regarding topics related to its mission. Whenever there is an alternation of power in the Executive, it is necessary to know what the proposals, policies, and programs of the new administration are and understand, among them, what the government brings as a priority. Analyze which of them dialogue with Embrapa's research agenda, as well as with the actions of the units. It is from this mapping that we start to design the interaction strategy. We begin, then, an “approximation stage”.
4. Sigalei – What are the strategies to seek this approach with stakeholders?
Cynthia Cury, GovRel analyst and advisor at Embrapa: We have different strategies for different groups. Among those actors who do not have interaction with Embrapa, we want them, over the mandate, to come to the group of those who interact with the institution. It is our challenge to look for them and foster this interaction. It is also important to analyze Embrapa's achievements by state. We do georeferencing and from there, from this contact, we bring the parliamentarian to the interactive group.
In the ministry most closely linked to the organization, we evaluate its composition, aspect, and agenda. Our goal is to understand how the next minister will conduct the priority programs and with what actions. Next, we cross-reference information to verify how these programs dialogue with the technologies generated by Embrapa and with the units' research programming. We analyze, then, how Embrapa will interact and contribute – within its mission – to the programs of that ministry. This exercise is frequent, not only after elections, but even when there is a change of minister, since new ministers may have other priorities.
5. Sigalei – How does the work of GovRel converge with Embrapa's strategy?
Cynthia Cury, GovRel analyst and advisor at Embrapa: Embrapa has a culture of strategic planning. Its master plan covers ten years. All these guidelines are delivered to parliamentarians and the new government. We bring suggestions for the new actors and inform them about the public policies that are important to Embrapa, what projects we would like to see in Congress and in the ministries, and what we understand to be positive for the development of internal research.
In this process, it is important to analyze how this convergence can happen in reality. We develop plans and create a document with a vision that anticipates scenarios and brings an analysis of trends in Brazil and the world. These scenarios seek to guide decision-makers so that decisions meet these trends.
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*By Sigalei
