Alignment, contributions, and relationships of the information technology with municipal planning: survey in Brazilian City Halls

Abstract

Besides the social and legal issues, the cities have been competing among themselves for political and economical reasons, besides the willingness to offer a better quality of life to their inhabitants. These issues require special ways to manage the municipality and demand stern abilities from the public managers in their daily and strategic actions. The role of the information technology (including the information systems) must be revised and, mainly, be aligned with the activities of the City Halls (Prefectures). The objective of this work is to analyze the alignment, the relationships, and the contributions of the information technology in the municipal plans and in the management of 86 Brazilian City Halls. The methodology of the research emphasized a survey with a non-probabilistic sample per convenience, approaches through a research protocol divided in proven constructions and variables. The results of the analyses show the difficulties of the cities in the organization of the municipal data, in the sharing of information, and in the planning for the management of the cities. The conclusion reiterates the relevancy of the aligned municipal planning, integrated and based in the information systems, by the information technology and by the participation of the population in the city management. The contributions are directed to the researched municipalities, and other municipalities that may establish analogies.