Presentation

São Paulo / SP
November 22nd. to 24th., 2006

The researchers’ community of the Division of Public Administration and Social Management has in EnAPG, an additional space for discussion and publication of researches and other field papers. This initiative, now in its second edition, allows that researchers, students and those interested in the public administration issues exchange information and establish networks in their interest areas. However, the challenges offered by the contemporary world, expressed by accelerated and constant changes to those interested in the public administration, whether academic or managers, imply in a new discussion concerning the limitations established by the area, its conceptual construction and its identity in the administration field.

The challenge to the academic community is just the construction of new study perspectives that incorporate more sector themes, defined by rigid spaces, but that attempt the composition of a field marked by transversal perspectives in which many knowledge branches may dialogue and reflect on the contemporary problems to which the public administration may account for. However, it is worth calling attention to the fact the sector themes may incorporate those transversal elements promoting its improvement. Thus, the concern with the Brazilian reality is an incumbency, which many researchers of our country may not avoid. However, the focus on issues of national interest does not eliminate the compared perspective. On the contrary, the opening to other experiences and its confrontation with the national reality changes into an element of great importance for the construction of conceptual tools more appropriate to the comprehension of the specificities of the contemporary world and of the Brazilian situation specifically, and the elaboration of answers which objectives are the improvement of the public management and the implementation of the citizenship.

Thus, EnAPG will be structured around the general theme: Relationships among State, Government, Market and the Society: continuity and innovation. The development of those issues at the meeting will attempt to establish the dialogue among the different approaches. Therefore, sub-themes were defined in order to enable the conjunction of papers with related aspects. It is worth remarking that the establishment of the sub-themes is not exhaustive. Only themes in conformity with certain concern, interest and investigation lines were listed, that is, even papers that do not directly fit its specifications will be consiedered by the organizing staff, since they are pertinent and bring a significant contribution to the area.

Challenge is launched. The academic community must now deeply analyze the contemporary issues experienced by the Brazilian society, especially those arising from the continuity and innovation in the relationships among the State, government, market and society. We believe that the answer to the challenge will only be possible with the combination of many knowledge.