Local health councils as new social mediators: a collective force in the production of public asset?

Abstract

This excerpt portrays an exploratory study using the focal groups technique designed to assess stakeholder’s and local health councilor’s perception on the knowledge and essential skills needed for the exercise of their work. The results of this study are intended to support the formulation of local health councils Continuing Education Plan in Florianopolis, Brazil. The decision to contribute to enhancing social participation in the proposal, discussion sessions, monitoring and deliberation meetings, evaluation discussions and throughout policy implementation control sessions was used as input by the Municipal Health Secretary of Florianopolis to forge its Continuing Education Plan during 2012 and 2013. The systematization of the results extracted from the research generated themes that were encamped in the ongoing training of local health counselors, signaling the scripts to be covered by the plan. Until the end of the current year the ongoing evaluation of the implemented processes will be performed by new research and monitoring procedures.