RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PUBLIC MANAGEMENT EFFICIENCY AND SOCIOECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT: A STUDY IN CEARÁ MUNICIPALITIES

Abstract

This study analyzes the relationship between public management efficiency and socioeconomic development in the Ceará municipalities. Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) method was used to measure efficiency in three different dimensions: (i) education; (ii) health; and (iii) employment and income. Furthermore, the Public Management Efficiency Index (Índice de Eficiência da Gestão Pública – IEGP) was developed by weighing the three dimensions of efficiency, which was used to measure the overall efficiency of municipalities. Socioeconomic development was measured by the FIRJAN Municipal Development Index (Índice FIRJAN de Desenvolvimento Municipal – IFDM), in general and in its three dimensions (education, health and employment and income). The sample is composed of the 184 Ceará municipalities and the period analyzed was from 2007 to 2016. Descriptive statistics and difference between means tests were used. The results indicate that general efficiency and efficiency of the education, and employment and income dimensions presented a positive relation with socioeconomic development, demonstrating the capacity of these dimensions of efficiency in generating development.