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Paper short abstract

The paper addresses how state capabilities matter for implementing social policies in multilevel governance contexts having cash transfer programs in Brazil as the main case. Through a mixed-method approach we conclude that more than information local bureaucracies need training to deliver policies.

Paper long abstract

Cash transfer programs have become a paradigmatic means of providing redistributive policies in the neoliberal age. However, the literature has yet to address the role of subnational administrative units in implementing those policies. This study examines why and how the knowledge and use of the tools provided by the Secretariat for Evaluation, Information Management (SAGICAD) of the Brazilian Ministry of Social Development vary among municipalities in Minas Gerais, the second largest state of Brazil. We argue that these variations stem from heterogeneity in local state capacities within the federal-led Unified Social Assistance System (SUAS). A mixed-methods approach was adopted, combining an electronic survey applied to 46 out of 853 municipalities in the state and conducting semi-structured interviews with bureaucrats from SAGICAD at the federal level, and documentary analysis of SAGICAD panels. The findings reveal strong heterogeneity in municipal capacities: the prevalence of small administrative structures, precarious employment ties in bureaucracies, low degree of institutionalization of Social Assistance Surveillance and Permanent Education, and predominantly operational use of informational tools. Despite the high educational level and professional experience of local managers, individual qualification does not fully translate into institutional capacity. SAGICAD's transformative potential depends on strengthening three interdependent pillars related to state capabilities: continuous training, structuring of surveillance units, and stability of technical teams. The study concludes that the main challenge does not lie in access to information but in the capacity to transform data into evidence-based decisions and management practices, thus enhancing the effectiveness of SUAS at the municipal level.