O Programa Nacional de Transparência Pública como indutor da transparência ativa: o caso do Município de Brusque (SC)

Active transparency has become a central element of good governance and democratic accountability, particularly at the municipal level, where the proximity between the State and citizens intensifies demands for access to public information. In this context, the National Public Transparency Program (Programa Nacional de Transparência Pública – PNTP), coordinated by the Brazilian Association of Members of Courts of Accounts (Atricon), has consolidated itself as an important driver of good practices by establishing objective, standardized criteria aligned with the Brazilian legal framework. This article analyzes how the PNTP has contributed to the consolidation of a culture of active transparency in the municipality of Brusque, Santa Catarina, based on a qualitative and descriptive case study. The research uses documentary analysis, PNTP assessment reports, and participant observation to examine the institutional, organizational, and cultural effects resulting from the strategic appropriation of the program’s criteria by the municipal administration. The findings indicate that PNTP operates beyond its evaluative function, acting as a governance reference and an internal pedagogical tool capable of promoting intersectoral coordination, process standardization, and the strengthening of state capacities. The study concludes that, when incorporated as an institutional policy, the PNTP significantly contributes to the transition from transparency understood merely as a legal obligation to transparency as a structuring public policy at the local level.